“The Council of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) has resolved that TUT will not forge any ties with the State of Israel or any of its organizations and institutions” TUT spokesman on the issue Professor Rasigan Maharajh told the African News Agency (ANA) during an interview on Wednesday.
A December 7 press release from TUT stated: “As a progressive university in a democratic South Africa we want to affirm that TUT will not sign any agreements or enter into scientific partnerships until such time that Israel ends its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory.
“The university will not stand back and accept the violations of the Israeli government when it confines the movement of Palestinian children and youth on their own land and restricts their ability to access education through destroying their schools” added the statement.
South African criticism of Israel is growing the ANA pointed out.
One of the controversial issues to be discussed at the ANC’s forthcoming 54th National Conference in Gauteng from December 16 to 20 is the possible downgrading or even closure of the South African Embassy in Tel Aviv.
“As a constitutional democracy premised on the recognition of human rights the Republic of South Africa must urgently discuss downgrading the status of its relationship with Israel” said Maharajh.
TUT’s decision to cut all ties with the Jewish state also comes in the wake of strong condemnation from the South African government and various political and human rights organizations across the country following US President Donald Trump’s decision to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem while stating that Jerusalem was the capital of Israel.
Under international law East Jerusalem is occupied territory and all international embassies have based themselves in Tel Aviv until the final status of Jerusalem is negotiated through talks.
“The announcement by the Trump regime of its intentions to establish its embassy in Jerusalem further escalates tensions” said Maharajh.
“As guided by the founding President of the post-apartheid South Africa Nelson Mandela who declared that: ‘We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians’ the Republic of South Africa must also condemn the actions of the Trump regime and work harder at fostering solidarity and cooperation with the people of Palestine.”
