Israel-South Africa relations

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Israel-South Africa relations
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Israel and South Africa developed a strong relationship throughout the 1970s and 1980s, although Israel joined the West in the late 1980s in boycotting South Africa before the collapse of apartheid. Relations between modern-day Israel and South Africa are increasingly warm, although South Africa has been an outspoken critic of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians.

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[edit] Israeli relations with apartheid South Africa

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.[1][2] 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. [2] [3] 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. [4]

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."[5] 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. [6]

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.[7] In April 1976 South African Prime Minister John Vorster was invited to make a state visit, meeting Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.[5] [8] 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. [7] 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[9], 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. [10]

By 1987 Israel found itself alone among the Western nations in still maintaining strong, even strategic relations with apartheid South Africa (Among African nations, Malawi and the Ivory Coast maintained diplomatic relations with South Africa throughout the Apartheid era ).[11] 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. [12]

[edit] Nuclear collaboration

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.[13][14] According to David Albright of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, "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." although 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."[15] According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative, in 1977 Israel traded 30 grams of tritium in exchange for 50 tons of South African uranium and in the mid-80s assisted with the development of the RSA-3 ballistic missile. [8] Also in 1977, according to foreign press reports, it was suspected that South Africa signed a pact with Israel that included the transfer of military technology and the manufacture of at least six atom bombs. [11]

Chris McGreal has claimed that "Israel provided expertise and technology that was central to South Africa's development of its nuclear bombs".[5] In 2000, Dieter Gerhardt, Soviet spy and former commander in the South African Navy, claimed that Israel agreed in 1974 to arm eight Jericho II missiles with "special warheads" for South Africa. [16]

[edit] Israel 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". [17] Then Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert visited South Africa in 2004[18], 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[19][20] have criticized Israel's treatment of the Palestinians, drawing parallels between apartheid South Africa and modern-day Israel [21].

The Congress of South African Trade Unions, which represents 1.2 million South African workers, has also criticized Israel as an apartheid state and supported the boycott of the Canadian Union of Public Employees. [22]

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 wall.

Annual trade between Israel and South Africa totals $500 million USD. [18]

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.[23][24]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Shimoni, Gideon (June 1, 2003). "Coping with Israel’s intrusion", Community and conscience : the Jews in apartheid South Africa (Googlebooks account required), Lebanon, New Hampshire: Brandeis University Press, published by University Press of New England, 46–47. ISBN 1-58465-329-9 LCCN 2003-4623. Retrieved on 2006-08-23. 
  2. ^ a b 1960's. Chronology. South African History Online. Retrieved on 2007-12-03.
  3. ^ "Israel calls envoy from South Africa", New York Times, September 26, 1963. Retrieved on 2007-05-03. 
  4. ^ Paul Hoffman. "Israel's Offer to Aid Blacks Irks South Afrida", New York Times, 1971-07-05. 
  5. ^ a b c Chris McGreal. "Brothers in arms - Israel's secret pact with Pretoria", The Guardian, 2006-02-07. 
  6. ^ Israel and Black Africa: A Rapprochement? Ethan A. Nadelmann. Journal of Modern African Studies, Vol. 19, No. 2 (Jun., 1981), pp. 183-219
  7. ^ a b 1970's. Chronology. South African History Online. Retrieved on 2007-12-03.
  8. ^ a b Missile Chronology (South Africa). Nuclear Threat Initiative (May 2003).
  9. ^ Drew Middleton. "SOUTH AFRICA NEEDS MORE ARMS, ISRAELI SAYS", New York Times, December 14, 1981. 
  10. ^ 1980's. Chronology. South African History Online. Retrieved on 2007-12-03.
  11. ^ a b "P.W. Botha felt Israel had betrayed him", Jerusalem Post, 2006-11-2. 
  12. ^ Israel's Foreign Relations since 1947 1984-1988 (MFA)
  13. ^ The 22 September 1979 Event (PDF). Interagency Intelligence Memorandum 10 (paragraph 30). National Security Archive (December 1979). Retrieved on 2006-11-01.
  14. ^ Unknown author. RSA Nuclear Weapons Program. Federation of American Scientists.
  15. ^ "South Africa and the affordable bomb", Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 1994-08. 
  16. ^ Tracking Nuclear Proliferation. PBS Newshour (May 2, 2005).
  17. ^ Belling, Susan. "Mandela bears message of peace in first visit to Israel", The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California, 1999-10-02. 
  18. ^ a b "South African President Mbeki meets with Deputy PM Olmert", Haaretz, 22/10/2004. 
  19. ^ Desmond Tutu. "Apartheid in the Holy Land", The Guardian, Monday April 29, 2002. 
  20. ^ Tutu, D., and Urbina, I.. "Against Israeli apartheid.", The Nation, 2002. 
  21. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1957644.stm Tutu condemns Israeli apartheid.
  22. ^ "South African union joins boycott of Israel", ynetnews.com, [2006-08-06]. 
  23. ^ Pew Global Attitudes Project: Spring 2007 Survey- Survey of 47 Publics FINAL 2007 COMPARATIVE TOPLINE (PDF) (2007). Retrieved on 2008-04-02. p. 14
  24. ^ Kadalie, Rhoda (March 2008). Franchising “Apartheid”: Why South Africans Push the Analogy. Z Word. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.

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Source: The CIA World Factbook