Palestine supporters in CT call for energy sanctions against Israel

Pro-Palestine supporters handed over a memorandum to representatives from Astron Energy in Cape Town, following a picket calling for energy sanctions against Israel.

Various organisations including the Muslim Judicial Council and South African Jews for a Free Palestine are demanding the mining company, Glencore and its affiliates stop exporting coal and trading with the Middle Eastern country.

Protestors are demanding Glencore and its subsidiaries must cut trade ties amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.

Spokesperson for Cape Town Embargo, Abeedah Adams says, “When they are exporting coal to Israel, there’s no distinction to say  what energy does it power, so it powers armament companies, it provides power and energy to the illegal settlements within the occupied territories and yet Palestinian people, we have seen the horrific pictures on the news, social media and everywhere, where Palestinian hospitals don’t have enough energy. They don’t have fuel, they have to operate under difficult conditions, operations by candlelight and all these kinds of things.”

Activists such as Jo Bluen of South African Jews for a Free Palestine say the picket follows calls from trade unions in Palestine.

“We are here to say that any company that funds apartheid, that funds genocide, that funds settler colonisation, that is happy to sit by and provide the coal for the machinery through which children are killed. People of all genders are being killed and hospitals being bombed, relentless annihilation, racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism and anti-blackness, xenophobia, we will not stand by.”

Struggle cleric, Reverend Alan Boesak says the South African government should implement practical steps against Israel.

Boesak says stronger action is needed.

“Going to the International Criminal Court (ICC) it’s one thing but that’s not in our control. The consequences of decisions made are not in our control. What those states make in terms of the obligations that the rulings make in every sense that’s not in our control. What is in our control is to apply BDS or boycott, divestment, sanctions across the board. We need to cut all diplomatic ties, shut down the embassy, cut all trade ties, stop all ships from coming via Cape Town to take trade to Israel all of those things are under our control.”

Protest against coal export to Israel