The South African Zionist Federation warmly welcomes the normalisation agreement between Sudan and Israel. Sudan is the third Arab country in only six weeks to participate in the momentous and historical shift towards recognition and peace with Israel.
In 1967 in Khartoum, Sudan, the Arab League infamously declared “No” to peace, “No” to recognition and “No” to negotiations” in response to Israel’s willingness to negotiate land for peace after the Six Day war. Today, in a stunning reversal, Khartoum has said “Yes” to peace, “Yes” to recognition and “Yes” to a mutually beneficial future between Israel and the Arab world.
This deal shows again that Israel has demonstrated her eagerness and ability to make peace with her neighbours. We hope this leads to further diplomatic ties, economic cooperation, and peace with many other Arab nations.
We encourage South Africa, which so far has remained silent on the deal, to welcome Sudan’s step towards peace and prosperity with Israel. Israel already has strong and collaborative relations with many African states which benefit from shared resources, investment, skills development and technology. We call upon the South African Government to seize upon this positive momentum and work towards improving relations with Israel.
Rowan Polovin
National Chairman
South African Zionist Federation
