Desmond Tutu Likens Israeli Actions to Apartheid
BOSTON - South African Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu compared conditions in Palestine to those of South Africa under apartheid, and called on Israelis to try and change them, while speaking in Boston Saturday at historic Old South Church.”We hope the occupation of the Palestinian territory by Israel will end,” Tutu said.
“There is a cry of anguish from the depth of my heart, to my spiritual relatives. Please, please hear the call, the noble call of our scripture,” Tutu said of Israelis.
“Don’t be found fighting against this god, your god, our god, who hears the cry of the oppressed,” Tutu said.
Tutu spoke with political activist and lecturer Noam Chomsky and others to a largely religious audience about “The Apartheid Paradigm in Palestine-Israel,” a conference sponsored by Friends of Sabeel North America, a Christian Palestinian group.
Israeli policy toward Palestine is an inflammatory topic in the U.S. and is not commonly discussed in large, public forums.
In Boston, complaints were lodged with Old South Church in the weeks prior to the event, in an effort to halt the conference. The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting complained that Sabeel is “an anti-Zionist organisation that traffics in anti-Judaic themes,” according to press reports.
Outside the church Saturday, Christians and Jews United for Israel demonstrated against Tutu and the conference.
“Sabeel is an organisation that seeks to demonise Israel. Tutu several years ago made anti-Semitic comments,” May Long, president of the group, told IPS. Long did not hear Tutu’s speech, she said.
Tutu was an inspirational leader in the South African fight against apartheid, which officially ended 13 years ago. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 and today continues to speak around the globe for peace and justice, and to call for Palestinian rights.
The 76-year-old Tutu also appears to have won a battle against prostate cancer, which he was last treated for in 2000.
“Because of what I experienced in South Africa, I harbour hope for Israel and the Palestinian territories,” said Tutu, who invoked passages from the Christian bible throughout his talk.
Tutu drew parallels between the apartheid of South Africa and occupied Palestine of today, including demolitions of Palestinian homes by the Israeli government and the inability of Palestinians to travel freely within and out of Palestine.
“I experienced a déjà vu when I encountered a security checkpoint that Palestinians must negotiate every day and be demeaned, all their lives,” Tutu said.
Tutu said that Palestinian homes are being bulldozed, and new, illegal homes for Israeli’s built in their place.
“When I hear, ‘that used to be my home,’ it is painfully similar to the treatment in South Africa when coloureds had no rights,” Tutu said.
Tutu is a pacifist and he said only non-violent means should be used to confront the oppression at play in Palestine.
“Palestinians ought to try themselves to restrain those who fire the rockets into Israeli territory,” Tutu said.
Tutu said that while fighting apartheid in South Africa he drew inspiration from the Jewish struggle as the bible describes it.
“Spiritually I am of Hebrew decent. When apartheid oppression was at its most vicious, and all but knocked the stuffing out of those of us who opposed it, we turned to the Hebrew tradition of resistance,” and the belief that good will triumph over evil, and that a day of freedom from oppression will come, he said.
“The well-to-do and powerful complain that we are mixing religion with politics. I’ve never heard the poor complain that ‘Tutu, you are being too political,”‘ he said.
“I am not playing politics when it involves children who suffer,” Tutu said. “A human rights violation is a human rights violation is a human rights violation, wherever it occurs.”
Tutu recently bumped up against U.S. discomfort with discourse about Palestine, when a Minnesota university president yanked an invitation to Tutu that had been extended by a youth group.
Rev. Dennis Dease, president of the University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul Minnesota, said he did not want Tutu to speak because the Nobel Laureate’s position on Palestine was viewed by some as anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic.
Dease also fired Cris Toffolo as head of the university’s peace and justice programme, who had supported the invitation to Tutu.
Dease apologised to Tutu three weeks ago.
Tutu said Saturday that he accepted Dease’s “handsome apology”, but that he will not consider speaking at the school until Toffolo is reinstated and her record cleared.
At the conference, Chomsky said the U.S. provides heavy financial support to Israel and has a profound influence on Israeli policies, including those toward Palestine and foreign trade.
“If the U.S. doesn’t like what Israel is doing, it just kicks Israel in the face,” Chomsky said. In 2005, Israel wanted to sell improved missiles to China. The Bush administration halted the sale, Chomsky said.
“It blocked them and refused to allow Israeli officials to come to the U.S. The U.S. demanded an apology from Israel. It dragged Israel through the mud,” Chomsky said.
The U.S. began its close relationship with Israel after the Israeli victory in the 1967 “Six Day War” against Egypt, Syria and Jordan, Chomsky said.
