How South Africa’s past struggle fuelled its stand for Palestine
It’s been nine months since violence erupted once again between Israel and Hamas, but it is innocent civilians, overwhelmingly women and children, who have borne the brunt of this war. The images and reports emerging from Gaza are heartbreaking. Families huddled in dust-choked ruins; scenes of tiny, bloodied bodies lifted from the rubbles – lives […]
It’s been nine months since violence erupted once again between Israel and Hamas, but it is innocent civilians, overwhelmingly women and children, who have borne the brunt of this war. The images and reports emerging from Gaza are heartbreaking. Families huddled in dust-choked ruins; scenes of tiny, bloodied bodies lifted from the rubbles – lives snuffed out before they could truly begin. Hospitals in ruins and overwhelmed, supplies dwindling as casualties mount.
Then, from an unexpected corner, a voice of moral conviction pierced through the despair – that of South Africa, a nation that has experienced its own share of oppression and injustice under the apartheid regime. In a profound gesture resonating with the spirit of Nelson Mandela’s legendary struggle and the fight against apartheid oppression, this nation took a bold, principled stand against the recent unconscionable massacre in Gaza, paving the way for many more countries to do so.
South Africa’s government’s decisive act of taking Israel to ICJ was more than a diplomatic maneuver; it was a powerful statement of solidarity with the Palestinian people and a rejection of the disproportionate use of force by Israel. It constituted nothing less than a moral thunderclap, reverberating across the global stage. A reminder that willful silence in the face of grave injustice is itself an unconscionable dereliction that society dares not tolerate.
For many, even those with ancestral ties to the Middle East, the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation was not always understood in its full, visceral context. My Lebanese heritage and Islamic faith firmly established an innate familiarity with the region’s turmoil. Yes, the Holy Quran’s passages foretelling Palestinian liberation filled my spiritual upbringing. Yet looking back, the gradual, yet persistent erasure of Palestinian land, rights, and the harsh realities of their struggle against Israeli occupation somehow remained an opaque issue on the periphery of my consciousness. My early perspective had been limited – shaped more by Western media narratives and geopolitics than any deeply rooted set of beliefs or ideologies.
Then in early 2022, I stumbled upon an interview of Ted Koppel with Nelson Mandela conducted in 1990. Mandela’s words in that frank interview sliced through years of insulation and truly sparked an awakening within me. The legendary leader unapologetically proclaimed, “One of the mistakes that political analysts make is to think that their enemies should be our enemies. Our attitude towards any country is determined by the attitude of that country toward our struggle. Yasser Arafat, Colonel Gaddafi, and Fidel Castro support our struggle to the hilt. They do not support it only in rhetoric; they are placing resources at our disposal for us to win the struggle.” And a veil was lifted. There was a global icon laying bare the universal principle that a people’s struggle for justice and self-determination transcends race, religion and politics.
That my own ethnic and religious background had not led me to understand this earlier was perhaps emblematic of how effectively the Israeli narrative of security and defence has smothered the Palestinian struggle. But from that moment on, my Lebanese roots and Islamic faith amalgamated with Madiba’s moral clarity irreversibly forged the linkage; it reframed the Palestinian plight in my mind from an esoteric conflict to an entirely human fight for liberation and dignity, that it truly represented and crystallised the Palestinian question as something visceral and personal – a parallel campaign for justice.
So, South Africa’s principled stance in support of Palestine comes as no surprise when viewed through this lens. Having felt the lash of institutional racism and oppression itself, the nation effectively channelled the very ideals that Mandela embodied so nobly during his fight to end apartheid. By condemning the bloodshed and raising a moral voice, South Africa confirmed its mantle as an enduring torchbearer for Mandela’s vision of a more just and equitable world.
If the towering figure of Mandela could survey the world today, undoubtedly his eyes would alight with pride upon his homeland. The iconic leader’s strong belief in the inviolable dignity of all human life and every person’s right to self-determination has found faithful expression in his nation’s stance. Mandela himself had been outspoken in his condemnation of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, decrying it as “unjust and immoral.”
However, the Arab world’s passive response to the plight of the Palestinians cannot be ignored or understated. It is in contrast to the surging wave of global solidarity. Where is the Pan-Arabism determination that once united against oppression of any kind, from any source? Have we so quickly forgotten the outrage that once flowed from Arab lands? Where is that collective chord of empathy and anger in the face of injustice today?
Examining historical alliances, some Arab countries may find themselves entangled in diplomatic and economic ties that complicate their ability to openly condemn and take a strong stance against Israel’s human rights violations. Arab nations, such as Egypt and Jordan, have long-standing peace treaties with Israel, while others, like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have recently normalised relations, motivated by shared security concerns, economic interests, and diplomatic pragmatism.
In recent years, the Arab countries have faced their own domestic challenges and power struggles. Their own myriad internal political pressures within the Arab world, sectarian fault lines, and endemic political unrest have often overshadowed the Palestinian cause and diverted attention and resources away, leaving many regimes feeling too compromised and wary to court controversy over an intractable third-rail issue like Gaza and the Palestinian question.
The normalisation agreements, brokered by the United States under the Abraham Accords, though aimed at peace, cooperation, and understanding, have fractured Arab unity on the Palestinian issue. The fear of repercussions from Western allies or economic partners has also contributed to the reluctance to speak out more forcefully against Israel’s actions. Regardless of the justifications, the near-neutral stance of much of the Arab world is a bitter pill to swallow.
The road ahead for Palestine to finding an everlasting solution won’t be an easy ride, but solutions must be found. The Arab world must play a more active role in supporting the Palestinian cause and exerting pressure on Israel to address human rights concerns and adhere to international law. A united front, rooted in shared values of human dignity could potentially shift the balance of power and incentivise meaningful concessions from all parties involved.
However, what is integral to whatever solutions are tabled for the future must address the root causes of the conflict. The solution must have a holistic approach that addresses not just political, but economic, and humanitarian dimensions, too. A lasting solution to this conflict must be based on the principles of justice and equality. And so, this means ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, dismantling illegal settlements, and recognising the right of Palestinians to establish an independent and sovereign state.
It is ironic that it is an African nation, separated by thousands of miles, that has taken the lead towards accountability. This, however, is not an indictment of the Arab world but rather a reminder that the pursuit of justice is a universal human endeavour.
Dr Halimah Sanda can be reached at [email protected]