VZCZCXYZ0013
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSAA #1961 1511032
ZNR UUUUU ZZH ZUI RUEWMCF0942 1511035
R 311032Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK

UNCLAS PRETORIA 001961 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER IS KPAL SF
SUBJECT: SAG INTELLIGENCE MINISTER LED OFFICIAL DELEGATION 
TO PALESTINE 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  SAG INTELLIGENCE MINISTER RONNIE KASRILS 
LED AN OFFICIAL SAG DELEGATION TO PALESTINE IN EARLY MAY AND 
MET PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS AND PRIME MINISTER ISMAIL 
HANIYAH, AMONG OTHERS. KASRILS MADE COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE 
SITUATION IN PALESTINE AND THE APARTHEID ERA, CHARACTERIZING 
THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION AS "MODERN DAY APARTHEID."  KASRILS 
INVITED PRIME MINISTER ISMAIL HANIYAH TO A RECIPROCAL VISIT. 
PRO-ISRAELI JEWISH GROUPS IN SOUTH AFRICA DENOUNCED THE 
INVITATION.  IN CONTRAST, LOCAL ISLAMIC GROUPS SUPPORTED THE 
SAG'S EFFORTS AND ENDORSED HANIYAH'S VISIT AS "ONE OF THE 
MOST CONSTRUCTIVE FOREIGN POLICY ENGAGEMENTS" OF THE SOUTH 
AFRICAN GOVERNMENT.  THE ORGANIZERS OF UPCOMING 
PRO-PALESTINIAN EVENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA HAVE CALLED ON THE 
UNITED NATIONS TO PROVIDE INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION FOR THE 
PALESTINIAN PEOPLE; AND SOME ADVOCATE FOR ECONOMIC BOYCOTTS 
AND SANCTIONS AGAINST ISRAEL. THE SAG, AT UN REQUEST, 
RECENTLY HOSTED THE UN CONFERENCE OF AFRICAN SOLIDARITY WITH 
PALESTINE WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY PALESTINIAN AND ISRAELI 
POLITICIANS, ACADEMICS AND DELEGATES FROM GOVERNMENT AND 
CIVIL SOCIETY. PAST INVITATIONS TO LEADERS OF HAMAS AND THE 
PLO IN RECENT YEARS HAVE FAILED TO OCCUR DUE TO "SCHEDULING 
CONFLICTS."  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) FROM 01-06 MAY, SAG INTELLIGENCE MINISTER RONNIE 
KASRILS LED AN OFFICIAL SAG DELEGATION TO THE PALESTINIAN 
TERRITORIES INCLUDING THE GAZA STRIP AND THE WEST BANK. 
KASRILS DELEGATION INCLUDED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SAG AND 
RULING AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS (ANC) PARTY; INTER ALIA, 
DUMISANI SITHOLE, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT (MP) AND CHAIR OF THE 
PARLIAMENTARY PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS; DR. TED 
PEKANE, SOUTH AFRICAN REPRESENTATIVE TO THE PALESTINIAN 
NATIONAL AUTHORITY; M. NTENTENI OF THE ANC WOMEN'S LEAGUE; 
AMONG OTHERS.  KASRILS SPOKE DURING SOUTH AFRICA'S FREEDOM 
(NATIONAL) DAY CELEBRATIONS IN GAZA AND RAMALLAH.  THE SAG 
DELEGATION MET PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS, PRIME MINISTER ISMAIL 
HANIYAH, PALESTINIAN NATIONAL AUTHORITY (PNA) MINISTERS AND 
OFFICIALS, PALESTINIAN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (PLC) MEMBERS, 
NGO'S, POLITICAL PARTY REPRESENTATIVES AND THINK TANKS. 
KASRILS DELIVERED A SPEECH AT THE BIRZEIT UNIVERSITY ON THE 
LESSONS OF SOUTH AFRICAS ANTI-APARTHEID STRUGGLE AND MADE 
COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE SITUATION IN PALESTINE AND THE 
APARTHEID ERA, CHARACTERIZING THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION POLICY 
AS A FORM OF "MODERN DAY APARTHEID."  (NOTE: EMBOFFS HAVE 
HEARD THIS CHARACTERIZATION BEING MADE BY OTHER ANC COALITION 
MEMBERS.  END NOTE)  HE VISITED THE ISRAELI SECURITY WALL 
NEAR BETHLEHEM WITH DR. MUSTAFA BARGHOUTHI, MINISTER OF 
COMMUNICATION, AND LAID A WREATH ON BEHALF OF THE SAG AND THE 
PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA AT THE RAMALLAH TOMB OF THE LATE 
PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT.  ABBAS RECEIVED KASRILS IN RAMALLAH 
AND BRIEFED HIM ON DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORY 
AND EFFORTS TO REVIVE THE PEACE PROCESS.  PNA DEPUTY DIRECTOR 
OF INTELLIGENCE, GENERAL TOUFIQ TIRAWI, SAID ABBAS AND 
KASRILS DISCUSSED ISSUES OF MUTUAL COOPERATION, ADDING THAT 
KASRILS EXPRESSED THE SAG'S SUPPORT FOR THE PNA.  KASRILS 
ALSO REPORTEDLY EXPRESSED THE SAG'S SUPPORT FOR "THE 
PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, PRESIDENT ABBAS AND THE NATIONAL UNITY 
GOVERNMENT." 
 
