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Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
A PALESTINIAN activist, Cde Saleh Hijaz, has arrived in the country to seek for support against Israeli occupation and the lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe.
Cde Hijaz, who is Africa coordinator for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) national council, which is the largest coalition in Palestinian society to boycott Israel goods, said his visit was aimed at strengthening the existing relations between Zimbabwe and Palestine.
He has called for the removal of sanctions against Zimbabwe saying they must instead be imposed on Western countries that are committing crimes against humanity.
Cde Hijaz said he looks forward to having engagements with Government officials, church leaders, youths, civic society and human rights organisations to push for an end to Israeli occupation, while also pushing for the removal of sanctions on Zimbabwe.
“We stand with Zimbabwe against sanctions and we want them to be removed,” he said.
Cde Hijaz visited members of the Broad Alliance Against Sanctions who are camped outside the United States Embassy in Harare, and demanded the immediate removal of sanctions.
He said his visit was mainly to expand the BDS network into African countries for solidarity with Palestine.
“We have three main demands which are the return of Palestinian refugees, which is at the heart of the Palestinian struggle, the end of military occupation which is 55-years-old and has been deemed illegal and the dismantling of the colonial apartheid,” said Cde Hijaz.
“BDS is a non-violent struggle and it is global but Palestinian-led. My stop in Zimbabwe is the fourth in the SADC region. I started with South Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
“The purpose here is to expand BDS networks to be part of the Pan-African Palestine Solidarity Network, a newly established organisation with members of over 22 African countries.”
In recent years, said Cde Hijaz, there has been international consensus among global human rights organisations that Israel is an apartheid State.
“This is what Palestinians have been saying for years. We are asking the United Nations to act exactly the same way it did when there was apartheid in South Africa, to set up mechanisms particularly the special committee against apartheid, to investigate Israel and ultimately to impose sanctions in a similar way sanctions were imposed on racist regimes in this part of the continent.”
Zimbabwe Palestine Solidarity Council president Cde Mafa Mafa said the situation in Palestine was getting worse.
“We are trying to bring in as many organisations as we can to coordinate solidarity activities. We must create a formidable front to give one final blow to the apartheid regime.
“We believe that in our generation, Palestine must be free, that is why the BDS is trying to establish its presence in Africa,” said Cde Mafa.
Online Reporter