South African President Jacob Zuma. Photo: wiki commons.

The ANC, South Africa’s ruling party, formally adopted the boycott of Israel as part of their policy on Thursday.

At the party’s 53rd National Conference a resolution was reaffirmed in support of the Arab Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel campaign. Other resolutions passed by the ANC  called for “all South Africans to support the programmes and campaigns of the Palestinian civil society which seek to put pressure on Israel to engage with the Palestinian people to reach a just solution.” as well as the ANC’s “unequivocal… support for the Palestinian people in their struggle for self-determination, and unapologetic… view that the Palestinians are the victims and the oppressed in the conflict with Israel.”

Mbuyiseni Ndlozi of BDS South Africa released this statement: “This reaffirmation by the ANC’s National Conference, its highest decision making body, is by far the most authoritative endorsement of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel campaign. The ANC has now taken its international conference resolutions, and officially made it the policy of the ANC. We look forward to working with the ANC and specifically the ISC steering committee to expedite its implementation.”

Earlier this week, a group of South African Christian leaders joined the country’s chief rabbi, Warren Goldstein, in penning  an open letter calling on the ANC to be fair in its decision. “South Africa has no just cause for choosing sides,” the letter read. “We should support both sides in their struggle for a peaceful solution.”

“When South Africa’s ruling party chooses sides in this bitter conflict, our country loses the credibility to be a voice for peace between the parties, and only the agenda of conflict is served. Such actions impede a peaceful solution that would enable Jews to live in their ancient Biblical land in peace side by side with their Muslim neighbors,” the leaders wrote.