Andile Songezo continues to spread the lie that Israel practises apartheid (“Israel’s global role in repression”, July 7).
His claims that Israel aided in global repression are false or lacking crucial context. Notably, Israel didn’t arm both sides in Angola and did not train Hutu militia. The French were the primary military backer of the Hutu militia during the genocide, followed by Egypt and China. Israel provided substantial humanitarian relief in the wake of the Rwandan genocide.
While Israel allegedly supported Unita, the democratically elected government of Angola, China armed all sides of the conflict. Songezo’s other claims are also spurious.
Apartheid was a system of racial repression and separation. Israel is one of the most culturally and racially diverse democracies in the Middle East, with people of all religions and races participating in its society.
Arab Muslims serve as supreme judges, military officers and high-ranking politicians. When in apartheid SA were black people afforded the same rights?
The boundaries between the West Bank and Israel are because of real security concerns. For all intents and purposes the West Bank is independent. And it used its independence to hide insurgents who killed hundreds of Israelis before the security walls were erected in 2002. If Israel is an apartheid state for raising security walls, then so is every country with a guarded border.
Songezo clearly doesn’t understand the real Israel or the complexities of geopolitics or Middle Eastern conflicts. He should become acquainted with the facts before making such baseless claims.
Nicholas Woode-Smith
Cape Town
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