Above photo: Protest against IDF recruitment in Cape Town. Wesley Fetter/Getty Images.
The Palestine Solidarity Alliance, the Media Review Network and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign are gravely concerned that, despite public warnings to South African citizens serving in Israel’s Occupation Army (IDF) issued by DIRCO Minister Naledi Pandor, recruitment for it may still be underway in South Africa. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshaveni recently confirmed that individuals participating in the Middle East war are a threat to the interests of the republic and will be prosecuted.
According to these solidarity groups, the man at the centre of this recent wave of recruitments is Colonel Golan Vach, described as a 35-year veteran in the IDF. He is linked to an event dubbed as an Expo for potential Olims, hosted by the Israel Centre and Jewish Agency for Israel. However, we believe it is a mere cover to recruit mercenaries that will assist Israel to kill Palestinians.
Vach is a self-confessed killer and war criminal. He is responsible for the killing of at least two Palestinians, having spent three months in recent combat operations in Gaza. The three organisations want him arrested to face trial in South Africa for various crimes against humanity, war crimes, spreading disinformation, recruiting South Africans to fight in a third country, and furthering the military interests of Israel in an armed conflict against South African law. Liar-in-chief Vach is also accused of disinforming the international community about the tales of decapitated babies.
But Golan Vach is not alone, as he has been aided and abetted by South African Zionist groups bent on selling Palestinian land to willing racist buyers here. This event was held recently in Cape Town, resulting in the disturbances of peace and harmony in the community, and is due to take place in Johannesburg on 7-8 April, 2024.
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“We are aware that Israel’s genocidal war on the besieged Gaza Strip has now entered the sixth month, resulting in massive numbers of massacres and widespread destruction. Despite UN resolutions including the recent Security Council ceasefire resolution, the Netanyahu regime remains adamant to continue pummeling Gaza, and using starvation as a weapon of war. We demand that this be put to a stop,” a spokesperson for the solidarity groups said.
Reports list the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza to be close to 34,000, mostly women and children. But the resistance has put the occupying power on the back foot. Recent reports by the IDF indicate that close to 700 soldiers and police were killed whilst thousands are seeking various medical and psychological support. And with large sections of the Israeli population seeking to emigrate, the Zionist state is thus desperate to bolster its troops. This has given rise to this new spurt to recruit foreign mercenaries with South Africa as one of its hunting grounds.
This man must be arrested.
- We call on Police Minister Bheki Cele to urgently intervene by probing Vach’s purpose and role in South Africa. Arrest Vach before it is too late!
- We also call on the National Prosecution Authority to urgently give effect to the numerous complaints lodged against individuals and organisations for being in violation of the Foreign Military Assistance Act (FMAA).
- We urge the Ministry of Justice to proactively intervene by probing the activities of groups such as the Israel Centre, Jewish Agency for Israel, and their roles in advocacy for Aliyah.
- We further call on the South African Police Services and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to investigate Zionist organizations like the SAZF and SAJBD for their support to the Israel apartheid state. This uncritical support has gone on for decades and it includes the genocide spoken to above as well the gross human rights violations in Gaza, as well as the current reign of terror by Israeli settlers on the West Bank and the detention without trial of 8,000 Palestinians there.
Whilst we support our government’s bold initiative to haul Israel to the International Court of Justice, we ask them to put a stop to South African soil being used to undermine the cause of justice and freedom for Palestinians.