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Beit-Hallahmi wrote in 1988 that the alliance between South Africa and Israel has been one of the most underreported news stories of the past four decades and that Israel played a crucial role in the survival of the apartheid regime.<ref>Beit-Hallahmi, Benjamin (1988). The Israeli Connection: Whom Israel Arms and Why. pp. 108-109.</ref> Israel's collaboration with Apartheid South Africa has been mentioned and condemned by various international organizations like the UN General assembly (several times since 1974).<ref>Beit-Hallahmi, Benjamin (1988). The Israeli Connection: Whom Israel Arms and Why. p. 114.</ref> Beit-Hallahmi wrote in 1988 that the alliance between South Africa and Israel has been one of the most underreported news stories of the past four decades and that Israel played a crucial role in the survival of the apartheid regime.<ref>Beit-Hallahmi, Benjamin (1988). The Israeli Connection: Whom Israel Arms and Why. pp. 108-109.</ref> Israel's collaboration with Apartheid South Africa has been mentioned and condemned by various international organizations like the UN General assembly (several times since 1974).<ref>Beit-Hallahmi, Benjamin (1988). The Israeli Connection: Whom Israel Arms and Why. p. 114.</ref>

=== Alleged Nuclear collaboration === === Alleged Nuclear collaboration ===
{{main|South Africa and weapons of mass destruction}} {{main|South Africa and weapons of mass destruction}}

Revision as of 18:37, 14 August 2010

Bilateral relations
Israel-South Africa relations
Map indicating locations of Israel and South Africa

Israel
South Africa

Israel–South Africa relations refer to the interstate relations between the Republic of South Africa and the State of Israel.

Israeli relations with apartheid South Africa

Diplomatic relations between Israel and South Africa began in 1949 when Israel established a consulate-general in Pretoria.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Israel prioritized building relations with the newly independent states of sub-Saharan Africa; this, in turn, led it to take a critical stance on the question of apartheid. On October 11, 1961, Israel voted for the General Assembly censure of Eric Louw's speech defending apartheid. In 1963, Israel informed the United Nations Special Committee on Apartheid that it had taken steps to comply with the military boycott of apartheid South Africa and had recalled its ambassador to South Africa. According to Chris McGreal, "Israel was openly critical of apartheid through the 1950s and 60s as it built alliances with post-colonial African governments. In 1971, Israel offered the Organization of African Unity a gift of $2,850, which was rejected by the organization, but not before causing tension between South African Jews and their government.

Most African states broke ties after the 1973 Yom Kippur war and the government in Jerusalem began to take a more benign view of the isolated regime in Pretoria." Ethan A. Nadelmann has claimed that the relationship developed due to the fact that many African countries broke diplomatic ties with Israel during the 70's following the Arab-Israeli wars, causing Israel to deepen relations with other isolated countries.

By the mid 1970s, Israel's relations with South Africa had warmed. In 1975, increasing economic co-operation between Israel and South Africa was reported, including the construction of a major new railway in Israel, and the building of a desalination plant in South Africa. In April 1976 South African Prime Minister John Vorster was invited to make a state visit, meeting Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Later in 1976, the 5th Conference of Non-Aligned Nations in Colombo, Sri Lanka, adopted a resolution calling for an oil embargo against France and Israel because of their arms sales to South Africa. In 1977, South African Foreign Minister Pik Botha visited Israel to discuss South African issues with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan.

In 1981, Israeli Defence Minister Ariel Sharon visited South African forces in Namibia for 10 days, later saying that South Africa needed more weapons to fight Soviet infiltration in the region.

In 1984, Pik Botha again visited Israel but this time only for an unofficial meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir.

By 1987 Israel found itself alone among the developed nations in still maintaining strong, even strategic relations with apartheid South Africa (Among African nations, only Malawi maintained diplomatic relations with South Africa throughout the Apartheid era ). On March 18, 1987 the Inner Cabinet of the Israeli government denounced the Apartheid policy of South Africa and limited Israel's security ties with Pretoria. On September 16, 1987 the Israeli Cabinet approved a series of measures designed to limit trade, sports and cultural ties with South Africa. Among them was a clause in the "measures" package stating that effective immediately, only colored, Indian and black students would be allowed to attend leadership courses held in Israel.

Beit-Hallahmi wrote in 1988 that the alliance between South Africa and Israel has been one of the most underreported news stories of the past four decades and that Israel played a crucial role in the survival of the apartheid regime. Israel's collaboration with Apartheid South Africa has been mentioned and condemned by various international organizations like the UN General assembly (several times since 1974).

Alleged Nuclear collaboration

Main article: South Africa and weapons of mass destruction

U.S. Intelligence believed that Israel participated in South African nuclear research projects and supplied advanced non-nuclear weapons technology to South Africa during the 1970s, while South Africa was developing its own atomic bombs. According to David Albright, "Faced with sanctions, South Africa began to organize clandestine procurement networks in Europe and the United States, and it began a long, secret collaboration with Israel." He goes on to say "A common question is whether Israel provided South Africa with weapons design assistance, although available evidence argues against significant cooperation."

Chris McGreal has written that "Israel provided expertise and technology that was central to South Africa's development of its nuclear bombs". In 2000, Dieter Gerhardt, Soviet spy and former commander in the South African Navy, stated that Israel agreed in 1974 to arm eight Jericho II missiles with "special warheads" for South Africa.

In 2010, The Guardian released South African government documents that it alleged revealed an Israeli offer to sell Apartheid South Africa nuclear weapons. Israel categorically denied these allegations and said that the documents were minutes from a meeting which did not indicate any offer for a sale of nuclear weapons.

