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Don't call it apartheid
By Tova Herzl
Tags: apartheid, Israel 

Every so often, when the comparison between Israel and the apartheid regime in South Africa is once again in the headlines, I am reminded of the racism conference in Durban in 2001. One incident at that conference, which became a milestone in the struggle to delegitimize Israel, remains engraved in my memory.

In the last few weeks, during which Israel hosted a delegation of fair-minded people who were in the vanguard of the fight against apartheid, I was reminded of the sights and sounds of that incident: During a demonstration in the streets of Durban, protesters shouted "Amandela intifada!" Amandela is the Zulu word for power and was often used in demonstrations against the minority white regime.

Since that conference, Israel's enemies have drawn a comparison between these two struggles, in order to argue that Israel - like apartheid - does not have the right to exist. Words and slogans have a power of their own. It is acknowledged that the phrasing of questions in public opinion polls influences the answer and can point the respondent in a certain direction. When one uses the word "apartheid," which, in practice, means the superiority of one race and the inferiority of all others, it is clear that there can be no solution. The only place for regimes such as the apartheid regime in South Africa is the ash heap of history. If Israel's critics compare the Israeli regime to other phenomena, such as colonialism, the only reasonable conclusion is that the comparison is inaccurate at best or malevolent at worst - but they will also learn from history that there is a way out. When dealing with apartheid, there is no point in even trying. The die has been cast.
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There are several countries whose behavior is not approved of by someone or other. In some countries, Jews and Christians are not allowed to hold citizenship, and there are some regimes that prevent women from voting. Is this just? No. Is it apartheid? No. There are some situations where there is an insurmountable gulf between rich and poor, between the educated and the ignorant. If we were to exaggerate the case, there are some countries where it is perfectly acceptable for the state to favor those who support the regime, at the expense of its opponents. Is this hard to stomach? Yes. Is it apartheid? Obviously not. Even countries where there are bloody ethnic struggles are not compared to that most maligned of all regimes. Even if it were possible to find some similarities between a certain regime and the apartheid regime - and it is always possible to find at least one common element - the crux of the issue is different. Only when it comes to Israel and Israel's actions is this comparison used indiscriminately.

Especially annoying is the way certain people view the roadblocks and the other symbols of Israeli rule, as if they were final proof of the similarity between Israel and South African apartheid. Did Israel erect these roadblocks for no good reason? Is this Israeli-Palestinian conflict devoid of context and history? Are the Palestinians the only ones who suffered? Are we the only ones who must shoulder the blame? Only a fool or an evil person fails to recognize the mistakes and the suffering on both sides. Those who insist on seeing the two situations as identical should be reminded that avoiding harming innocent white civilians was a cornerstone of the struggle for freedom among black South Africans. In addition, apart from some fringe elements, there was no ideology calling for whites to be driven into the sea or to be deported back to wherever they came from.

When we host delegations from South Africa, or people who take an interest in what is going on here, one cannot help but feel sorrow at the suffering of the sick people waiting at the checkpoints and the cries of "apartheid." Under these circumstances, there is no point in reminding people about the hundreds of thousands of black and colored children who died from malnutrition because the government decided they were not deserving of fresh water, electricity, roads, food or medicine. One can only compare the tools used by those opposing both regimes; one can compare their goals and then decide whether there is any justification to their behavior.

Not everyone who uses the word apartheid to describe Israel believes that the Zionist enterprise should go the same way as the white minority regime in South Africa. Some want what is best for Israel, regret what Israel does and seek to warn us about the ramifications. But when they choose to use such a loaded expression, they provide additional ammunition to the worst of Israel's enemies. They do not provide them with guns and bullets, but with words to be used on the critical battlefield of international legitimacy.

I grew up in South Arica and I returned there as Israeli ambassador. In my eyes, using the word apartheid to describe Israel also cheapens the memory of those who died at the hands of that evil regime. We must speak out about the use of such a sorry comparison.

