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South African Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils speaking with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. (AP)
Last update - 10:06 31/05/2007
South Africa's largest trade union seeks to boycott Israel
By Cnaan Liphshiz, Haaretz Correspondent

South Africa's largest trade union federation will launch a campaign against "the Israeli occupation of Arab lands" this week, demanding that Pretoria impose a boycott on all Israeli goods and break diplomatic relations. South African Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils, who is Jewish, told Haaretz that he actively supported the initiative - which contradicts the policy of his own cabinet.

The president of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), Willy Madisha, announced the launching of the campaign last week in Johannesburg, calling on the government to cease all diplomatic relations with Israel after its attacks on Palestinian leaders.

"The best way to have Israel comply with United Nations resolutions is to pressure it by a diplomatic boycott such as the one imposed on apartheid South Africa," Madisha said. Cosatu belongs to a recently-formed coalition of organizations operating under the banner "End The Occupation."
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Kasrils' anti-Israeli organization Not In My Name belongs to the coalition working toward an embargo on Israel. This runs contrary to South Africa's official stance, and to President Thabo Mbeki's decision to strengthen trade ties with Israel. Mbeki, who heads the ANC ruling party, even appeared as a guest at Israel's Independence Day celebrations in Durban last month.

Kasrils, a member of the ANC, told Haaretz that his support for severing all ties with Israel was not in opposition to his cabinet's policy. "Cosatu is an ANC ally in the coalition against the Israeli occupation. Most elements of this coalition call for boycotting Israel, although the ANC does not," he said.

"We respect their right to encourage people to boycott Israeli goods. As a South African consumer I personally will not purchase Israeli goods until Israel changes its present policy regarding the Palestinians."

Cosatu's spokesman, Patrick Craven, said Kasrils was involved in directing the campaign for imposing a political and economic embargo on Israel. "This is intended to include the diamond trade," he added.

Craven acknowledged that his organization's primary objectives did not pertain to the Middle East, noting that while Cosatu's main goal was improving the material conditions of its 1.8 million members, "it could not stand idly by as Israel perpetrated atrocities in Palestine." Adding that he anticipated "some short-term damage" to South Africa's economy following the boycott, Carven said the damage was "vastly outweighed by the importance of stopping injustice."

The campaign that Cosatu has helped mount will begin Friday, with sermons in South Africa's mosques on "the plight of the Palestinian people". The Christian organizations of the coalition will begin addressing the issue in churches Sunday.

The organizers intend to picket across South Africa next week, including a picket by members of parliament and a candlelight vigil outside the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg. The ANC ruling party has called for a parliamentary debate on "Israeli occupation."

