Are there any similarities between Israel's occupation of Palestine & the former apartheid govt of S Africa

Answer 1

Every similarity. The brutalization and subjugation of another race is always, always wrong.

Isn't it the Jews that tell us that we should condemn Hitler and Nazi Germany?

Answer 2

Short answer no!!! Palestine was a Roman temr fot the land of the Jews! The Palestinians are Arabs who are really trans Jordanians when the Turks held Jerusalem the Muslims didnt think twice about Jerusalem the land was baren. Todays struggle is an anti-Zion movement!! Irrational really as Jerusalems names is half Hebrew nor Muslim!! Plus the Jews have been there continually for over 3,000 years. Mohammed died and ascended to heaven when the Dome of the Rock was a Christian Church!! It was some 10 years later that Islam overtook Jerusalem! Yes people that is true!! I dare you to give me fact to prove me wrong but you cant!! Apartheid was pure racismto keep power and was also a bit of fear too!! When the Chhurch declared it to be sin DeKlerk soon ended it!!! But answer this why did blacks from surrounding nations send their kids to black S. African schools?? These schools were light years inferior to White schools but better than schools in their lands. But Apartheid was evil and must never be seen on earth again!!!!!!

Answer 3

Both situations involved a separation -- apartheid means "apartness" in Afrikaans. Jewish settlements only take up about 2% of the West Bank, but these are linked by many roads (including some highways of considerable size around Jerusalem) that cut the remaining territory into pieces. The roads are exclusively for Jewish use, and Palestinians can have quite a hassle getting from one place to another. The separate and elite aspects of the settlements and their roads have raised comparisons with apartheid. There is also great disparity between Jewish settlements with green lawns and swimming pools on the one hand, and Palestinian villages with no potable water on the other. This has reminded some commentators of South African bantustans, increasingly isolated and impoverished. Some pundits claim that Palestinian terrorism justifies horrendous living conditions, and anyway it's not that bad. The ANC in South Africa used to be considered a terrorist organization by that government, which used similar rationale. Unfortunately for Palestinians, they got Arafat instead of Mandela.

From reading Israeli newspapers and some books by Israeli authors, I am under the impression that the comparison with apartheid is actually much more controversial in the United States than it is in Israel. For example, the information above can be found in Ben Ami's book (cited below). Ben-Ami has a pro-Israeli slant -- Sabra and Chatilla get one sentence's consideration in this history -- but can also see both sides of the conflict. I haven't read Abba Eban's new book, "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine," but the title should indicate that political discourse in Israel is considerably more open than in the U.S., where Jimmy Carter's much less confrontational book title has raised so much indignation (Abba Eban is a professor at Haifa University in Israel). Personally, I find it admirable that the Israelis, though currently mired in this situation, have sufficient respect for freedom of speech to allow discourse without throwing around accusations of antisemitism.

Answer 4

None, oh yeah they all human beings. Lets see almost 20% of the Israeli population are Arab Muslims with most of the same rights of the Israeli citizens.
The Israeli would like to see to a Palestinian homeland, but with one stipulation they want to be left alone and not have rocket attacks and scuicide bombers come into their country. What bastards for having such demands, other than that I can't see any similarities.

Answer 5

For starters, your question is based on a false premise. And that is that Israel is "occupying Palestine". Since there never was an independant state by that name, you cannot claim as such. It is true that the land there was once a territory owned by the British Empire (earlier by the Ottoman Empire) that was called Palestine, but that entity ceased to exist in 1949.
To call it Palestine today makes about as much sense as to call Canada "British North America".
Only when an actual independant state of Palestine exists can you say one exists.

Now, on to your question, which should have been phrased as "Are their similarities between Israel and South Africa under Apartheid"?

And the answer is NO. Ever since its founding, it encorporated democratic principals that allowed Arabs to participate and elect officials to the Kenneset. Arab Israelis are full citizens. This is not what happened in SA between blacks and whites.

As to other commenters points about rights given to Israeli settlers not given to those who live in Arab villages, these circumstances are directly attributable to issues of terrorism not racism.
Case in point: The setllers get their "own roads". Many of these routes are in fact round about ways that DID NOT EXIST before terrorism related issues (i.e. they have not been around for more than 10 years). In other words, Israelis in cars were being attacked and the solution was to give them their own back route road. Needless to say, Arabs did not find themselves in similar predicaments.

Also, pointing out alleged income disparity is pointless as there could be numerous factors in that respect. In truth, not all Arabs in the West Bank live in ramshakle apts with no running water nor is every Israeli living in luxery. Pointing that out makes as much sense as myself pointing out how my house looks very crappy in comparison to the million dollar mansions on the other side of town, and how horrible is that.

Answer 6

maximum folk of Palestinians evaluate Israel to be an occupying stress in Palestine, and want to rectify the region. basically a small minority of extremists in eire, such as a results of fact the "authentic IRA", now evaluate Britain to be an occupying stress in eire. maximum classic citizens of the two the Republic of eire and northern eire are pleased with the status quo, and want to stay in peace. do not confuse rhetoric with actuality. attempting to entice comparisons between non violent, democratic Western countries and the corpse-strewn hellholes of the middle East is basically idiotic and stupid.

Answer 7

Anyone can find similarities or differences between different countries.

Answer 8

Not that I can think of. In RSA, the White minority repressed the Black majority. In ISR, the Jewish majority protects includes its Arab minority.

In RSA, Blacks had no rights. In ISR, Arab citizens have the same rights as all other citizens. It is the Arab non-citizens who call for the destruction of Israel and have fewer rights. Ironically, they still have more rights than most other Arabs in the MidEast.

Answer 9

Not really. Ethnically the Palestinians and Israeli's are the same, correct? The Dutch Boors and Saxons were white, Africans black.

Answer 10

There are similarities but they are fewer than the differences