The writer was Israel's ambassador to South Africa.
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  1.   Apartheid? Israel? Perish the thought! 10:28  |  Natallie Durson 17/07/08
  2.   apartheid 10:48  |  Ralph 17/07/08
  3.   Durson: dumbfounded again 10:55  |  Star of David 17/07/08
  4.   That`s funny.... 11:04  |  Jim 17/07/08
  5.   Star of David, let yourself down in last paragraph. 11:20  |  Michael 17/07/08
  6.   Tell It To Jimmy Carter.... 11:53  |  Bobby the Jew 17/07/08
  7.   Israel is slightly better than the SA apartheid sure 11:54  |  mehmet 17/07/08
  8.   #1Natallie Durson 12:00  |  Mike 17/07/08
  9.   Haaretz doesn`t like the truth about Apartheid 12:06  |  x-ray 17/07/08
  10.   Er Bobby 6, worst president ever? Got to be Bush. 12:22  |  Michael 17/07/08
  11.   #7 Mehmet 12:22  |  Michael 17/07/08
  12.   There is a time for being intolerant 12:25  |  sarahs child 17/07/08
  13.   Fair minded people 12:27  |  allang 17/07/08
  14.   To mehmet 12:35  |  THE TEACHER/INSTRUCT 17/07/08
  15.   The left `thinks` in slogans. 13:20  |  Ilan 17/07/08
  16.   The real apartheid in Israel is rejection of inter-marriage 13:33  |  Michael 17/07/08
  17.   Dear teacher elect an arab prime minister and then talk 13:34  |  mehmet 17/07/08
  18.   Mandela 13:37  |  KAY 17/07/08
  19.   mehmet 14:17  |  THE TEACHER/INSTRUCT 17/07/08
  20.   I always hated the term Shabbos Goy 14:21  |  Ronnie Wolman 17/07/08
  21.   THANKS CARTER 14:29  |  indrajaya 17/07/08
  22.   false analogy: apartheid is against occupation, not israel 14:31  |  jerusalemite 17/07/08
  23.   Apartheid 14:31  |  Jason 17/07/08
  24.   KAY??? 14:37  |  Jason 17/07/08
  25.   Of Course not! IT IS FULLY RACIST! 14:41  |  Sharif Hafez 17/07/08
  26.   Michael UK 14:49  |  Star of David 17/07/08
  27.   Arguments Invalid 14:50  |  John Conley 17/07/08
  28.   ILAN #15: WELL SAID 14:53  |  Brant 17/07/08
  29.   Kay: i must admit that 14:59  |  Star of David 17/07/08
  30.   Michael and marriage 15:17  |  x-ray 17/07/08
  31.   Apartheid 15:38  |  Leonora 17/07/08
  32.   Good reason for roadblocks 15:40  |  W 17/07/08
  33.   "apartheid" used because it achieved results 15:46  |  Sam 17/07/08
  34.   Something fishy... 15:54  |  Peter 17/07/08
  35.   In both cases the point is 16:02  |  fab 17/07/08
  36.   apartheid 16:14  |  Lebanus 17/07/08
  37.   It`s not apartheid by the beach boys 16:25  |  JJ Burke 17/07/08
  38.   Apartheid 16:27  |  David 17/07/08
  39.   WRONG ANALYSIS. OCCUPATION = APARTHIED 16:34  |  Jaffo 17/07/08
  40.   Ilan: Is `Neville Chamberlain` not a slogan for the right? 16:36  |  Ronnie Wolman 17/07/08
  41.   Sharif Hafez 16:47  |  THE TEACHER/INSTRUCT 17/07/08
  42.   Apartheid? 16:47  |  Fair 17/07/08
  43.   It`s not as bad as SA was... 16:48  |  dogpile 17/07/08
  44.   Natalie`s seething hate of Israel 16:52  |  Avrum 17/07/08
  45.   30 X-Ray. OK so it`s religious apartheid. 16:53  |  Michael 17/07/08
  46.   Apartheid=Arab Muslim women are not allowed to marry Jewish Men 17:01  |  Genuine Tosefta 17/07/08
  47.   israel is an "honest" apartheid 17:04  |  mehmet 17/07/08