Campaign activists will also hold pickets outside selected stores selling Israeli goods. The events will culminate in mass marches and rallies on Saturday, June 9, both in Cape Town and Johannesburg
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  1.   kasrils.Remember Flavius Josephus? 02:51  |  bat yam 31/05/07
  2.   Then there were two 02:57  |  Chris 31/05/07
  3.   Good! One apartheid down, another to go! 03:02  |  Jan 31/05/07
  4.   Who Cares? 03:02  |  Semsem 31/05/07
  5.   Israel - Are You waking Up ? 03:03  |  chet 31/05/07
  6.   Israel paying the price of supporting apartheid 03:03  |  Ginger 31/05/07
  7.   Kasrils is a brave Jew indeed 03:07  |  Donna 31/05/07
  8.   White South Africans are besieged! 03:13  |  Ano 31/05/07
  9.   South Africa silent on muslims committing genocide in darfur 03:26  |  Seth 31/05/07
  10.   South Africa 03:29  |  Meni 31/05/07
  11.   Bat Yam & Ginger 03:34  |  spikeTelAviv 31/05/07
  12.   Twisted View of Reality 03:40  |  Sheldon 31/05/07
  13.   Ano in Pretoria 03:42  |  wibism 31/05/07
  14.   we must get aggressive against these racist bigoted group 03:45  |  ralph 31/05/07
  15.   maybe time toi buy french products boycott s. africa 03:45  |  ralph 31/05/07
  16.   SA debt to Israel should be repaid first , only than 03:46  |  Sal 31/05/07
  17.   "The best way to have Israel comply with United Nations---" 03:48  |  PETER SM 31/05/07
  18.   HAARETZ Kasrils was born Jewish, his beliefs are uberleft 03:51  |  PETER SM 31/05/07
  19.   Another White South African 03:59  |  Terry 31/05/07
  20.   Boycott 04:01  |  Civilisation 31/05/07
  21.   Let South Africa drown in its growing violence and poverty 04:05  |  Maya 31/05/07
  22.   To Chris, Jan, Semsem, Chet, Ginger, Donna 04:08  |  Barry 31/05/07
  23.   Kasrils is no Jew. No Jew in his right mind would ever be 04:14  |  Steve 31/05/07
  24.   Wibism and the World`s Destruction 04:20  |  Barry 31/05/07
  25.   s.a.ignorance-Israels weakness 04:23  |  DOV KORET 31/05/07
  26.   SA and Israel 04:30  |  Barry 31/05/07
  27.   Let me see if I`ve got this straight 04:30  |  Mark 31/05/07
  28.   To Barry 04:31  |  SpikeTelAviv 31/05/07
  29.   OIL OIL OIL 04:37  |  TOBIA 31/05/07
  30.   Donna Thank you 04:38  |  Danite 31/05/07
  31.   To Sal and other racists 04:39  |  david 31/05/07
  32.   Ronnie Kassrils is truely, a modern day hero! 04:43  |  Maureen Ann 31/05/07
  33.   South Africa 04:47  |  Brod 31/05/07
  34.   PETER SM (Post No. 18) 04:58  |  Johnny Weintraub 31/05/07
  35.   Reply to Steve (Post No. 23). 05:07  |  Johnny Weintraub 31/05/07
  36.   Leave Ronnie alone 05:22  |  Elvis Kasrils 31/05/07
  37.   Leave Ronnie alone 05:22  |  Elvis Kasrils 31/05/07
  38.   Elvis Kasrils 06:00  |  Connie 31/05/07
  39.   Uncle Tom Kasrils 06:09  |  Remy Martin 31/05/07
  40.   Donna Mengele? 06:11  |  Rulon Harper 31/05/07
  41.   Kasrils - Hobnobbing with Hamas and Iranian leaders 06:14  |  Tod Zuckerman 31/05/07
  42.   South African Hypocracy 06:23  |  John Phee 31/05/07
  43.   KASRILS, YOUR COMPARISON IS SPURIOUS! 06:26  |  Leon 31/05/07
  44.   THE `New" South Africa give them time to achieve total anarchy 06:29  |  PETER SM 31/05/07
  45.   J.Weintraub.Doctrinaire Communist Jews were some of Stalins worst 06:32  |  PETER SM 31/05/07
  46.   Fallwell Said The Anti-Christ Would Be A Jew 06:36  |  Yosemite 31/05/07
  47.   Bravo to South Africa`s Largest Trade Union 06:40  |  Timothy 31/05/07
  48.   SA, who cares?! But we remember ... 06:42  |  Avraham 31/05/07
  49.   #38 Well golly day, Connie, got to that gnawing job 06:56  |  ballistic 31/05/07
