The Act for Palestine Foundation hosted a Twitter webinar on Monday, July 17, 2023, to coincide with the Nelson Mandela International Day, which celebrates the life and legacy of the leader of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.
The webinar, which had the theme of “The similarity between the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and Palestine”, was moderated by Roshan Dadu, a coordinator of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement in South Africa. The webinar also invited several activists and media professionals who shared their insights and experiences on the topic.
The webinar aimed to draw attention to the historical and contemporary links between the Palestinian struggle and the South African struggle against apartheid, as well as to stress the importance of international solidarity and boycott campaigns in advancing the cause of justice and human rights for the oppressed peoples.
Roshan Dadu said that South Africa and Palestine have a long history of solidarity and mutual support, dating back to the creation of Israel in 1948, which resulted in the Nakba or the catastrophe for the Palestinians who were expelled from their homes and lands. She said that Israel has imposed a system of apartheid on the Palestinians that violates their basic rights and freedoms, similar to what the white minority regime did to the black majority in South Africa.
She also said that apartheid is not invincible, but can be challenged and dismantled by the resistance and struggle of ordinary people and their allies around the world, as it happened in South Africa. She recalled that international solidarity was one of the main pillars of their struggle, and that they appealed to the world to isolate and sanction the apartheid regime until it ended its racist policies and practices.
She urged South Africa to fulfill its political and moral duty to support the BDS campaign against Israel, as it was once supported by the same campaign. She said that BDS is a peaceful and effective way to pressure Israel to end its illegal occupation, colonization and discrimination of the Palestinians, and to respect their rights to self-determination, equality and return.
The webinar was part of a series of activities by the Act for Palestine Foundation to commemorate international events related to the Palestinian cause, link it with other liberation movements around the world, and expose the ongoing Israeli violence and aggression against the Palestinian people.
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