Can raging Israel-Hamas conflict influence South Africa general election 2024?
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Salma Hossein
- . May 13, 2024
- . Update: May 13, 2024 8:02 pm
Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israeli cities on October 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking dozens of others hostages. Israel’s retaliatory strikes on the Gaza Strip has already claimed almost 35,100 Palestinian lives, as per the enclave’s authorities.
Recent satellite images have demonstrated a decrease in the number of tents of displaced people in the city of Rafah in Gaza and an increase in Khan Younis and Deir el-Balah in light of Israel’s expansion of military operations.
Gaza crisis taking over South Africa general election The raging Gaza Crisis has pushed a major portion of the Middle East into turmoil and has been making headlines across the globe every single day.
But does the chaos have the potential to influence the upcoming general elections in South Africa on May 29? Interestingly but not shockingly enough, the brutal Israel-Hamas war has become a common theme in debates leading up to the polls. The governing African National Congress (ANC) is vocally pro-Palestine but the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) remains neutral.
“The DA stands in solidarity with both Palestinians and Israelis who seek a two-state solution. The DA stands against radicalism and violence. We reject any sentiment that seeks to annihilate either Israel or Palestine,” the party said in a statement after the October attacks.
From Friday until Sunday, South Africa hosted a Global Anti-Apartheid Conference for Palestine at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, aimed at highlighting the Israeli war on Gaza and the Israeli settlers’ illegal colonialism, among other issues.
“Outraged by a century of colonialism” The conference attracted international speakers, including Declan Kearney, the chairperson of Sinn Fein, the Irish Republican and Democratic Socialist political party, and Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian human rights activist and politician.
The delegates from scores of different countries issued a statement, stating they are “outraged by a century of colonialism; 75 years of ongoing Nakba; 75 years of Israeli genocide, colonialism and apartheid,” as per media reports.
The three-day Global Anti-Apartheid Conference for Palestine concluded earlier today. This event marked a significant milestone in the international effort to combat apartheid in Israel and advocate for the liberation of the Palestinian people.
— African National Congress (@MYANC) May 12, 2024
The images here capture some of… pic.twitter.com/23jKkEe2PF