  50.   Kasrils 07:02  |  Michael Bergman 31/05/07
  51.   Split the world now! 07:02  |  Judge 31/05/07
  52.   trade union 07:03  |  rico 31/05/07
  53.   #36 never... 07:07  |  misha 31/05/07
  54.   KAPPO KASRILS! 07:08  |  Citizen 31/05/07
  55.   #7 South Africa should be ashamed 07:16  |  Fortunee 31/05/07
  56.   #45 Throw away your computer 07:18  |  Laila 31/05/07
  57.   CuttheBS 07:19  |  Shlomi 31/05/07
  58.   #45 Bravo to the South African government Timothy 07:28  |  Mark 31/05/07
  59.   Kasrils 07:38  |  Garry 31/05/07
  60.   Response to 45 07:41  |  Ros 31/05/07
  61.   Blacks memories 07:42  |  tshabalala 31/05/07
  62.   MAUREEN IN AUSTRALIA 07:48  |  gary 31/05/07
  63.   Why these reprehensible boycotts? 07:50  |  Esther 31/05/07
  64.   TIMOTHY.Will boycotts&sanctions make Arabs accept UN resolutions& 07:51  |  PETER SM 31/05/07
  65.   And have the hypocrites boycotted Zimbabwe already? 07:55  |  Dan 31/05/07
  66.   Let Historical Facts Do All the Talking 07:56  |  Kenneth Mathabane 31/05/07
  67.   Response for Ginger #6 07:59  |  Esther 31/05/07
  68.   It`s Payback Time 08:01  |  Walid 31/05/07
  69.   SA Trade Union Hippocracy 08:05  |  Ron Erez 31/05/07
  70.   Here we go again 08:05  |  D.R. Zukerman 31/05/07
  71.   Leon 08:13  |  Walid 31/05/07
  72.   Thank you South Africa 08:14  |  emad matahin 31/05/07
  73.   It must be realized, the intention to boycott Israel is the latst 08:16  |  Avihu 31/05/07
  74.   Why don`t they boycot China? 08:16  |  Felix Drost 31/05/07
  75.   Gary 08:21  |  Walid 31/05/07
  76.   Jan: Apartheid 08:24  |  Brad 31/05/07
  77.   Chet 08:30  |  Brad 31/05/07
  78.   Ballistic 08:32  |  Connie 31/05/07
  79.   Let it be 08:33  |  Josef 31/05/07
  80.   Esther 08:35  |  Walid 31/05/07
  81.   Dear Ester 08:36  |  Brad 31/05/07
  82.   68: Yeah, Walid, it`s "payback" for defending against jihad 08:37  |  David Teich 31/05/07
  83.   Regarding Kasrils 08:37  |  Mimi 31/05/07
  84.   To # 46 , Avraham , Remember ..... ! 08:38  |  Harm 31/05/07
  85.   Peter SM 08:41  |  Walid 31/05/07
  86.   gary#62 We both know she represents Australia like the dag 08:50  |  PETER SM 31/05/07
  87.   Impossible to boycott Israel! 08:55  |  H M 31/05/07
  88.   To # 61, Tshabalala "Blacks memories" 09:03  |  Henk 31/05/07
  89.   Esther 09:03  |  Walid 31/05/07
  90.   Brad 09:08  |  Walid 31/05/07
  91.   I wouldn`t take the SA boycott seriously 09:14  |  Adrian de Klerk 31/05/07
  92.   THE TAATIE OF THE BUSH 09:27  |  MATILDA 31/05/07
  93.   Once again.. 09:37  |  madoda 31/05/07
  94.   Boycott 09:45  |  Reuben Wides 31/05/07
  95.   WALID.How can even you translate Anarchy to mean Final solution? 09:45  |  PETER SM 31/05/07
  96.   ROLE MODELS--I THINK NOT 09:49  |  FRANSINA MATBOOGA 31/05/07
  97.   Response for Walid #89 09:51  |  Esther 31/05/07
  98.   AND WHAT DOES S . AFRICA SUPPLY ??? 10:04  |  paul harris 31/05/07
  99.   #6 BUT ISRAEL IS NOT SUPPORTING MUSLIM APARTHEID GINGER 10:08  |  paul harris 31/05/07
  100.   #49 KNICKER E FAILS TO WRITE ABOUT ZIMBABWE 10:11  |  paul harris 31/05/07
  101.   Cry the beloved country 10:12  |  Former SA 31/05/07
  102.   VERY DANGEROUS RONNIE IF SA STOPS SELLING DIAMONDS 10:14  |  paul harris 31/05/07
  103.   For #60 10:15  |  Irene 31/05/07
  104.   The relflecting mirror? 10:17  |  Anne 31/05/07
  105.   Dear Brad #81 10:18  |  Esther 31/05/07
  106.   South Africa 10:18  |  Sarah 31/05/07
  107.   Reply to Kenneth #66 10:20  |  Irene 31/05/07
  108.   Avihu # 73 Good that you have noticed that.... 10:23  |  Peter Mall 31/05/07
  109.   Boycott Israel? 10:23  |  Irene 31/05/07
  110.   what we remember 10:30  |  tshabalala 31/05/07
