South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the country’s third biggest political party, organised a protest outside the Israeli embassy in Pretoria. Party leader Julius Malema called for the embassy’s closure, criticizing Israel’s government for its actions in the conflict with Palestine.
Malema also urged retailers to remove Israeli products from their shelves by the end of October. Malema said:
If they don’t remove products from Israel, we’ll remove them ourselves. We don’t want Israeli products sold in South Africa, we don’t want food from people who have the blood of innocent people on their hands.
The EFF declared their support for Palestine and vowed to send arms to Hamas if elected in the 2024 elections. They demonstrated in solidarity with Palestine and emphasized their opposition to neutrality in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Malema argued that progressive governments should provide military and food aid to Palestinian freedom fighters.
The EFF intends to pressure the government to close the Israeli embassy until Palestine achieves freedom. The protests reflect a broader sentiment in South Africa, with some individuals expressing concerns that the ANC fails to consider the “Jewish side of the story” in the conflict. The EFF’s stance aligns with a growing global movement advocating for Palestinian rights and criticising Israel’s policies.
The African National Congress (ANC), the ruling party, also held a similar protest outside Israel’s embassy on Friday and called for a boycott of Israeli imports.