Maimane’s Israel trip exposed DA’s ‘apartheid mentality’, says Malema

On Monday morning, speaking at a press conference in Johannesburg, leader of the EFF Julius Malema took a swipe at DA leader Mmusi Maimane for the latter’s recent visit to Israel.

Malema says he doesn’t understand why people have been complaining about the visit, because, apparently, it “exposes them [for] who they are”.

“He has a right to go to Israel. And it shows them [sic] who they are. It exposes them [sic] who they are.

“So when people are giving you their true colours, you want to complain. That’s who they are … apartheid mentality and relations with those who subscribe to apartheid practices.”

He attributed the Israel visit to the DA’s “apartheid mentality”.

“We will never go to Israel”, said the EFF leader, adding that “we support the Palestinian people, and we support the fact that … there must be a permanent solution … [a] two state solution. There must be coexistence of the two. But with emphases on the liberation of the Palestinian people.”

He reiterated: “We will never go to Israel. The offer came, by the way, on many occasions [for us] to go to Israel. We said ‘we’ll never go to the country of murderers who have taken over the Palestinian land in the same way occupants have occupied our land here’.

“By the way, the people who claim to support Palestine here in South Africa … they are the ones who are voting DA. Majority of people who are claiming to support Palestine, they are voting DA, the friend of Israel here in South Africa.

“They’ve made their support of Palestine an ANC issue, and making it difficult for us to support them. They’ve made it an ANC issue.”

Malema also lashed out at the ANC and President Jacob Zuma for housing the Israeli Embassy in South Africa. He criticised Zuma for failing to support boycotts aimed against Israel.

“Zuma who’s got Israel Embassy here. The same Zuma government which has trade relations with Israel. The same Zuma government that receives services … goods … from Israel. The same Zuma who does not support the ‘boycott Israel campaign until Palestine is free’. And those are the charlatans you are celebrating?

“That’s why the Palestinian question will take forever.