S-Africa demands worldwide acknowledgment of Palestine
(MENAFN) South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola has called for urgent international recognition of Palestinian statehood and the revival of the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Speaking at a high-level UN conference focused on advancing peace efforts, Lamola condemned the tragic events of October 7 that led to the loss of innocent Israeli lives, while reaffirming South Africa’s firm anti-war stance.
He emphasized several key principles necessary to restore faith in the two-state solution. First, all nations should promptly recognize Palestine’s statehood and respect its territorial integrity. Lamola welcomed France’s recent intention to recognize Palestine as a positive step forward.
Second, he stressed that peace is impossible while Palestinians face existential threats from Israel’s ongoing actions in Gaza and forced displacement in the West Bank. These represent a long-standing pattern of oppression dating back to the 1948 Nakba and UN Resolution 181, which must be condemned and addressed by the UN Security Council.
Third, the preservation of a two-state solution requires full adherence to international law, including humanitarian and human rights laws, along with the implementation of UN resolutions and International Court of Justice advisory opinions. Lamola insisted that all states—not only Israel—must honor their legal obligations and uphold accountability.
He highlighted recent diplomatic initiatives like the Hague and Madrid Groups, which aim to emphasize international law, promote accountability, and work toward a just peace.
Lamola outlined key steps to remove barriers to peace: an immediate ceasefire, a genuine peace process, the release of hostages by Hamas and political prisoners by Israel, halting illegal Israeli settlement expansions, dismantling the separation wall in occupied territories, and resuming humanitarian relief and reconstruction efforts in Gaza once peace is restored.
The minister underscored the global focus on the conference and the high expectations for a meaningful response that ensures a viable Palestinian state living peacefully alongside Israel. He framed this as a critical moment, calling for renewed commitment to the founding values of the United Nations.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres echoed the call, stating Palestinian statehood is a right, not a favor. Denial would fuel extremism worldwide. He reaffirmed that the only viable solution is two states—Israel and Palestine—existing side by side in peace, within secure borders based on the pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both. Guterres urged the international community to take decisive and irreversible steps to achieve this goal.
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