¶3.  (SBU) KASRILS' VISIT SPARKED AN INTENSE LOCAL CONTROVERSY 
AFTER A PNA PRESS REPORT INDICATED THAT KASRILS FORMALLY 
INVITED THE PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER, ISMAIL HANIYAH, TO A 
RECIPROCAL OFFICIAL PRETORIA VISIT.  THE SAG APPEARED TO 
DISAVOW THIS INVITATION WHEN DFA SPOKESMAN, RONNI MAMOEPA, 
NOTED THAT ONLY THE PRESIDENT OR FOREIGN MINSTER COULD INVITE 
HANIYAH.  PRO-ISRAELI JEWISH GROUPS IN SOUTH AFRICA SUCH AS 
THE SOUTH AFRICAN JEWISH BOARD OF DEPUTIES (SAJBD) AND THE 
SOUTH AFRICAN ZIONIST FEDERATION (SAZF) DENOUNCED THIS 
INVITATION WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THEIR "NOT IN MY NAME" 
CAMPAIGN.  THEY ARGUED THE SAG SHOULD NOT ALLOW AN OFFICIAL 
VISIT BY A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION THAT DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE 
STATE OF ISRAEL OR ITS RIGHT TO EXIST.  IN CONTRAST, LOCAL 
ISLAMIC GROUPS ECHOED A LOCAL POLITICAL MANTRA THAT "SOUTH 
AFRICAN POLITICAL HISTORY TEACHES THAT DIFFERENCE AND DISCORD 
CAN BE OVERCOME THROUGH INTENSE NEGOTIATIONS."  SOUTH 
AFRICA'S JAMIATUL ULAMA SUPPORTED THE SAG'S EFFORTS TO PLAY A 
"CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE" IN PALESTINE AND ENDORSED THE VISIT 
INVITATION AS "ONE OF THE MOST CONSTRUCTIVE FOREIGN POLICY 
ENGAGEMENTS THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT HAS EMBARKED ON IN 
RECENT YEARS."  THEY FURTHER CLAIMED THAT BY "DENYING THE 
PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER THE RIGHT TO TRAVEL ON THE BEHALF 
OF THE PEOPLE OF PALESTINE, THE SAJBD AND THE SAZF ARE 
EFFECTIVELY PROVING THEMSELVES TO BE UNDERMINING THE SA 
 
 
GOVERNMENT'S CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT IN PALESTINE." 
 