  48.   Denial 17:12  |  Afikoman 17/07/08
  49.   wow Tova a good Article, unreal for Haaretz. Hurt Durson feelings 17:27  |  Big Sur 17/07/08
  50.   # 25 - Sharia law is legalized form of religious Apartheid! 17:27  |  Paul Henzen 17/07/08
  51.   To Dogpile #41 17:30  |  Afikoman 17/07/08
  52.   # 43, MEHMET 17:30  |  indrajaya 17/07/08
  53.   #5 Mike in Uk given the demonstrations of Anti Israel 17:31  |  Big Sur 17/07/08
  54.   Kurds in Turkey`s Eastern stolen province live in much worse 17:33  |  Genuine Tosefta 17/07/08
  55.   Brilliant, define it away. 17:34  |  Bitin Dawg 17/07/08
  56.   Arab countries practice Arabization, Turkey practices Turkificati 17:38  |  Genuine Tosefta 17/07/08
  57.   If Israel had SA Blacks instead of Muslim Arabs there would be 17:40  |  Genuine Tosefta 17/07/08
  58.   #43 avrum 17:42  |  Harald 17/07/08
  59.   Tell it to Carter. Bobby the Jew from Newark, NJ 17:44  |  Rozz 17/07/08
  60.   Author describes real Apartheid, others invent new definitions 17:47  |  Genuine Tosefta 17/07/08
  61.   Indrayaja #49 Poster Girl for Iran #2 17:49  |  Big Sur 17/07/08
  62.   Wordplay For Scoundrels 17:49  |  Gray 17/07/08
  63.   Apartheid=Arab Muslim women are not allowed to marry Jewish Men 17:53  |  Genuine Tosefta 17/07/08
  64.   #48 Afrikoman 17:54  |  Dogpile 17/07/08
  65.   Harald # 54 17:56  |  Avrum 17/07/08
  66.   Mehmet #17 17:59  |  Learn the Truth 17/07/08
  67.   #58 Wordpaly 18:12  |  Marc 17/07/08
  68.   Desmond Tutut said that the situation in israel is actually worse 18:37  |  lakshmi 17/07/08
  69.   Apartheid was influenced by Nazism. Israel fought Nazis. 18:58  |  Historian 17/07/08
  70.   Which is the racist state? 18:58  |  MichaelF 17/07/08
  71.   # 53 Genuine Tosefta - Turks still deny Armenian Holocaust 18:59  |  Paul Henzen 17/07/08
  72.   Gray-Living among those loveable Pals are many Pal fighters 19:12  |  Sam 17/07/08
  73.   It`s not Apartheid 19:14  |  Boycott 17/07/08
  74.   Historian 19:18  |  Better Historian 17/07/08
  75.   KCUF 19:32  |  Colin Wright 17/07/08
  76.   # 67, HISTORIAN 19:34  |  indrajaya 17/07/08
  77.   Afikoman to Dogpile 19:35  |  Afikoman 17/07/08
  78.   ETYMOLOGY FOR DEMAGOGUES 19:37  |  Brant 17/07/08
  79.   so let`s call it hafrada 19:46  |  sammy 17/07/08
  80.   Don`t call it apartheid 19:46  |  Jay 17/07/08
  81.   Lakshmi on Tutu 19:49  |  Afikoman 17/07/08
  82.   ...and ad hominem attacks from Brant 19:52  |  Dogpile 17/07/08
  83.   Better Historian 19:56  |  Afikoman 17/07/08
  84.   #67 `Historian` 20:00  |  Boycott 17/07/08
  85.   Re: Don`t call it apartheid 20:08  |  Christopher M Keller 17/07/08
  86.   #76 Afikoman 20:11  |  Boycott 17/07/08
  87.   Chamberlain is an archetype, ninny 20:12  |  Ilan 17/07/08
  88.   # 79, BOYCOTT 20:17  |  indrajaya 17/07/08
  89.   "Apartheid" is Libel 20:40  |  Scharker Yid 17/07/08
  90.   Apartheid = Jordan Palestine, 0% Jews. true to word 20:41  |  David 17/07/08
  91.   Boycott 20:48  |  Afikoman 17/07/08
  92.   Ducks 20:49  |  yuval 17/07/08
  93.   On what was South African apartheid based...? 20:54  |  Esther 17/07/08
