South Africa Calls for Israel to be Labeled an “Apartheid State”

By Yousuf Ali

On Wednesday, July 27, a minister in the South African government, Naledi Pandor, said that Israel should be labeled an apartheid state in a meeting with the Palestinian Heads of Mission in Africa Conference. She is the minister of international relations and cooperation. Relations with Israel go back to the days of Apartheid in which Israel was a key supporter of the Apartheid regime even when there were international sanctions against South Africa for its discrimination.

At the same time, the African National Congress which was a key organization against Apartheid was strong ally with the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

According to the Middle East Eye, “Pandor cited Israel’s continued occupation of “significant portions of the West Bank” and the building of new illegal settlements as “glaring examples of violations of international law”.

She said: “The Palestinian narrative evokes experiences of South Africa’s own history of racial segregation and oppression.

“As oppressed South Africans, we experienced first-hand the effects of racial inequality, discrimination and denial, and we cannot stand by while another generation of Palestinians are left behind.”South Africa has been an ally of Palestinians since the end of its apartheid system in 1994, and the two countries have formal diplomatic relations.”

This announcement follows a recent trend in several prominent individuals and organizations labeling Israel as apartheid including Human Rights Watch, Be’t Selem, and Amnesty International.

Additionally, Israel has come under fire for its killing of the Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. According to the Middle East Eye, “These reports are significant in raising global awareness of the conditions that Palestinians are subjected to and they provide credence and support to an overwhelming body of factual evidence, all pointing to the fact that the State of Israel is committing crimes of apartheid and persecution against Palestinians,” said Pandor, referring to the UN report.

Pandor has also denounced the murder of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead by an Israeli sniper on 11 May while she covered an Israeli raid in the West Bank. Pandor also likened the attack on Abu Akleh’s funeral by Israeli soldiers to the practices of the South African apartheid regime.”