© 2007 Inter Press Service
Of course the Israel/Palastine relationship is a “hot button issue”. Whenever someone tries calling the kettle black, they are Anti-Semites, or worse, deniers of the Holocaust!
There can be no legitimacy for nations based on racism, apartheid, or ethnic purity. We need to uses the tactics we used against apartheid South Africa to isolate Israel and pressure an end to their aparthied like system.
if the palestenians took to non violent means of resisting, then i’m sure they will find more such support from across the globe. i hope they realise the only way they can win back their homes is through non violent methods. violence will lead no where. an eye for an eye only leaves the whole world blind, gandhi said.
Is that accurate reporting? If the U.S.’s relationship with Israel wasn’t close before ‘67, then how would you define it pre-’67? Who was it that invented that obscenity which is Israel, anyway? There is no nation on this planet which is more evil than Israel except for the U.SA., and that is saying something because England has been a real A-hole country for a long time. And that assessment is not anti-semitic or anti-anybody except anti-evil.
Where is Israeli policy toward Palestine an inflamatory topic in the U.S.? Certainly only amongst that puny minority which are the scumbags of society who have absolutely no morals.
Israel is such an obscenity against humanity that it will be an absolute requirement of the United Nations that the star of David flag which represents that evil incarnate society be classified in equal terms with the swastika flag of Nazi Germany.
“if the palestenians took to non violent means of resisting, then i’m sure they will find more such support from across the globe.”
Surely you also meant to include Israel in this request - after all, they’re the ones with the guns, might, and money.
“if the palestenians took to non violent means of resisting, then i’m sure they will find more such support from across the globe.”
They have and do, its just never reported. The only way they can get headlines is by using force.
The Iraqis tried non-violent means, they got shot at by US forces.
And so on. . .
Only when I met a number of Palestians did I realise that in America I was so sheltered from the other side of the story. Palestine is under constant attack from the Israelis but when they fight back they are labelled terrorists.They have also suffered from a corrupt goverment, but they democratically the US refused to accept it and pushed Europe into agreeing. There is an excellent article in Harper’s about how the US helped block peace.
As my Arab friend said when she was accused of being Anti-Semite when criticizing Israel, I’m a Semite. I can’t be anti-myself.
It’s a tragedy that the vast majority of so-called Christians are not pacifists. The terms should be mutually inclusive. And to continue with the strange way that we distort language to suit our interests, most Palestinians are semites. Israel-supporters who share Israeli hatred of Palestinians are anti semites.
While I don’t support the use of violence against an opponent that is eagerly looking for a reason to shoot, bomb, and bulldoze a captive population, I don’t think the non-violence thing will work for the Palestinians.
Non-violence, for as much as it is still touted, has never produced change. It is commonly thought that MLK’s adherence to non-violent “struggle” during the civil rights movements eventually won the hearts and minds of Americans, producing such moral indignation that the power structure was compelled to react. This is not the truth though.
The US was taking a public relations beating from the Soviets for hypocritically singing the praises of democracy while keeping its Black population captive. The signing of the civil rights legislation in the 60’s was to quiet down the restless natives, not to ultimately do what is right.
Likewise, the racist whites of SA did not cede political control over the country because they suddenly developed morality and dispensed with the evil that permeated their beings. They had seen the writings on the wall. They knew they couldn’t feasibly continue to oppress such a large number of Black people, and international pressure was becoming too intense. They struck deals to maintain their control over the economics of the country, destroyed their nuclear weapons so that Blacks wouldn’t be in control of them, and ceded political control to the ANC. Change in leadership, same ol’ master/slave paradigm maintained underneath (thus, Black people are still suffering in SA).
Israel obviously doesn’t care about it’s image internationally so non-violent resistance is worthless in Palestine. Despite being hounded about its human rights abuses and crimes against humanity, it persists with its Zionist project as if it can’t be touched. In effect, it can’t. As long as the US supports it unconditionally, Israel will continue to give the finger to everyone opposing them in the world, including a man of superior moral fiber like Tutu.
The Palestinians resist the occupation nonviolently every day.
Merely continuing to live day to day in the sqalid conditions imposed on them by the occupation, rather than complying with the zionist ethnic-cleansers wishes for them to pack up and leave, is, by itself, mass nonviolent resistance.
But, if you mean marches and sit-ins, they do a lot of that too, and recieve tear gas, rubber bullets, home buldozings, farm bulldoxings, and even lead bullets for their trouble.
Naughty, naughty. Criticizing Israel is anti-Semitism. No matter valid the criticism, it’s still anti-Semitism. So there!
aamndla,
Good points.
