ISRAEL DENIES VISA FOR SOUTH AFRICA MINISTER VISITING GAZA

Gaza, 8 Rajab 1436/27 April 2015 (MINA) – South Africa is outraged that Israel had denied visa for cabinet minister and accompanying delegation planned to visit the Palestinian territories, mass media reported on Friday.

Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday that the Israeli occupation had denied a visa for South African minister of higher education, Blade Nzimande, to visit the Palestinian territories later this month.

Nzimande said the Israeli Embassy, which returned his application without explanation, had informed him of the decision, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

Nzminade expressed outrage at the decision, explaining that the Israeli occupation prevents internationals from entering Palestinian to hide the effect of its aggression against the Palestinians.

“The Israeli Government is trying by all means to hide their atrocities against the Palestinian people, and minimise the number of people who can actually see what is happening on the ground,” he told reporters.

Nzimande was invited to Palestine to discuss possible academic partnership between the Palestinian Birzeit University and the University of Johannesburg.

He was scheduled to participate in the launch of the Centre for African Studies at Birzeit University, for which South Africa would be the anchor.

A Centre for Middle East Studies was also due to be launched at the University of Johannesburg, for which the University of Birzeit would have been the anchor. (T/P002/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)