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PROPOSED PROGRAMME
VISIT OF MEMBERS OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION TO ISRAEL AND PALESTINE
23-30 JANUARY 2010

Amb Ngombane:

Clarity will need to be obtained from the delegation as to whether the proposals from the Missions in Ramallah and Tel Aviv meet their expectations. The Desk has no objections to these proposals.

Although a trip to Gaza is proposed, logistically it may be difficult: should the Israeli Government learn that the delegation plans to visit Gaza, even if it is through the Rafah crossing, they may not meet with the delegation. Therefore any trip to Gaza should take place after the visit to Israel and Palestine.

Logistically, it may also be difficult to obtain visas from Egypt to enter Gaza through Rafah given the short duration of the visit.

Israel		23 - 24 January 2011

Palestine	25 - 28 January 2011
(West Bank)

Gaza		29 - 30 January 2011

.
Proposed meetings for consideration

ISRAEL

•	Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The appointments with the Israeli Foreign Ministry will be determined by the status of the current strike and who will be available. In light of previous experiences, the level of interactions could range from either Minister Lieberman, Deputy Minister Ayalon down to the Deputy Director-General responsible for Africa, Ambassador Revah. 

•	Minister of Minority Affairs, Mr A Braverman (Labour)

First elected to the Knesset in 2006, Minister Braverman served on the Economic Affairs Committee and the Finance Committee, which he also chaired. He also served as the chairperson of the Pensioners’ Lobby. In March 2009, he was appointed as Minister of Minority Affairs.  

•	MK Zoabi (Balad)

MK Zoabi is a member of the Knesset representing the Balad party. She is a Palestinian Arab but also an Arab Israeli. First elected in 2009, she is the first woman to be elected to the Knesset on an Arab party list. 

MK Zoabi was on board the Mavi Marmara en route to Gaza during the attack on the flotilla that left nine activists dead. Following this incident, she was stripped of three parliamentary privileges as a penalty for her participation in the flotilla. These include the right to have a diplomatic passport, entitlement to financial assistance should she require legal aid, and the right to visit countries with which Israel does not have diplomatic relations. 

•	Leader of the Opposition in the Knesset, Ms Tzipi Livni (Kadima)

MK Livni was a member of the Likud Party until the end of 2005 when she, together with other prominent political figures in Israel, formed the Kadima Party. In September 2008 she was elected as Kadima’s chairperson.

In May 2006, MK Livni was appointed Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in the 31^st Government of Israel, serving until March 2009. She also served as Minister of Justice from November 2006 to February 2007. With the establishment of the Netanyahu government in March 2009, MK Livni became the head of the official opposition in the Knesset. She was also Minister of Construction and Housing (which includes construction in the settlements).

Note: Ms Livni is scheduled to travel to South Africa towards the end of January (dates to be confirmed). However, should she be in Israel during the delegation’s visit, the Mission recommends that her office be approached for a meeting with the delegation. 

•	Higher Follow-up Committee

The Higher Follow-up Committee for Arab citizens of Israel is “an extra-parliamentary umbrella organisation” that represents Arab-Israeli citizens at the national level. The main purpose of this body is to deliberate on matters of mutual concern to the Israeli Arab community. Although it enjoys de facto recognition from the State of Israel, it lacks official de jure recognition from the state for its activities. The National Committee of the Heads of Arab Localities (NCALC), the sole non-partisan organisation representing the Palestinian minority in Israel, constitutes the main party in the Higher Follow-up Committee. It is based in Nazareth.  

•	NGO’s

•	Coalition Against Racism

The Coalition Against Racism is a group of NGOs especially focussing on minorities in Israel and works towards the building of solidarity between groups in Israel to work towards the elimination of racism.

•	New Israel Fund

The New Israel Fund is the leading organization committed to equality and democracy for all Israelis and is in partnership of Israelis and supporters of Israel worldwide. The NIF’s vision is to promote Israel “as both the Jewish homeland and a shared society at peace with itself and its neighbours.”  

•	Rabbi David Rosen

Rabbi Rosen is the Director of the American Jewish Committee's Department for Interreligious Affairs and its Heilbrunn Institute for International Interreligious Understanding. For the past 4 years, he has served as the Chairperson of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC), a broad-based coalition of Jewish organizations representing World Jewry to other religions. In addition and among other things, he is Honorary Advisor on Interfaith Relations to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and is an International President of Religions for Peace (WCRP). 

Rabbi Rosen also served the largest Jewish congregation in South Africa, in Sea Point, Cape Town, as well as the Cape Beth Din (Ecclesiastical Court). He was the founder/chairperson of the Cape Inter-Faith Forum, as well as the Council of Jews, Christians and Muslims. He is a frequent visitor to South Africa.

•	Media

•	Mr Gideon Levy

Gideon Levy is an Israeli journalist, author and television panel member. Levy writes opinion pieces and a weekly column for the newspaper Haaretz that often focuses on the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories

•	Ms Amira Haas 

Amira Hass is a prominent left-wing Israeli journalist and author, mostly known for her columns in the daily newspaper Haaretz. She is particularly recognized for her reporting on Palestinian affairs in the West Bank and Gaza, where she has also lived for a number of years.

•	Mr Aluf Benn

Aluf Benn is the editor-at-large for Haaretz Newspaper. He has followed the country's leadership, foreign policy and national security, covering six prime ministers from Yitzhak Rabin through Benjamin Netanyahu's second term, and reporting on Israeli-Arab wars and peace efforts since the Oslo Accords in 1993. 
 
His work has appeared in The New York Times, Foreign Affairs and Newsweek, and he is a regular contributor to The Guardian. 

•	Academics

•	Professor Shimon Shamir

Professor Shamir is Head of the Institute for Diplomacy and Regional Cooperation at Tel Aviv University. He served as Israel’s ambassador to Egypt (1988-1990) and as first ambassador to Jordan (1995-1997). He was appointed by PM Barak to the Orr Commission of Inquiry (2001-2003), which investigated clashes between the police and Palestinian Israeli citizens in October 2000. 

WEST BANK

•	Hamas Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) members seeking refuge at the Red Cross in Jerusalem.

•	Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs: the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) [a courtesy call to get an official PNA position on the situation on the ground; the meeting will also serve to offset the political effects of the meetings held in Gaza with Hamas].

•	Dr Aziz Dweik, Speaker of PLC together with Hamas Parliamentary bloc [West-Bank]: Fatah will not allow the Speaker into the PLC offices so a separate meeting will have to be held. The meeting will afford the delegation an opportunity to listen to the impressions of the Hamas leadership in the West Bank, most of whom are considered as moderates who present a reconciliatory tone towards Palestinian reconciliation and unity. The meeting will also allow the SA delegation interaction with recently released Hamas PLC members.

•	Meeting with the various political factions at the PLC: the meeting is expected to include the counterparts of the SA delegation. Possible areas of cooperation or exchanges could be discussed.

•	 Dr Mustapha Barghoutti: a briefing on efforts to reconcile Hamas and Fatah as well as the effects of the last Gaza war. 

•	Dr Mahdi Abdul Hadi, Head of the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs (PASSIA): a briefing on the general political situation in Palestine/Israel.

•	UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): briefing on Israel’s settlement activity, housed demolitions, etc.

GAZA

•	In light of the fact that the visit comes as a result of our Minister’s interest in the case of the Hamas MPs currently seeking refuge at the premises of the Red Cross in Jerusalem and also as a follow up to the 2008 visit to Israel and Palestine by a delegation from the same Portfolio Committee, which met with all Palestinian factions in the West Bank and Gaza, the delegation may wish to visit Gaza. However, Israeli authorities have on many occasions refused visiting South African official delegations as well as Mission officials entry into Gaza. Should it also become known that the delegation will visit Gaza, they will be unable to meet with any Israeli officials or parliamentarians. A visit to Gaza would look at the effects of Israel’s operation Cast-Lead, the continuing siege and its effect on reconstruction. The key players within the Hamas leadership are based in Gaza.

•	In order to circumvent the anticipated Israeli refusal of entry into Gaza, the Mission recommends that the delegation be advised to obtain Egyptian visas in case entry into Gaza has to be through Egypt’s Rafah crossing. However, at least five working days are required to obtain the relevant authority from the Egyptian authorities. 

It is proposed that the delegation fly from Tel Aviv to Cairo. There is then a five- hour drive to the Rafah crossing (one day would be sufficient). 

Possible meetings in Gaza:

•	Ismail Haniyeh: in 2008, the visiting delegation from the Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs paid a courtesy call on Mr Haniyeh. The courtesy call could be used to show SA solidarity with the people of Gaza and Palestinians in general.

•	Dr Mahmoud Al Zahar: the latter is well known for his strong political views. His briefing will give a different picture of how Hamas views the current political and security situation in general. He may be able to offer some insight into the current calm that exists in Gaza and on the much-anticipated escalation of Israeli violence and the resistance in Gaza.

PLC in Gaza, Dr Ahmad Bahar, Deputy Speaker including all the political factions.