The minister, who interrupted his work harvesting phane while holidaying in his native North East District, emphasised Botswana's view that both parties "must learn to talk" to resolve their differences.

"If people have mouths and brains but decide to fight, then there is real poverty in their thinking," he said. "Neither Israel nor Gaza will disappear if both parties engage in dialogue, as opposed to war."

For the Botswana Muslim Association (BMA), "Israel is an apartheid state" and "Israel's occupation of Palestine is a very sad situation," said its Deputy Chairman Bawood Khonat.

He said it was ironic that "Zionists", who were victims of horrible atrocities committed by Nazi Germany during the Second World War, should become perpetrators of similar horrors themselves.

"What happened to them is what they are doing to the Palestinian people," Khonat said.

The actions of Israel were deplorable since the entire Arab world had assured Israel that it would recognise her existence if she withdrew to pre-1967 borders and ender her occupation of Palestine and other Arab territories.

"Israel should either accept a two-state solution or absorb Palestinians in Palestine as citizens of Israel," Khonat continued and warned that if Israel failed to compromise, it may risk its viability as a state in the future.

Meanwhile, a Gaborone lawyer, Richard Lyons, speaking in his personal capacity, dismissed the BMA's assertion that Israel is an apartheid state.

"You cannot fire rockets on people," Lyons said. "That is completely unjustifiable. Hamas is a terrorist organisation. If Hamas throw rocks, then Israel is entitled to defend its citizens. I know what an apartheid state is and Israel is not an apartheid state."