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Following Hamas' incursion into Israel on Saturday, News24 has received a lot of comments and views on the situation from readers. Below are some of the responses we received.
Tutu and the violent methods of Hamas in Israel
The Anglican Church of Southern Africa recently declared Israel an apartheid state at its Provincial Standing Committee meeting.
Archbishop Thabo Makgoba backed this position in his personal blog. Then Saturday happened. Hamas militants invaded Israel on the final day of the Jewish festival of Sukkot, which was on the sabbath.
In echoes of the Yom Kippur war from fifty years ago, almost to the day, Israel was caught napping. Massacres, mayhem and a litany of war crimes have followed. Yet the Anglican church, which has been so quick to condemn violence against Palestinians, has not returned the favour regarding Israelis. Why should this matter to the Anglican church?
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Archbishop Desmond Tutu looms large in the annals of the history of the Anglican church and South African history. He positioned the Anglican church as one of the denominations at the forefront of the liberation struggle and fight against apartheid. He was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his commitment to a non-violent means of social activism. He embodied the non-violent option in the face of apartheid, despite other political leaders and later parties advocating for an armed struggle that targeted not only the armed forces but also civilians.
After liberation in 1994, Tutu went on to be outspoken about human rights on a global stage. Non-violent resistance remained his guiding principle, something that has been affirmed time and again by subsequent Anglican Synods.
With the Anglican church's declaration of Israel being an apartheid state (which I personally think is deeply flawed) and the ANC's declaration of support for the violent armed struggle of Hamas, where now is the Anglican church's principled stand against Hamas' violence? Why is the Anglican hierarchy slow in condemning the murder and kidnapping of Israelis when this is contrary to the non-violence that Tutu stood for?
Tutu famously would break out in dance, given the slightest opportunity, but he would not be joining in the dances we have seen in the Palestinian territories, in London, and elsewhere, celebrating the violent option.
Tutu advocated methods that he said could withstand the harsh scrutiny of history. The current stance of the Anglican church will not pass the moral test of hindsight this time.
- Revd Canon Peter Houston, Ethekwini
How can we expect peace and calm in hostile areas?
The account did not start with the unprecedented and surprise attack by Hamas. It is time that global leaders and the mass media move past meaningless posturing and talk about what is important.
Why is the oppression and suppression of Palestinians allowed to continue for so many years? How is it realistic to expect peace, harmony and calm in such hostile settings with repeated incursions into Palestinian spaces and the desecration of the al Aqsa Mosque, ethnic cleansing, settler violence, lack of basic necessities like water and other ongoing violations of Palestinian human rights?
I am not glorifying violence, war or extremism. I am attempting to explain the narrative around the continuing Palestinian right to freedom, human rights and self-determination or self-rule.
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Apartheid Israel's "Iron swords" operation against Palestinians in Gaza and other parts of occupied Palestine will not stop the Palestinian resistance and determination to end the ruthless occupation of Palestine.
The rockets from Gaza are in response to the blockade and collective punishment imposed by the Israeli regime that denies the Palestinians their basic human rights and other necessities to live a life of dignity in their native and natural land.
The road to peace is achievable. This requires apartheid Israel to return all the occupied land to the Palestinians, stop the desecration of al- Aqsa Mosque, recognise the right to return, and accept a one-state solution as the road to reconciliation and harmony.
- Mohamed Saeed, Pietermaritzburg
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SA shouldn't choose sides
South Africa has pockets of excellence, and we should not choose sides in the geo-political arena.
The government of today, in my opinion should stand strong against any international coercive "bully" tactics and remain strong in its neutral position.
We cannot choose sides. We need to take business on both sides.
The future world is divided, and we need to plan our way in this new world. There are no point in fighting this reality. I think South Africa has a unique position where we could play a role on both sides.
- Evert Potgieter, Cape Town
Disclaimer: News24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24.
