The South African Chapter of the Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM) wants the urgent formation of a Global Steering Committee to consolidate the momentum of the Global Anti-Apartheid and Alliance Conferences held in South Africa, Denmark, Türkiye, the UK, and other parts of the world.

This global movement ought to be launched within the next six to nine months, it suggested, as Israeli attacks on Gaza have so far resulted in the deaths of 60 000 people and the wounding of more than 145 000 others since the war began in October 2023.

About 147 have died from starvation, with more than 80 of those being children.

“With the blood of thousands of children, women and civilians staining its hands, Israel has transformed Gaza into open-air killing fields of Palestinians. They do it in a cruel and barbaric way, without any conscience. This is not a conflict. It is a genocide,” the AAM stated, describing it as State-sponsored terrorism.

It said Israel’s goal is to annihilate Palestinians and seize their land, and it accused the US, and some European nations of being complicit through active military and political support.

“We say: those who enable genocide are themselves guilty of genocide and must be charged in terms of the UN Genocide Convention,” the AAM said.

The AAM urged South Africans to support government’s efforts at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), demanding economic and political sanctions against Israel.

In December, the South African government brought a case before the ICJ regarding Israel's conduct in the Gaza Strip.

“…stop all coal exports to Israel. We call on every community, town, city to organise protest actions against this cruel act of Israel and those who support them. We call on every sector, organisations, and movements to organize activities within their entities. We also call for a national protest action by all South Africans together - because silence in the face of genocide is betrayal. It would indicate a loss of our humanity,” the movement urged.

Until the global alliance is launched, the AAM wants trade unions, faith-based organisations, student groups, artists, businesses and ordinary citizens to undertake comprehensive boycotts, disinvestment, and sanctions against Israel and complicit companies.

The movement demands an immediate arms embargo and the mobilisation of workers to refuse to handle goods to and from Israel.