Relations with post apartheid South Africa

Former ANC leader Nelson Mandela first visited Israel in 1999. Mandela said: "To the many people who have questioned why I came, I say: Israel worked very closely with the apartheid regime. I say: I've made peace with many men who slaughtered our people like animals. Israel cooperated with the apartheid regime, but it did not participate in any atrocities". Then Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert visited South Africa in 2004, meeting with South African President Thabo Mbeki, the first visit by an Israeli leader since the end of apartheid.

Some prominent South African figures, such as Desmond Tutu and Ronnie Kasrils have criticized Israel's treatment of the Palestinians, drawing parallels between apartheid South Africa and modern-day Israel.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions, which represents 1.2 million South African workers, has also accused Israel of practicing apartheid and supported the boycott of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, as well as all Israeli products.

However, South African ambassador to Israel Major General Fumanekile Gqiba generally did not agree with the analogy, saying about his time in Israel

before I came here. I regarded Jews as whites. Purely whites. But when I came here I discovered that, no, these guys are not purely whites. ...You've got Indian Jews, you've got African Jews, and you've got even Chinese Jews, right? I began to say to our comrades, No, Israel is not a white country... Perhaps we would say there are those who came from Poland, who happened to be white-i.e. Ashkenazi their culture still dominates. It's difficult to say Israel is racist, in a classic sense.

South Africa is an advocate of the two-state solution. In 2004 South African Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad criticized Israel's building of the Israeli West Bank barrier.

Annual trade between Israel and South Africa totaled $500 million USD as of 2003.

According to the Pew Global Attitudes Project in 2007 the vast majority of South Africans were indifferent to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Of those with opinions on the matter, the majority sympathized more with Israel: 28 per cent of South Africans overall sided with Israel compared to 19 per cent with the Palestinians.

See also

References

  1. Beit-Hallahmi, Benjamin (1988). The Israeli Connection: Whom Israel Arms and Why. p. 110.
  2. Shimoni, Gideon (June 1, 2003). "Coping with Israel's intrusion". Community and conscience : the Jews in apartheid South Africa. Lebanon, New Hampshire: Brandeis University Press, published by University Press of New England. pp. 46–47. ISBN ]. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |format= requires |url= (help); Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |origdate= and |origmonth= (help); External link in |chapterurl= and |isbn= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "1960's". Chronology. South African History Online. Retrieved 2007-12-03.
  4. "Israel calls envoy from South Africa". New York Times. September 26, 1963. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  5. Paul Hoffman (1971-07-05). "Israel's Offer to Aid Blacks Irks South Africa". New York Times.
  6. ^ Chris McGreal (2006-02-07). "Brothers in arms - Israel's secret pact with Pretoria". The Guardian.
  7. Israel and Black Africa: A Rapprochement? Ethan A. Nadelmann. Journal of Modern African Studies, Vol. 19, No. 2 (Jun., 1981), pp. 183-219
  8. ^ "1970's". Chronology. South African History Online. Retrieved 2007-12-03.
  9. "Missile Chronology (South Africa)". Nuclear Threat Initiative. May 2003.
  10. Drew Middleton (December 14, 1981). "SOUTH AFRICA NEEDS MORE ARMS, ISRAELI SAYS". New York Times.
  11. "1980's". Chronology. South African History Online. Retrieved 2007-12-03.
  12. "P.W. Botha felt Israel had betrayed him". Jerusalem Post. 2006-11-02. Retrieved 2006-11-02.
  13. Israel's Foreign Relations since 1947 1984-1988 (MFA)
  14. Beit-Hallahmi, Benjamin (1988). The Israeli Connection: Whom Israel Arms and Why. pp. 108-109.
  15. Beit-Hallahmi, Benjamin (1988). The Israeli Connection: Whom Israel Arms and Why. p. 114.
  16. "The 22 September 1979 Event" (PDF). Interagency Intelligence Memorandum. National Security Archive. December 1979. pp. 10 (paragraph 30). MORI DocID: 1108245. Retrieved 2006-11-01.
  17. Unknown author. "RSA Nuclear Weapons Program". Federation of American Scientists. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  18. Albright, David (July 1995). "South Africa and the affordable bomb". 50 (4). "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists": 37–47. Retrieved 2009-08-04. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); External link in |publisher= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help).
  19. "Tracking Nuclear Proliferation". PBS Newshour. May 2, 2005.
  20. Revealed: how Israel offered to sell South Africa nuclear weapons, The Guardian, May 24 2010
  21. The memos and minutes that confirm Israel's nuclear stockpile, The Guardian, May 24 2010
  23. Belling, Susan (1999-10-02). "Mandela bears message of peace in first visit to Israel". The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California.
  24. ^ "South African President Mbeki meets with Deputy PM Olmert". Haaretz. 2004-10-22.
  25. Desmond Tutu (April 29, 2002). "Apartheid in the Holy Land". The Guardian.
  26. Tutu, D., and Urbina, I. (2002). "Against Israeli apartheid". The Nation.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  27. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1957644.stm Tutu condemns Israeli apartheid.
  28. "South African union joins boycott of Israel". ynetnews.com. . {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. http://media.www.hlrecord.org/media/storage/paper609/news/2007/09/20/Opinion/An.Interview.With.Major.General.Gqiba-2985111.shtml Harvard Law Record
  30. "Pew Global Attitudes Project: Spring 2007 Survey- Survey of 47 Publics FINAL 2007 COMPARATIVE TOPLINE" (PDF). 2007. Retrieved 2008-04-02. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) p. 14

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