Dear Honorable Ramaphosa,

Firstly, I would like to congratulate you on your election as the president of the ANC.

Secondly, I would like to thank God for ensuring that your policy conference was peaceful as many people had prayed for peace to prevail. You will remember that I also called for members of parliament to pray for the ANC conference on November 30, 2017.

Thirdly, I want to register my utter disappointment at the ANC conference resolution to downgrade the South African embassy in Israel.

The fact is that downgrading the embassy will not serve the broader interests of our people here at home, but only the narrow political interests of hateful Hamas and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), organisations that continue to dream about annihilating Israel from the face of the earth.

Honourable deputy president, I cannot understand why, when many African countries are now warming up to and improving their relations with Israel, while new embassies and diplomatic offices are being opened, the ANC does the opposite by resolving to downgrade our embassy in Tel Aviv, and thus sour relations with Israel, a democratic country that has so much to offer SA!

Our country has many challenges in areas where Israel has specialised technology, yet we do not ask for their assistance for the benefit of our people, particularly the poorest of the poor. Israel is a world leader in innovation and technology that can benefit South Africa.

The ANC should take advantage of this fact and not allow itself to be pressured by the PLO and Hamas (which, as you are likely aware, is widely regarded as a terrorist organisation) to refuse Israeli technology that can effectively address our challenges in the areas of drought, water and sanitation, agriculture, health and security.

The ANC should have prioritised addressing these challenges rather than aligning our foreign policy on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict with Hamas and the PLO that is still hoping to one day drive all Jews and Israelis into the sea.

Are you aware that maps of the area given to Palestinian school children do not show the existence of the Jewish State of Israel?

Are you aware that innocent Palestinian children are fed hatred for Israel and the Jews on a daily basis, and are also taught how to stab and kill a Jew?

Does the ANC support such a wicked agenda? Have you ever challenged the Palestinians about the anti-Semitism and poison they feed children in their schools daily?

Honourable deputy president, I want to appeal to you as the president of the ANC not to implement the unfortunate resolution to downgrade the SA Embassy in Israel because that would disqualify South Africa from playing any mediatory role in any future peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians.

To be a credible mediator, one has to be seen to be neutral in any conflict. The haters of Israel should not be allowed to use the ANC to make South Africa look like we are haters of Israel.

South Africa is respected worldwide for her ability to mediate and reconcile, and not to hate and support haters whose intention is to kill those with whom they disagree.

If the ANC goes ahead and implements their unwise and ill-considered resolution, millions of Christians like myself will view such a move as a direct attack on their right to have regular pilgrimages to Israel with whom we have spiritual and historical ties.