Leaders of the Patriotic Alliance [PA] arrived in Israel on Sunday. [Picture: Gayton Mckenzie/Facebook]
The Patriotic Alliance (PA) is facing backlash over its decision to visit Israel. The visit has prompted groups sympathising with the Palestinian cause to question donors behind the party and what their agenda may be.
Leaders of the PA arrived in Israel this week on what they deemed to be an educational journey to learn about coalition politics. There, they will meet Israeli president Isaac Herzog and other politicians within and without that country’s coalition government.
The delegation includes party president Gayton Mckenzie, a former convicted bank robber, and his deputy, Kenny Kunene, also a convict and a current MMC in Johannesburg in a coalition arrangement.
Moulana Ebrahim Moosa, from the Palestine Information Network (PIN), questioned who was behind the trip. He also wondered what the PA might actually learn from Israel, which has seen frequent snap elections in recent years.
“One has to also ask regarding this particular visit who are actually the players behind the scenes to ensure they are making this visit and what’s the potential toxic role played by funders in trying to shape parties to take particular positions,” Moosa said.
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Purpose of PA visit
Quoted by the South African Jewish Report (SAJR) ahead of the trip, Mckenzie said the party sought to learn about coalition politics as the party had set its sights on entering a national coalition next year.
“It’s unavoidable that there will be a ruling coalition in South Africa after the national elections of 2024, and it’s equally unavoidable that the PA will be part of the ruling coalition. We take this matter very seriously, and that’s why we’re going to Israel to prepare for our role in the ruling coalition,” said McKenzie.
“However,” Moosa rebutted, “Israel has seen lots of coalition governments recently, but that does not make their brand of coalition politics anything glitzy or glamorous … Israel has had elections almost each and every year in the last few years, because of the shakiness of those coalitions.”
He suggested the visit by the PA’s top dogs was blind to the human rights abuses being perpetrated by the far-right Israeli regime against Palestinians.
“Going there to learn anything that Israel might be able to teach cannot occur without acknowledging and without seeing the very toxic role that Israel is playing in the region and the world,” he said.