Change never came from appeals to reason or morality, it came from putting the powerful ruling elite in a position where their continued resistance to demands had worse consequences than acceding to them.
And as far as violence, I’m all for avoiding bodily harm to anyone, but we live in era where property vandalism such as graffiti, or even economic actions such as labor or consumer strikes, are going to result in it’s participants being accused of violence or even terorism comparable to bodily harm.
Then there are the Quakers, where even raising ones voice or expressing anger is considered violence.
If one is blind-folded as to the “who” and merely examines and measures the behavior, practices and policies undertaken — one’s senses are correct in recognizing that familiar and wretched taste and odor of apartheid. Using the “who” as an excuse for undertaking the “what” is no excuse under any set of circumstances.
I do wonder as Gandhi’s grandson did, why palestinians werent sitting in front of the bulldozers along with Rachel Corrie. I know, Israel sees itself as the eternal victim and so it can run over people and still wail about being victimized–but if Palestinians can blow themselves up with a suicide vest, why not sit in front of a bulldozer?
But I think if Palestinians stopped all violent resistance, they would still be demonized. They havent had a major suicide attack for 2 years at least and it hasnt really changed anything.
They are seen as worth less than a jew.
Jews have the Holocaust,
the Blacks had slavery
arabs dont really have a victim story to fall back on.
There must be a single state solution possible. Change the name back to Palestine, Semitic Jews should have the right to stay or return to Africa, the non-Semitic Jews should be repatriated back to their respective countries of departure (most of them are just trouble makers anyway they use Judaism as any wild eyed Jihadi uses the words of the Prophet). There must be a constitution drafted ( how Isreal functions is beyond me, what code of laws do they use anyway?) which pays strict attention to separation of church(any superstition) and state, and equality of all citizens before the law must be guaranteed.
Desmond Tutu is one of that small band of human beings who give religion a good name. I hope he doesn’t attract the kind of bullying vilification that others who have dared to criticise the policies of the Israeli government have been subjected to. Even if he does, however, I suspect that his credentials are so unimpeachable, that his critics will themselves lose credibility.
In response to ‘harshsatya’ suggestion that the Palestinians need to use non-violent methods …..
Please take a look at www.annainthemiddleeast.org (or my own blog www.rickinpalestine.blogspot.com)
Anna has a book just out which eloquently documents in diary form and with hundreds of photographs her 8 months experience in the Occupied Territories over several years. Most of her experiences are doing non-violent work shoulder to shoulder in support of the ongoing daily unheard and unreported non-violent Palestinian resistance to the Occupation.
After you read Anna’s first hand experiences and observations you will never again see the conflict the same way.
Anna is a young Jewish American woman.
And hooray to Bishop Tutu as well.
“Christians and Jews United for Israel demonstrated against Tutu”
How demented this world has become when one of it’s most noble peacemakers is demonized as anti-semitic.
That’s http://www.annainthemiddleeast.com/
http://www.jatonyc.org/ is also excellent.
kick the zionist bum off the dole.
just wait until limbaugh and hannity get through with him. the attack dogs will be out in full force on this one.
One day, there will be a reverse exodus; they will just get tired and walk away. And the grandchildren and great-grandchildren — should we evade radioactive exchange — will wonder why their crazy ancestors made such a fuss.
Israel is the real rogue nation, a blemish on earth, because it operates on the basis of racism and apartheid.
Palestinians are the freedom fighters, fighting to expel illegal occupiers.
Desmond Tutu is speaking truth to power. He knows he will cop hell for speaking
the truth but he goes ahead and says it anyway. That is what I call real courage.
Ya know, for as much as I hear “Israel is the aggressor” and “Israel is the one blocking peace” I hear the same solutions; destroy Israel and expel the jews and name the whole place Palestine. Uh, does that sound like a peace agreement to you? Or Israeli surrender to the Arabs?
Problem in Palestine is the the Israelis know the power of the media and they make sure that the media tells their side of the story, especially in the only country that matters with respect to the Middle East: the U.S.
Sadly for the Israelis, many of their most ardent supporters helped weaken this country by getting it into a war. As American power declines, we will see greater pressure on Israel to make peace.
We need more people like Desmond Tutu…not afraid to call a spade a spade.
Jimmy Carter also called the actions of Israel against the Palestinians ‘apartheid,’ and was crucified in the press, and even lost friends and supporters..
It’s nice to know some people like Carter and Tutu can speak the truth. That is nothing against the existence of Israel, or the Jewish people… but white is white, and black is black, and what they are doing is wrong in regards to the Palestinians.
