The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) welcomes the renewed commitment by the ANC to supporting peace initiatives aimed at resolving the Israeli – Palestinian conflict. On Sunday 11 June, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Chair of the ANC NEC subcommittee on International Relations Edna Molewa, and ANC NEC subcommittee member on International Relations and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane reiterated their commitment to a negotiated two-state solution aimed at achieving peaceful co-existence between the different parties.
The SAJBD recognises the urgent need for the resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and believes firmly that the parties themselves need to negotiate their own peace. By providing moderate and pragmatic voices, the ANC and South African Government can play a constructive role in facilitating these negotiations. In an area characterised by extremism, voices such as the BDS, whose calls for the ultimate destruction of Israel, should be marginalised, and exposed as being opposed to genuine peace efforts.