South Africa to downgrade diplomatic status in Zionist entity

South Africa says it will downgrade its diplomatic status in Israel in response to the United States’ decision to recognize al-Quds as the Zionist entity's “capital.”

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) Party announced the decision at a conference in Johannesburg late on Wednesday.

“The ANC’s National Conference, the highest decision making body of our organization, has unanimously resolved to immediately and unconditionally downgrade the South African Embassy in Occupied Palestine to a liaison office,” the ruling party said in a statement.

The ANC said the resolution aimed to “give practical expression to the oppressed people of Palestine,” and “will send a clear message to Israel that there is a price to pay for its human rights abuses and violations of international law.”

South Africa’s decision to downgrade its diplomatic status in Tel Aviv had been proposed in the ANC’s policy conference back in July.

Both the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas had sent delegates to attend the opening of the ANC’s conference.

SS