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New Delhi: Palestinians are reportedly arriving in droves in South Africa. And their sheer number has flummoxed South African officials, who say that a majority of these Palestinians didn't have proper travel papers.
A little-known group called “Al-Majd Europe” is reportedly orchestrating the influx -- the Gaza exodus. Some claim that it is deep conspiracy hatched by Israel to dislodge Palestinians from Gaza. A Reuters report, which spoke to two Gazans, also suggested that the Palestinians were charged up to $2,000 (about Rs 1.77 lakh) per seat.
How did the entire operation come to light? On Thursday, an aircraft landed at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. There were around 150 passengers in the plane. All of them were Palestinians. The passengers included children and women. The chartered flight from Israel’s Ramon Airport made its way to South Africa via Nairobi, Kenya.
Officials say that many of these Palestinians who came in this flight couldn't present proper documents required to leave Israel. Their passports didn't have the departure stamp. For almost 12 hours, the passengers were not allowed to deboard while authorities probed their arrival. The passengers didn't offer any answer when they were asked about their intended stay or onward destinations in South Africa. The only refrain was: We paid $2,000 (Rs 1.77 lakh) each seat to fly to South Africa. They also revealed that the trip was arranged by a group providing a way out of Gaza. They also claimed that they were transported out of Gaza by bus and then flown from an Israeli airport to Nairobi last week.
As many as 130 Palestinians were admitted into South Africa on a standard 90-day visa permitted by President Cyril Ramaphosa. His approval came after a charity group Gift of the Givers offered them accommodation. The remaining two dozen or so passengers went to other destinations. The South African president has asked the country's intelligence agencies to find out how the entire operation was carried out.
The episode has ruffled many feathers, as there are some in the South African government who are suggesting that it could be the handiwork of Israel. Ramaphosa was quoted as saying by Al-Jazeera: “These are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously were put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here. It does seem like they were being flushed out of Gaza."
Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola pointed out, “We are suspicious as the South African government about the circumstances surrounding the arrival of the plane and the passengers that were on the plane.” He added that it seemed that it represents "a broader agenda to remove Palestinians from Palestine into many different parts of the world and it’s a clearly orchestrated operation because they are not only being sent to South Africa. There are other countries where such flights have been sent”.
COGAT, the Israeli military body that handles civilian affairs in Gaza, said the Palestinians left only after receiving nod from a third country. COGAT also underlined that the Palestinians had valid visas and documents. It said the departure request included “documents confirming authorisation to land in South Africa”.
However, Lamola said: “We do not want any further flights to come our way because this is a clear agenda to cleanse the Palestinians out of Gaza and the West Bank.”
As claims and counter-claims fly thick and fast, the Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman revealed that this was the second such plane to land in South Africa. A plane had landed before on October 28 carrying more than 170 Palestinians. Sooliman also alleged that Al-Majd was one of “Israel’s front organisations”.
Al-Majd Europe is lead by a dual Israeli-Estonian citizen, Tomar Janar Lind, as per the Haaretz newspaper. It is believed that Lind reportedly tied up with an Israeli military unit known as the Voluntary Emigration Bureau, which was formed early this year. It was allegedly given the task of facilitating the removal of Palestinians from Gaza and organising such flights. The unit has been under scanner. Lind has not denied coordinating the flights, but he has refused to offer any further comment.
The Al-Majd Europe website mentions the group was established in Germany in 2010. However, it doesn't mention any phone number. There is no sign of any office at the mentioned Sheikh Jarrah address in East Jerusalem, which remains under Israeli control. Al-Jazeera said that Palestinians made their payments through bank transfers, however, the money went into personal accounts, not Al-Majd Europe’s official account.
Sarah Oosthuizen, The Gift of the Givers NGO representative, said, “What we’ve been told is that they were promised some type of travel out of Gaza to some form of safety in a country that would welcome them.” She added that the passengers seemed to have been misled about their final destination, and some believed they were going to Indonesia, Malaysia or India.
The Palestinian embassy in South Africa pointed out that the travel of both groups “was arranged by an unregistered and misleading organisation that exploited the tragic humanitarian conditions of our people in Gaza”.
