Message of peace, from SA to Israel, is needed
AT ITS upcoming elective conference, the ANC will be presented with a rare opportunity to review its foreign policy towards Israel. At its previous elective conference, it resolved to downgrade South Africa’s embassy in Israel, which was not a wise move.
Pretoria’s hostility towards Israel will not help restore peace between Israel and Palestine. Dialogue is the only effective mechanism.
Last week, members of South African civil society, churches and business organisations came together to sign the Tshwane-Jerusalem Declaration. The noble declaration calls for the rekindling and re-establishment of relations between South Africa and Israel. It is a spiritual call by Christians who have links with Israel, and about what other South Africans believe could be beneficial to them from Israel’s record of development and innovation.
“We, proud South Africans, call on our government to cease its prejudiced stance against Israel, and demand that it affirms Israel’s inalienable right to exist in peace as the world’s only Jewish state,” the Tshwane-Jerusalem Declaration reads.
South Africa enjoys a good reputation for having ended the racist apartheid regime without bloodshed. This was accomplished around the negotiation table. It is time for South Africa to once again take this message of peace to the world.
Israel, in contrast to the white minority under apartheid, has never cruelly exploited the South African people, plundered their land, looted their resources, or colonised them. The countries that are strongly linked with a negative contribution towards South Africa are its major economic or political partners. The justifications furnished to dismiss or sideline Israel are thus baseless. Israel has proved to be an essential ally to Africa, through its foreign policy to provide humanitarian services to the neediest who do not get help from their governments.
When it comes to countries such as Iran, China or Zimbabwe, there is room for discussion. By contrast, there has never been space for dialogue with Israel. There is more than enough evidence indicating human rights violations by Iran, China, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan against their citizens. Why is South Africa not treating these countries the same way it treats Israel?
It is this gross bias and subjectivity that the ANC has to amend in order to help build a better society through its political and economic influence.
The government has listened to a small anti-Israel body that “succeeded” in labelling the country as an “apartheid” state. The label is an injustice to Israel and South Africa. The racial discrimination in apartheid South Africa does not exist in Israel.
Like any other country, Israel has problems and faults, but that does not place it anywhere near the category of apartheid South Africa, a brutal regime that victimised black people.
What might explain why the term “apartheid” is used is the occupation of the West Bank by the Jewish state. Yes, occupation is wrong, but it does not constitute apartheid. There are many Israelis who call for their country to do away with the occupation of the West Bank. However, this is not the only obstacle to the realisation of a two-state solution, as Israel and Palestine are both to be blamed for their reluctance to move forward.
It is here where South Africa can make an important contribution.