Allowing the terrorist organisation’s members into the country could have security and economic repercussions
05 December 2023 - 14:06
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Palestinians gather as they wait to fill their cylinders with cooking gas in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. Picture: MOHAMMED SALEM
It is shocking, and terrifying, that a Hamas delegation has been allowed into SA to participate in a conference organised by ANC MP Mandla Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela (“SA once had a clear vision, now we’re just a muddle”, December 5).
Included in this delegation is Khaled Qaddoumi, a Jordanian national and longtime Hamas member, who now serves as Hamas’s representative to Iran in Tehran and has been placed under sanctions by the US.
The admittance of extremists and terrorists into our country by the SA government raises serious concerns about their potential involvement in fomenting extremism within our borders.
Qaddoumi, acting as the liaison between Hamas and the Iranian government, actively fosters and strengthens relations with Iran. His role includes attending delegation meetings and engaging with high-ranking Iranian officials, where he appraises Iran’s unwavering support for Hamas, including the provision of weapons.
Sanctions imposed by the US state department can have secondary repercussions. SA entities engaging with this Hamas delegation may be held liable for potential effects on local financial assets.
Given that Hamas is an internationally proscribed terrorist organisation and is recognised as such by a number of states worldwide, welcoming its representatives to SA could have severe repercussions for the country.
Like our support for Russia, our alliance with Hamas puts trade relations with democracies at risk, including the US African Growth & Opportunity Act, which provides thousands of jobs for South Africans.
Benji Shulman SA Zionist Federation
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: SA invitation to Hamas is shocking
Allowing the terrorist organisation’s members into the country could have security and economic repercussions
It is shocking, and terrifying, that a Hamas delegation has been allowed into SA to participate in a conference organised by ANC MP Mandla Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela (“SA once had a clear vision, now we’re just a muddle”, December 5).
Included in this delegation is Khaled Qaddoumi, a Jordanian national and longtime Hamas member, who now serves as Hamas’s representative to Iran in Tehran and has been placed under sanctions by the US.
The admittance of extremists and terrorists into our country by the SA government raises serious concerns about their potential involvement in fomenting extremism within our borders.
Qaddoumi, acting as the liaison between Hamas and the Iranian government, actively fosters and strengthens relations with Iran. His role includes attending delegation meetings and engaging with high-ranking Iranian officials, where he appraises Iran’s unwavering support for Hamas, including the provision of weapons.
Sanctions imposed by the US state department can have secondary repercussions. SA entities engaging with this Hamas delegation may be held liable for potential effects on local financial assets.
Given that Hamas is an internationally proscribed terrorist organisation and is recognised as such by a number of states worldwide, welcoming its representatives to SA could have severe repercussions for the country.
Like our support for Russia, our alliance with Hamas puts trade relations with democracies at risk, including the US African Growth & Opportunity Act, which provides thousands of jobs for South Africans.
Benji Shulman
SA Zionist Federation
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
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