  111.   Avihu # 73 Good that you have noticed that.... 10:33  |  Peter Mall 31/05/07
  112.   Should Israel worry? 10:33  |  Jessie Coehn 31/05/07
  113.   Jan in Holland #3 10:36  |  jaap 31/05/07
  114.   I AM PRETTY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THIS 10:37  |  indrajaya 31/05/07
  115.   To refer to Israel an apartheid state is indicative of how much 10:39  |  Ehud 31/05/07
  116.   Peter sm 10:42  |  sweis Melbourne 31/05/07
  117.   Former SA 10:54  |  Walid 31/05/07
  118.   To Sarah/South Africa 11:04  |  Anne 31/05/07
  119.   Esther 11:06  |  Walid 31/05/07
  120.   What about Mugabe 11:12  |  Seth Frantzman 31/05/07
  121.   To Steve #23: there are no Jews in Israel 11:14  |  John 31/05/07
  122.   To Steve #23: there are no Jews in Israel 11:15  |  John 31/05/07
  123.   Kasrils 11:17  |  gad 31/05/07
  124.   David Teich 11:20  |  Walid 31/05/07
  125.   black south african 11:29  |  lindiwe 31/05/07
  126.   Swart gevaar / Moslem menace 11:35  |  Realist 31/05/07
  127.   Isreal has a scorekeeper for those who rise against her. 11:44  |  This is not smart 31/05/07
  128.   This shows how unprepared world is for Islamic supremacy 11:48  |  Johnny 31/05/07
  129.   For Walid #119 11:55  |  Esther 31/05/07
  130.   Walid and your beloved ISLAM 11:56  |  Johnny 31/05/07
  131.   Boycott Islam 11:58  |  Johnny 31/05/07
  132.   Ronnie Kasrils .....a Jimmy Carter Clone 12:04  |  Klaudia 31/05/07
  133.   Kasril`s usual election ploy! 12:10  |  Jane 31/05/07
  134.   #2 12:11  |  Michael 31/05/07
  135.   Hahaha 12:14  |  Kurt 31/05/07
  136.   #35 12:20  |  Michael 31/05/07
  137.   BOYCOTTERS TO JEWISH STATE: DROP DEAD! 12:22  |  True UK Humanist 31/05/07
  138.   Boycott 12:22  |  Alberto 31/05/07
  139.   Realist 12:28  |  Walid 31/05/07
  140.   SA is posturing for a PERMANENT place on Security Council 12:32  |  South African 31/05/07
  141.   I see Walid, al-kalb al-lubnani, is here again while still 12:35  |  Fawaz 31/05/07
  142.   "I AM PRETTY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THIS ".Yes Indrajaya Australia is- 12:39  |  PETER SM 31/05/07
  143.   Johnny 12:41  |  Walid 31/05/07
  144.   #62 Gary (part 2) "Integration." 12:43  |  Maureen Ann 31/05/07
  145.   Walid go to school 12:45  |  Johnny 31/05/07
  146.   A Bunch Of Anti Semite Left Wing Liberalists 12:47  |  David Harry Ezekiel 31/05/07
  147.   Walid # 136 12:48  |  Realist 31/05/07
  148.   #86 PeterSM. And... 12:52  |  Maureen Ann 31/05/07
  149.   Screw South Africa 12:54  |  Nechama 31/05/07
  150.   @ #73 Avihu 13:01  |  Simon 31/05/07
  151.   Last one out please switch off the... 13:05  |  Former SA 31/05/07
  152.   What about the American Congress 13:08  |  Darwish 31/05/07
  153.   Realist 13:17  |  Walid 31/05/07
  154.   Walid, and here I was 13:24  |  Star of David 31/05/07
  155.   Donna You Should Be Ashamed As A South African 13:37  |  zebulonguy 31/05/07
  156.   Jane of Pretoria 13:39  |  Walid 31/05/07
  157.   31 # Israels Relationship With SA,s Previous Regime 13:41  |  zebulonguy 31/05/07
  158.   #144 Maureen 13:43  |  gary 31/05/07
  159.   Jane of Pretoria 13:45  |  Walid 31/05/07
  160.   Darwish # 152 ... You have it Bass-Ackwards 13:55  |  Klaudia 31/05/07
  161.   I guess its ok to trade with Sudan 13:55  |  rich 31/05/07
  162.   MAUREEN ANN, EVER HEARD OF DARFUR 13:55  |  M 31/05/07
  163.   apartheid In Israel??? 14:00  |  zebulonguy 31/05/07
  164.   Ask a black person if he can smell racism, and based on life 14:01  |  Avihu 31/05/07
  165.   At last people are realising 14:02  |  Joshua Rosenburg 31/05/07
  166.