ynetnews Resolution adopted by the South African Christian body encourages its 4 million believers to use the word ‘Palestine’ to refer to Israel and to criticize its treatment of Palestinians
The Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA), which brings together over 4 million Christian believers from South Africa and four other countries located in the southern part of Africa, officially adopted a resolution last week declaring Israel as an apartheid state.
he organization, formerly led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu, is considered highly influential in the struggle against the apartheid regime led in South Africa in the last century.
Following the introduction of the new resolution against Israel, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba said in a statement “As people of faith who are distressed by the pain of the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza – and who long for security and a just peace for both Palestine and Israel – we can no longer ignore the realities on the ground. We are opposed not to the Jewish people, but to the policies of Israelis’ [sic] governments, which are becoming ever more extreme.”
Makgoba added that the move’s timing comes due to Israel’s ongoing judicial overhaul legislation, after which he claims Israel will lack checks and balances and act with Palestinians “in any way it would like.”
The organization, which includes Christian communities in Namibia, Mozambique, Angola, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Saint Helena, urges its believers to visit holy sites under Palestinian Authority control as an act of solidarity, hold meetings with Palestinians, and visit their homes whenever possible. They are also encouraged to use the term Palestine more and openly equate Israeli “occupation,” with apartheid.
Two years ago, the organization declared support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, but its members had refused to declare Israel an apartheid state until now, as part of the comprehensive policy of the worldwide Anglican Church.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the highest-ranking figure in the church, had previously said in a statement that he doesn’t see Israel as an apartheid state. “I don’t want to use the word apartheid because the apartheid regime in South Africa – and I knew Desmond Tutu and listened to him at length on this – the apartheid regime was built on a constitution that in the very fabric of the constitution, set up apartheid.”
“Israel’s constitution and the demonstrations against what is going on in the law at the moment show that there are huge numbers of Israelis who don’t want it to do that,” he added…
South Africa’s Anglican Church declares Israel an apartheid state (ynetnews.com)
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