¶4.  (SBU) THIS CONTROVERSY WAS FURTHER STOKED BY THE 15 MAY 
VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA BY MOHAMMED NAZZAL, A MEMBER OF THE 
HAMAS POLITBURO.  NAZZAL VISITED ROBBEN ISLAND AS A GUEST OF 
THE LOCAL GROUP, FRIENDS OF AL-AQSA.  NAZZAL WAS IN SOUTH 
AFRICA TO ATTEND A CONFERENCE COORDINATED BY THE FRIENDS OF 
AL-AQSA COMMEMORATING THE 1948 OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE.  WHEN 
NAZZAL TOURED THE PRISON CELL FORMERLY OCCUPIED BY NELSON 
MANDELA, HE SAID THAT "(MANDELA'S) SUFFERING WAS AN 
INSPIRATION TO THE PEOPLE OF PALESTINE" AND DESCRIBED THE 
LIBERATION MOVEMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA AS "A WORKABLE MODEL" FOR 
THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES.  KASRILS MET WITH 
NAZZAL IN CAPE TOWN WHERE, ACCORDING TO ISMAIL COLLIER, THE 
COORDINATOR OF THE FRIENDS OF AL-AQSA, HE EXPRESSED SUPPORT 
FOR THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE AND CALLED FOR ENDING THE 
OCCUPATION OF PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES.  KASRILS ALSO 
REPORTEDLY QUESTIONED THE PATRIOTISM AND LOYALTY OF SOUTH 
AFRICAN GROUPS THAT DENOUNCED THE SAG'S RECOGNITION OF THE 
ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.  HE 
REPEATED PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI'S POSITION THAT THE "POLITICAL 
BOYCOTT AGAINST HAMAS NEEDS TO BE BROKEN" AND THAT AN 
OFFICIAL INVITATION TO VISIT SOUTH AFRICA WOULD BE EXTEND TO 
PM HANIYAH. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) ANOTHER UPCOMING EVENT IS LIKELY TO ADD TO THIS 
CONTROVERSY.  SOUTH AFRICAN CIVIC GROUPS ANNOUNCED A SERIES 
OF PROTESTS IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINIAN PEOPLE FOR 4-9 JUNE. 
THIS PROPOSED WEEK OF PROTEST ACTION COINCIDES WITH OTHER 
ACTIVITIES AROUND THE WORLD COMMEMORATING THE 40TH 
ANNIVERSARY OF THE OCCUPATION BY ISRAEL OF THE WEST BANK, 
GAZA, EAST JERUSALEM AND THE GOLAN HEIGHTS.  ACTIVITIES IN 
SOUTH AFRICA WILL BE COORDINATED BY THE END THE OCCUPATION 
CAMPAIGN, MADE UP OF AROUND 20 CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS, 
SOCIAL MOVEMENTS, SOLIDARITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND POLITICAL 
PARTIES.  THE COUNCIL OF SOUTH AFRICAN TRADE UNIONS (COSATU) 
PRESIDENT WILLIE MADISHA SAID PROTEST ACTION AGAINST ISRAEL 
"MUST BE SUSTAINED FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE" BEYOND THE WEEK 
OF JUNE 4.  HISTORICALLY, COSATU HAS SUPPORTED A CAMPAIGN OF 
BOYCOTTS, DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS AGAINST ISRAEL "IN 
SOLIDARITY WITH THE WORKERS AND PEOPLE OF PALESTINE."  (NOTE: 
COSATU IS A MAJOR COMPONENT OF THE ANC RULING COALITION ALONG 
WITH THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF SOUTH AFRICA.  END NOTE)  THE 
SOUTH AFRICAN COUNCIL OF CHURCHES (SACC) GENERAL SECRETARY 
EDDIE MAKUE SAID HIS ORGANIZATION, TOGETHER WITH THE WORLD 
COUNCIL OF CHURCHES AND THE CHRISTIAN COUNCIL OF SWEDEN 
SUPPORTS THE 04 JUNE PROTESTS AND COMPARED THE OCCUPATION OF 
PALESTINIAN TERRITORY WITH THE SYSTEM OF APARTHEID. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) THE ORGANIZERS OF THESE PRO-PALESTINIAN EVENTS HAVE 
CALLED ON THE UNITED NATIONS AND ITS MEMBER STATES TO PROVIDE 
INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION FOR THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE LIVING 
UNDER OCCUPATION.  IN THE WEEK OF 4 JUNE, LUNCH-TIME PICKETS 
IN VARIOUS CENTERS AROUND THE COUNTRY WILL BE LAUNCHED, 
INCLUDING A DEMONSTRATION BY MPS AND A CANDLE-LIGHT VIGIL 
OUTSIDE THE US CONSULATE IN JOHANNESBURG.  LEADERS OF THE ANC 
HAVE ALSO CALLED FOR A PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE ON THE OCCUPATION 
OF PALESTINIAN TERRITORY, AND MEMBERS OF THIS GROUP HAVE 
CALLED FOR SOUTH AFRICANS TO BOYCOTT PRODUCTS FROM ISRAEL. 
THE ANC, HOWEVER, WILL NOT JOIN THE BOYCOTT OF ISRAELI 
PRODUCTS.  PA MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION, DR. NASSEREDDIN 
AL-SHAER (WHO WAS RECENTLY DETAINED BY THE ISRAELI 
GOVERNMENT) IS AMONG A DELEGATION OF THREE PALESTINIAN 
LEGISLATORS INVITED TO SOUTH AFRICA TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 
PROTESTS.  SAG MINISTER OF EDUCATION, NALEDI PANDOR, HAS 
INVITED AL-SHAER TO A MEETING.  PALESTINIAN AMBASSADOR ALI 
HALIMEH SAID IT WAS UNCERTAIN WHETHER THE DETAINED MINISTER 
WOULD BE ABLE TO VISIT SOUTH AFRICA. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) IN ADDITION TO THESE PAST AND PLANNED EVENTS, THE 
SAG, AT THE REQUEST OF THE UN, RECENTLY HOSTED THE UN 
CONFERENCE OF AFRICAN SOLIDARITY WITH PALESTINE.  THAT EVENT 
WAS ATTENDED BY BOTH PALESTINIAN AND ISRAELI POLITICIANS 
(NOTE: ISRAELI POLITICAL PARTICIPATION WAS MINIMAL. END 
NOTE), ACADEMICS AND DELEGATES FROM GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL 
SOCIETY.  ACCORDING TO FORMIN DLAMINI ZUMA, THE CONFERENCE 
CALLED FOR THE "ENDING OF SANCTIONS AGAINST THE PALESTINIAN 
AUTHORITY AND THE RESUMPTION OF DIALOG BETWEEN PALESTINE AND 
ISRAEL.  IN HER 28 MAY BUDGET ADDRESS TO PARLIAMENT IN CAPE 
TOWN, DLAMINI ZUMA NOTED THAT RECENTLY, "VIOLENCE HAS AGAIN 
ERUPTED BETWEEN PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS.  WE CALL ON BOTH 
PARTIES TO CEASE HOSTILITIES AND ALLOW FOR THE RESUMPTION OF 
 