Israel is a failed experiment. The country will not be able to stand on it’s own economically. Once the US economy is in shambles and the rich have moved on. Like the Bush’s 100,00 hectare ranch in Uruguay. There will be no more state of Israel. Anti-semitism is a vastly overused word. Kelmer you are so full of it. “The Jews have the holocaust.” I beg to differ. I had quite a few relatives in concentration camps during WWII, and they were not jewish. There have been pogroms against the jews all through history. There were even pogroms against jews by jews, read the Macabees in the bible. Maybe it is bacause they believe they are the chosen people. maybe because of what is written in the talmud. A jewish book that instructs the jew how to deal with non-jews. “The children of Gentiles are as animals.”, is a nice one. Gentiles are apparently soul less and like animals. so it is written in the talmud. That kind of attitude, will definitely cause problems.
I have had the idea of some kind of installation piece that could travel around the world, or atleast in the u.s. It could be a ‘Palestinian Holocaust Museum’.
That would be easier than an official building, and all that implies. I am merely putting this idea out there for anyone who may be interested in persuing it.
Where are American Religious leaders? Why are they so indifferent to the crimes of Israel and the destruction of Iraq? Do they have any sense of values at all? Their silence is disgusting.
There is a difference between being being anti-semetic and anti-zionist. I despise the policies of Israel, but I am not anti-semetic.
The persecution of the palestinians; the slow and steady genocide perpetrated against them must stop. This has gone on for decades. The Israelis have become Nazi Germany.
“All jews are not Israelis;
All Israelis are not jews.”
That’s hilarious Paraidigm shifter, you have as much chance as getting a Palestine Holocaust Museum in this country as a monument glorifying child molesters. Also, the Palestinians have been doing non-violent demonstrations for years you will NEVER hear about them and the soldiers to their best to instigate the protesters. Did anyone catch thay little bit at the end of the article where he mentioned the US forbid Israel to sell improved rocket tech to China? That was tech we had given to Israel, it was not intended in any form to be passed on to China who is still officially our enemy. They tweaked it a little and tried to make a buck by selling it to China, and then turned around and tried to sue us for interfering with the sale. Not like we don’t GIVE them billions of dollars a year. With scum friends like that who needs enemies.
“Occupation” is one word we rarely hear anymore–certainly not from our politicians. They are quick to jump on “terrorists,” but are in total denial about this barbaric occupation. The pro-Israel bias in the US Congress is disgusting and must change. AIPAC may be able to get to Congress, but it cannot deceive the people–we see through this “Israel as the innocent victim” garbage and should let our representatives know this. Call them today!
It is obviously not enough to be not anti-Semitic in modern amerika, one must be rabidly philosemitic, if one is not to be branded anti_Semitic, if you catch my drift. Talk about double and indeed triple speak when trying to avoid the toxic radiation of zionist kryptonite.
Keep on milking the amerikan tax cow and any others you might have out in the pasture in the name of apartheid supremacist pariah Third World Israel and the alpha tribe that own amerika and its big mouth the “media”.
Archbishop Tutu and Noam Chomsky are to be lauded all the more because they were speaking in Boston, home to Israel’s chief apologist and attack dog ‘Unbalanced’ Dershowitz. Long, long ago I actually used to admire Al the Malevolent but, to my great disappointment, his version of human rights turned out to fit only his Jewish kith and kin. The sooner America’s elites resist the shekels being spread around by AIPAC and its ilk, the sooner we’ll sort out the mess in the Middle East. And, by the way, I cannot help but be encouraged by Putin’s resistance to Bush thuggery in the Middle East and elsewhere. O for a multipolar world!
masud wrote:
“I hear the same solutions; destroy Israel and expel the jews and name the whole place Palestine. Uh, does that sound like a peace agreement to you? Or Israeli surrender to the Arabs?”
Masud, that just ridiculous! No one, not Ahmadinejad, not anyone, is proposing expelling any Jews. What many of us (including Iran) would like is a single, democratic republic where all ethnicities and religions are respected. The name and flag would have to be arrived at by concensus.
Of course, in the cases where it can be established that a Palestinian family was forcibly expelled from his home or farm for an Israeli settlement, the Palestinian family would get the land back, with reparations. I suspect most Palestinians would happily lease their land to the existing settlement residents at a good market rate - be they Jews or whatever. Also, every Palestinian forcibly driven into exile by the Isrealis would would have the right of return, with reparations.
If this soulution is unjust in any way, please explain how.
Also, when Tutu visited Pittsburgh, he went down to SCI Greene’s death row and visited Mumia!