Hamas hails South African court ruling on anti-Semitism

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Saturday hailed a South African court ruling that anti-Zionism was not anti-Semitism.

"We welcome the historic decision of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, which affirms that anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitism, and that criticism of Zionism is not considered criticism of Jews," senior Hamas member Musa Abu Marzouk said in a statement.

On Wednesday, the court issued a ruling stating that criticism of Zionism was not considered criticism of the Jews.

"The decision constitutes legal and political support for opponents of the Zionist occupation of our occupied Palestinian lands, after the occupation spent decades blackmailing countries and forces rejecting it, linking any criticism of it to anti-Semitism,” Abu Marzouk said.

The Hamas leader voiced hope that the court ruling will encourage judicial authorities around the world to “take similar judicial steps."

Such moves, he said, will pressure Israeli authorities not to “prevent the Palestinian people from exercising their right to self-determination” as provided by international law.

* Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara