Cabinet won't be influenced when it decides to shut down Israeli embassy
CAPE TOWN - International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola says Cabinet won't be influenced by external forces when it decides to shut down the Israeli embassy.
He says the final decision to close down the embassy is still being processed by Cabinet and all factors are being considered objectively.
Lamola was responding to oral questions in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) as part of the peace and security cluster.
Lamola was asked about the closure of the Israeli embassy after the National Assembly took a resolution to close it during the sixth administration.
He was asked by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)'s Virgill Gericke what was behind the delay.
'What outside forces are exerting pressure on individuals, Cabinet or the government to renege on its initial resolution to close the Israeli embassy?'
Lamola says the closure is being processed in line with the Constitution.
'It will be processed objectively in line with the Constitution with no external pressure to be exerted on the South African government by any forces or anyone.'
He says the embassy has been downgraded and a final decision on its closure will happen before the end of the year.
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Cabinet won't be influenced when it decides to shut down Israeli embassy
CAPE TOWN - International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola says Cabinet won't be influenced by external forces when it decides to shut down the Israeli embassy. He says the final decision to close down the embassy is still being processed by Cabinet and all factors are being considered objectively. Lamola was responding to oral questions in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) as part of the peace and security cluster. Lamola was asked about the closure of the Israeli embassy after the National Assembly took a resolution to close it during the sixth administration. He was asked by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)'s Virgill Gericke what was behind the delay. 'What outside forces are exerting pressure on individuals, Cabinet or the government to renege on its initial resolution to close the Israeli embassy?' Lamola says the closure is being processed in line with the Constitution. 'It will be processed objectively in line with the Constitution with no external pressure to be exerted on the South African government by any forces or anyone.' He says the embassy has been downgraded and a final decision on its closure will happen before the end of the year.
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Rather than an immediate turnaround, what could result is "an unravelling over time" with the Israeli action putting an "accelerant" on a process of change already happening within Iran due to dissatisfaction with the authorities, she said. For Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Non-proliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Israel's military operation "is about regime change and not eliminating the nuclear programme". "If the regime falls, then it will be an enormous success," he said of the operation Israel dubbed "Rising Lion" -- a likely reference to the beast which adorned the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Proxies Even in the event of a change in leadership, Gregory Brew, senior analyst for Iran and energy at risk analysis firm Eurasia Group, said Khamenei could be replaced with a figure who may be even more hardline and pose a greater danger to Israel in the conflict's aftermath. 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