by Ali Abunimah
In late 1984 protests by
South African blacks against high rents turned into a national
uprising against Apartheid. The white South African government
responded with brutal force, eventually declaring a state of
emergency. This did not quell the protests, which continued for
months and years. Thousands of blacks were killed, injured and
imprisoned. All along, the South African government claimed it was
engaged in a "reform" process which would have given
blacks some autonomy under total white control. The program involved
forcibly moving millions of blacks off their land and into
"homelands." Sound familiar? It did to me, and so do the
quotes from South African officials back in 1984-85, when they are
placed next to what we are hearing from Israel's government today. I
have organized them roughly by category.
INCITEMENT AND THE
"CYNICAL USE OF CHILDREN"
*From South Africa...
Senior [South African] police officers have complained recently that
their efforts to deal with unrest are hampered by the rioters'
tactics, including the use of women and children as "human
shields," the absence of suspected leaders from the front lines
of most protests and the increased attacks on police, particularly
the township homes of black policemen.
--Los Angeles Times,
June 3, 1985
*From Israel...
"It's tragic to
have a child fall in this violence, but there's no reason for the
IDF to fire one shot if there's no violence...All we're trying to
say is stop this incessant incitement to violence. We are dealing
with a situation in which kids are cynically being used by being put
on the front lines where they may be killed, maimed or injured...If
a young boy falls, it gives the Palestinians a lot of propaganda
points."--Capt. Natan Golan, IDF Spokesman --St. Petersburg
Times, October 18, 2000
*From South Africa...
"Botha said he was ordering the move to combat "acts of
violence and thuggery" that he said were "mainly directed
at the property and person of law-abiding black people and take the
form of incitement, intimidation, arson, inhuman forms of assault
and even murder."" --President P.W. Botha explaining why
he was imposing a state of emergency.
--The Washington Post,
July 21, 1985
BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY
*From South Africa...
"Law and order has to be restored with strong and singleminded
action. The full power of the state has to be employed to this
end."
--Louis La Grange,
Minister of Law and Order, commenting on the violence which had at
the time claimed 660 black lives and 2,400 injured against 11 dead
and 357 injured from the South African police and army.
--Financial Times,
September 11, 1985
*From Israel...
"If we do not see a change in the patterns of violence in the
next two days, we will regard this as a cessation by Arafat of the
peace process...and we will order the army and security forces to
use all means at their disposal to halt the violence."--Israeli
Prime Minister Ehud Barak --Scotland on Sunday, October 8, 2000
*From South Africa...
"If necessary, we can even take stronger steps than we have
taken so far." --President P.W. Botha, speaking the day after
sixteen black protestors had been killed by South African
forces.--The New York Times, August 9, 1985
"We are not trying
to oppress people, but are doing this for their own
benefit."--Brig. Jan Coetzee, the Chief of Police in Soweto
Township explaining why the township was under curfew. --The New
York Times, August 24, 1985
"STONES AND BOTTLES
ARE WEAPONS TOO"
*From South Africa...
"A police spokesman said riot-squad patrols had been
"confronted by particularly violent mobs" and were
"bombarded with petrol bombs, half bricks and other
objects."
--South African response
to criticism about disproportionate force used by police, after
thirteen protestors had been killed in one day in Mamelodi Township.
*The New York Times, November 23, 1985
*From Israel...
"What happened in
recent days was not just a protest demonstration, but rather a
phenomenon of unprecedented degree...The problem is the character of
the confrontation, the degree of confrontation between protesters
and the police, who are entitled, if there is real danger to life,
to shoot."
--Israeli Internal
Security Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami defending Israel's use of lethal
force against civilian protestors.
Los Angeles Times,
October 5, 2000
THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT
OF PEACE AND THE STRUGGLE AGAINST EXTREMISTS
*From South Africa...
"We shall not be
stampeded into a situation of panic by irresponsible elements for
opportunistic reasons...We shall continue with the process of
peaceful deliberation and consultations to find solutions for our
unsolved problems."
--President P.W. Botha,
touting his "reform" program which included the creation
of separate parliaments and bantustans for blacks, the day after six
black protestors were shot dead by South African forces.
"We will fight and
defeat them with all the lawful means at our disposal."
--President P.W. Botha talking about "radical Communist
forces" (i.e. the ANC) which he accused of inciting violence.
The New York Times, August 24, 1985
*From Israel...
"Israel is
determined to defend itself. We have no hostile intention against
anyone around us. We were ready to go further than any previous
government in Israel, be it Netanyahu or Shamir or even Rabin and
Peres, in contemplating ideas that will put an end to it. But if we
won't find a partner with the same determination and clarity of
objective, we will fight to defend ourself and our right to live in
freedom in this part of the world." --Ehud Barak, CNN, October
12, 2000
*From South Africa...
"I am not prepared
to lead white South Africans and other minority groups on a road to
abdication and suicide."--President P.W. Botha The San Diego
Union-Tribune, August 16, 1985 *From Israel...
"You cannot let
your neck be kind of cut as a good gesture for your neighbor, even
if its a good neighbor." --Ehud Barak, CNN, October 12, 2000
ON INTERNATIONAL
INTERVENTION AND CRITICISM
*From South Africa...
"South Africa's
decisions will be made by South Africa's leaders, and the leaders of
South Africa will themselves decide what is in our interests,"
Botha said in Pretoria, the capital. "Reform can only be
retarded by outside attempts to interfere."--President P.W.
Botha Los Angeles Times, September 10, 1985
*From Israel...
"Of course we say
no [to a UN investigation]. We say that it should be an American
source of authority, maybe with Israelis and Palestinians, of
course, but not international body. And we believe that this is an
understandable position bearing in mind our experience in this world
in the last 52 years." --Ehud Barak, CNN, October 12, 2000
ON THE FUTURE
"Apartheid"--President
P.W. Botha
"Us over here, Them
over there"--Prime Minister Ehud Barak
...And freedom too will
come to Palestine.
Ali Abunimah
http://www.abunimah.org
Source:
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