  94.   Mehmet - Israel is not Atartheit and you know it 21:15  |  David Israel 17/07/08
  95.   yuval; Haaretz didn`t post my "Ducks" 21:15  |  Gray 17/07/08
  96.   defining discrimination 21:17  |  Southafrican Israeli 17/07/08
  97.   Ilan: Substance is 20/20 21:27  |  Ronnie Wolman 17/07/08
  98.   Don`t call it apartheit - Call it Apartheit 21:28  |  Ricardo Kolbe 17/07/08
  99.   Natalie Durson again 21:50  |  Mordecai Ben Natan 17/07/08
  100.   # 5 22:02  |  Mordecai Ben Natan 17/07/08
  101.   # 5 22:02  |  Mordecai Ben Natan 17/07/08
  102.   # 7 22:09  |  Mordecai Ben Natan 17/07/08
  103.   REPLY TO # THE TEACHER/INSTRUCT 22:10  |  Elmo 17/07/08
  104.   #88 Esther 22:15  |  Boycott 17/07/08
  105.   So what do you call it 22:23  |  Dave Duncan 17/07/08
  106.   gee#87 Yuval 22:35  |  Big Sur 17/07/08
  107.   Very good periodic reminder on author`s part 22:42  |  TonyL 17/07/08
  108.   No. 88, Esther 00:23  |  W 18/07/08
  109.   TYPICAL of failed states.Start prancing on the world stage 01:04  |  PETER SM 18/07/08
  110.   # 40 + # 49 You make me "GREAT" as u see me as WHOLE REGION:)))) 01:42  |  Sharif Hafez 18/07/08
  111.   star of david and holes in logic 02:06  |  Truth 18/07/08
  112.   African monkeys should look at Rodezia -or free of whites 03:14  |  Sal 18/07/08
  113.   to #67 HISTORIAN 03:52  |  LLYN 18/07/08
  114.   re 1 natty d on her high horse 03:53  |  Alan the real one 18/07/08
  115.   re 21 psst indrajaya 03:58  |  alan the real one 18/07/08
  116.   re 43Who is natty D 04:01  |  alan the real one 18/07/08
  117.   Dave Duncan, I call it self-defense 04:58  |  judith 18/07/08
  118.   Dave Duncan - Lets fix it by peace 05:07  |  David Israel 18/07/08
  119.   There is such a thing as calling a spade a spade 05:19  |  Dutch 18/07/08
  120.   HAARETTZ 05:26  |  JOJO 18/07/08
  121.   There is such a thing as pointing out wrong doing 05:34  |  Dutch 18/07/08
  122.   The Law demands apartheid in culture and religion 05:35  |  ambassdor 18/07/08
  123.   #66 lakshmi OMITS the REAL tutu out of CONVENIENCE (aka LYING) 06:25  |  CK Tan 18/07/08
  124.   Yes, zion apartheid! 07:51  |  Niva dos Santos 18/07/08
  125.   not ONLY israel`s "enemies" have drawn the comparison... 07:51  |  eric 18/07/08
  126.   Then call it Colonial Imperialism instead 08:36  |  Johnboy 18/07/08
  127.   So Michael most religions practise apartheid 09:00  |  x-ray 18/07/08
  128.   Re W #103 09:20  |  Esther 18/07/08
  129.   Bobby the Jew and Jimmy Carter 09:25  |  Grand Muftah 18/07/08
  130.   Apartheid 09:30  |  Grand Muftah 18/07/08
  131.   That would be better... 09:49  |  Theodore 18/07/08
  132.   To indrajaya 18:50  |  Proud Jew 18/07/08
  133.   Israel and apartheid 21:44  |  Janice 18/07/08
  134.   #20 Ronnie Wolman 22:01  |  Janice 18/07/08
  135.   Sharif Hafez 23:40  |  THE TEACHER/INSTRUCT 18/07/08
  136.   # 133 to janice re: an excellent post! 08:56  |  eric 19/07/08
  137.   Apartheid 01:14  |  Anna 22/07/08
  138.   Apartheid? 21:48  |  gill Kaye 07/08/08
  139.   Apartheid is what it is 17:02  |  Montrealer 07/03/09
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