Mmusi Maimane Spat On The Palestinian Cause By Visiting Israel

I’m not sure if Mr Maimane is aware of this, but Israel has a monopoly on human rights violations and an utter disregard for international law.
Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane is pictured with the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu in a photo that was tweeted by Arthur Lenk, the Israeli Ambassador to South Africa.
Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane is pictured with the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu in a photo that was tweeted by Arthur Lenk, the Israeli Ambassador to South Africa.
twitter.com/arthurlenk

The Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane was in Israel...

Remember this:

Screenshot / Daily Maverick

This was Maimane's show of dismay for the ANC's governments' foreign policy in 2015 (I'd recommend the read, really gives you an inside look at the DAs' narrative.). However, Maimane goes on to provide what "our" (South Africa's foreign policy under a DA government) foreign policy should be: "At the same time, our foreign policy should always seek to promote human rights, democracy, respect for international law and the promotion of Africa's influence in international affairs."

"Promote human rights" and have "respect for international law". That's the best part.

I'm not particularly sure if Mr Maimane is aware of this, but Israel has a monopoly on human rights violations and an utter disregard for international law. Mr Maimane and his basket of DA Friends of Israel consider themselves defenders of the South African constitution.

Since I'm giving Mr Maimane the benefit of the doubt, here's some of the human rights violations committed by the so-called state of Israel:

1. In 2015, Humans Rights Watch reported that Palestinian protestors have been "arbitrarily" detained, some of these protestors include children. These human rights violations includes freedom of speech, association, movement and protest. Many of these rights are realised in South Africa and our country is praised for championing these very rights you wish to undermine by visiting a country with such a shameful record.

2. The building of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, which is in direct violation of International law under the Fourth Geneva Convention, Article 49. This means that under international humanitarian law establishing settlements whereby population transfer occurs is illegal. The latest UNSC brouhaha is sufficient reference for your education.

3. Amnesty International remarks that Palestine's West Bank region is under "military occupation" where Palestinians endure unlawful killings, this includes children (another violation of international law under the "Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict."). Moreover, detainees suffer from ill-treatment and torture, which again is a violation of international humanitarian law.

If anything, Mr Maimane has forgone his self-appointed role as a defender of human rights and the South African Constitution. Maimane, you shamelessly spat on the just Palestinian cause to satisfy a small wealthy white capital constituency in your party by engaging in relations with likes of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Occupier-in-Chief of Palestine.

Hypocrisy is strong with the DA.

The Embassy of the State of Palestine has released a statement distancing itself from Mr Mmusi Maimane's trip to Israel, following media interviews in which his team claims that the trip to Israel was also a trip to Palestine - blogs editor.

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