Faizel Patel – 26/06/2020
The Jamiatul Ulama South Africa has called upon Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng to retract his remarks about his apparent support for Israel saying he should rather speak against the discrimination and oppression of Palestinian people.
Mogoeng was interviewed by the Jerusalem Post during an online interview recently.
The publication reported that Mogoeng lamented South Africa adoption of a lopsided attitude toward the Israel-Palestinian conflict and said that it would have greater influence if it displayed a more balanced approach.
“As a citizen of our great country, we are denying ourselves a wonderful opportunity of being a game-changer in the Israeli-Palestinian situation. We know what it means to be at loggerheads, a nation at war with itself.”
In a statement, the Jamiat SA’s Ml Ebrahim Bham says the position taken by Mogoeng comes at a time when Israel is moving to annex illegally occupied Palestinian territory in West Bank.
“The Chief Justice Mogoeng’s apparent partiality towards the state of Israel which is supposed to be regarded as a pariah in the arena of human rights, calls to question his commitment towards South Africa’s foreign policy which is derived from the nation’s obligations as a signatory to the conventions and legal instruments that have pronounced the illegitimacy of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.”
The African National Congress (ANC) also said that it was concerned about statements made by Chief Mogoeng during the interview with Jerusalem Times.
The ANC says it is unfortunate that the Chief Justice made these statements, entering political commentary which may make him vulnerable should he have to adjudicate a human rights matter in the future.
“He also openly supported the actions of the State of Israel, actions condemned by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on numerous occasions and contemptuous behaviour towards the human rights of the people of Palestine.”
The ANC says it has consistently expressed courageously through its successive resolutions that the contemporary State of Israel is an Apartheid State.
“On 24 June the SG of the UN stated that the annexation of 30% of the West Bank settlement by Israel is a gross violation of international law. The annexation is nothing more than a land grab and theft. We will continue to work with all sectors of South Africa in opposing the occupation, annexation and colonization of Palestinian land!
The ANC says it respects the Office of the Chief Justice and has urged the Speaker of Parliament to have high level talks with the Chief Justice regarding his political commentary.
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