OPINIONISTA: Put the squeeze on Apartheid Israel – do not succumb to Zionist pressure like the Vienna Museum By Ronnie Kasrils
I have just had the dubious honour of having a meeting in Vienna I was invited to speak at banned. The event was part of Israel Apartheid Week and my hosts, the Austrian BDS group , had booked the city Museum. After intervention by the City Council, the Museum Director cancelled the event. The reason given is that BDS is equivalent to anti-Semitism.
In the April Israeli elections, a Prime Minister with a corruption indictment hanging over his head is desperately courting even more extremist parties and abandoning any pretext of negotiating with the Palestinians. His most serious opposition campaign on the boast of responsibility for mass killings in Gaza in recent offensives. The politics of the settlers and ascendant ultra-racist parties are dominant. They will determine the future of Israel for generations.
The outcome for Palestinians of these years of creeping apartheid laws and brutality has been catastrophic. The ethnic cleansing, the seizure of land, destruction of homes and orchards, military occupation, bombing and strangulation of Gaza, brutal measures of repression against civilians, violations of international law has made notable visitors such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu declare that what they saw in Palestine reminds them of apartheid, but only far worse.
I write this in Israel Apartheid Week which together with the BDS campaign is a peaceful form of mobilisation akin to the anti-apartheid movement that helped bring about the end to Apartheid South Africa. In the days of struggle against South African Apartheid, we were accused of following a communist agenda. We were not deflected by smears and stood our ground for the obvious truth. Israel’s hasbara follows a similar route conflating opposition to Israel with anti-Semitism. This is devious in the extreme and must be resisted. There are many Jews worldwide who adopt the same principled positions as Einstein and Hannah Arendt.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Newsdeck: Trump Supports Israel Sovereignty Over Golan, Aiding NetanyahuPresident Donald Trump said it’s time for the U.S. to “fully recognize” Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a political gift to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just weeks before a tough re-election vote.
Read more »
'Put all your curses' on US, Rouhani urges Iranians | IOL NewsIran's president urged Iranians to put a curse on the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia, who he claims are responsible for the country's ailing economy.
Read more »
WATCH: Israeli minister spritzes herself with 'Fascism' perfume for new campaign ad | IOL NewsIsrael is known for its off-the-wall political campaign ads but Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked's spoof perfume commercial may be the most bizarre yet.
Read more »
Trump accepts Israeli sovereignty over Golan HeightsTrump called the Golan - a strategic area seized from Syria and annexed in a move never recognised by the international community - 'of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!'
Read more »
OPINIONISTA: VF+ not likely to succeed in challenging registration of BLFLast week South Africa’s Electoral Commission (also colloquially referred to as the IEC) announced that it will not prohibit the fringe group, Black First Land First (BLF), from contesting the upcoming election, despite the fact that its constitution makes clear that only “black” people are allowed to join the party. The Freedom Front Plus (VF+), a slightly larger fringe group who represents the interests of far-right 'white' voters, is challenging the legality of this decision. Some might say this is a match made in heaven. But what are the chances of the VF+ winning this legal battle?
Read more »
Growth worries put pressure on oil, but support comes from Opec cutsEconomic growth concerns have dampened the outlook for fuel consumption, but supply cuts and US sanctions against Iran and Venezuela provide a floor for prices
Read more »
Load shedding has put 'unnecessary pressure' on JMPDOfficials will be deployed not only during peak hours but also during quieter hours in the day, says Joburg's MMC for public safety.
Read more »
OPINIONISTA: Take note, Ebrahim Rasool, the Western Cape is the best-run province in the countryThe DA is not satisfied with resting on the success of the past 10 years; we know that there is still so much work to do for the people of the Western Cape. We will fight to grow our economy, fight for the right to have provincial rail service and fight for a professional and honest provincial police service.
Read more »
OPINIONISTA: The people, the party and the state: A critical left perspective on the Venezuelan crisisSouth African and international lefties and progressives are right to condemn the imperialist manoeuvring of the US and defend the right of the Venezuelan people to decide their own political and economic future. However, the mistakes of the past should not be repeated, such as those in the case of Mugabe/ZANU-PF’s Zimbabwe, Ortega/Sandinista’s Nicaragua, Dos Santos/MPLA’s Angola or indeed, the ANC’s South Africa.
Read more »