Francesca Albanese, the controversial United Nations Rapporteur on Gaza and the West Bank, appeared before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on International Relations, where chairperson Supra Mahumapelo said the committee invited her because: “the South African Parliament is a creature of the Constitution and of a maturing democracy that embraces a diversity of views without fear or favour.”

Albanese told members of the committee that Israel is a criminal state that has committed war crimes.

In response Mahumapelo urged a broad global coalition to act against Israel, calling on global cultural activists to join with existing political movements against what he called Israeli: “genocide”, whilst another member of the committee called for South Africa to cut all diplomatic ties with Israel and for other nations to impose economic sanctions to ensure that Israel was economically isolated.

Mahumapelo said sports bodies should isolate Israel, specifically FIFA, the global body which governs world football. Mahumapelo said that FIFA had global reach and: “We need to engage FIFA to explain to it why it’s important for it to be part of this struggle rather than being a bystander.”