 
THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS." 
 
¶8.  (SBU) COMMENT:  KASRILS HAS LONG BEEN IDENTIFIED WITH 
PRO-PALESTINIAN AND ANTI-ISRAELI SENTIMENTS THAT ARE COMMONLY 
HELD WITHIN THE ANC.  THERE HAS BEEN A CLOSE, DECADES-LONG 
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE PLO AND THE ANC 
AS BOTH REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENTS IDENTIFIED WITH THE EACH 
OTHER AND FOUND A SENSE OF IDENTITY AND COMMON CAUSE.  YASSER 
ARAFATS PHOTOGRAPH ADORNS THE WALLS OF THE ROBBEN ISLAND 
VISITORS CENTER, ALONG WITH THAT OF NELSON MANDELA AND BILL 
CLINTON.  KASRILS, OF JEWISH HERITAGE HIMSELF, IS A LIGHTNING 
ROD FOR PRO-ISRAEL GROUPS HERE, WHO HAVE DESCRIBED HIM AS "A 
SELF-HATING JEW."  THE REPORTED INTENTION OF THE SAG TO HOST 
AN OFFICIAL PALESTINIAN VISIT IS SUPPORTED BY MANY ANC 
MEMBERS AND SAG/DFA OFFICIALS, BUT NO FIRM DATE FOR A 
RECIPROCAL PALESTINIAN VISIT HAS BEEN DETERMINED. 
NEVERTHELESS, THE STORY ABOUT HANIYAH'S POSSIBLE VISIT HAS 
MOVED TO THE BACK BURNER FOLLOWING THE MOST RECENT UPSURGE OF 
VIOLENCE BETWEEN ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS, CAUSING THE 
CONTROVERSY TO FADE IN THE LOCAL PRESS.  SIMILAR INVITATIONS 
IN RECENT YEARS FOR THE SENIOR MOST LEADERS OF HAMAS AND THE 
PLO TO VISIT SOUTH AFRICA, WHILE SCORING POLITICAL POINTS 
WITH SOUTH AFRICAN MUSLIM GROUPS, HAVE FAILED TO OCCUR. 
"SCHEDULING CONFLICTS" ARE USUALLY THE EXPLANATIONS GIVEN FOR 
THESE HIGH PROFILE NON-EVENTS, BUT POST BELIEVES THESE ARE 
MERELY FACE-SAVING EXCUSES TO BACK AWAY FROM POTENTIALLY 
EMBARRASSING VISITS. 
 
TEITELBAUM