South African Watchdog Declares Israel an Apartheid State
July 7, 2011 15:11 by Simon Plosker
The accusation that Israel is an “apartheid state” is a deliberate misuse of language as part of a larger strategy to erode the Israeli state’s legitimacy and deserves to be confronted. This is particularly true when it occurs in South Africa where the term “apartheid” carries extra emotional and historical weight.
Public opinion will turn sharply against Israel if people believe that it is an apartheid state, just as it did for the real apartheid regime in South Africa. The use of the term is a blatant assault on Israel’s legitimacy by the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement by linking Israel to the reviled South African regime.
So the South African Jewish Board of Deputies was absolutely right to make a complaint to South Africa’s Advertising Standards Authority concerning a radio commercial featuring the voice of Dave Randall, lead singer of the UK rock group Faithless:
Hi, I’m Dave Randall from Faithless. Twenty years ago I would not have played in apartheid South Africa; today I refuse to play in Israel. Be on the right side of history. Don’t entertain apartheid. Join the international boycott of Israel. I support southafricanartistsagainstapartheid.com.
According to the ASA’s ruling, the complainants took issue with the implied claim that Israel is an apartheid state, a factually incorrect and irresponsible comparison, and that the commercial contained a lie amounting to false propaganda. Furthermore, the call to boycott Israel is racist and hateful.
The ASA, however, ruled against the complainants. While some of the ruling was based upon technicalities, the ASA went further in order to justify its decision:
There have been numerous international missions that have observed the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and have concluded that Israel is in contravention of International Law and is an apartheid state.
It further submitted reports by a UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories as well as a copy of the International Court of Justice concerning the wall in Jerusalem. Further to this it submitted copious academic studies, newspaper articles and cartoons concerning Israel. Affidavits from Professor Uri Davis and former Minister Ronnie Kasrils were also attached.
The expression of the view that Israel is an apartheid state in contravention of international law is based on a sound factual matrix and the connection between apartheid South Africa and Israel has been made numerous times in the South African media. The claim is therefore justified and arguably capable of substantiation through this range of documentary sources.
So who are the ASA’s expert sources?
- Could it be the same UN Special Rapporteur Richard Falk who only in the last few days posted an anti-Semitic cartoon (see below) on his blog before removing it after being exposed by UN Watch?
- The International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s security barrier never referred to it as an “apartheid wall”. This terminology was adopted by those seeking to delegitimize Israel. So why then, did the ASA also make this false linkage?
- Aside from taking a lead from the media itself, did the ASA rely upon South African cartoonists such as Jonathan Shapiro a.k.a. Zapiro, whose crude anti-Israel cartoons have featured regularly on HonestReporting over the years, earning him a 2007 Dishonest Reporter Award?
- What about Professor Uri Davis, an anti-Zionist so dedicated to attacking Israel that he is actually an elected member of Fatah’s governing council?
- And as for Ronnie Kasrils, his prominent political position has given him a platform to air his extremist views that Israel has no right to exist and his hatred of the Jewish state. Sadly, it appears that he was also able to influence the ASA.
The ASA’s conclusion, not only that there is no case to answer for linking apartheid to Israel, but that Israel is actually an apartheid state, is nothing short of disgusting. That this has happened in South Africa, the victim of genuine apartheid is equally disturbing and demonstrates the extent to which this false comparison has become treated as mainstream opinion.
See our Hot Topics for more on the Apartheid State Libel and how to address this slur.
You can send your considered comments to the South African Advertising Standards Agency – complaint@asasa.org.za
Check out our Home Page for today’s other top stories
snoekie
5:07 pm
Jul 08, 2011
Apartheid is alive, well and thriving in SA, albeit in a different form from the practices that previously obtained in SA. The majority on a minority, most minorities, in SA.
It is therefore rich for the claim to be made from SA.
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HEJ
11:07 pm
Jul 08, 2011
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Paul
3:57 pm
Jul 11, 2011
Any document, finding or sentence with the concocted lie called, ‘Occupied Palestinian Territories’ is erroneous with nefarious intentions.
Fuck you, ASA (I have my own interpretation of that anagram, too).
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Anonymous
6:34 am
Jul 20, 2011
Terms such as “territories,” “occupation,” “apartheid,” and “settlements,” are simply a distortion of “reality.” The Reality where COUNTRIES grow, expand, prosper, and evolve has left extremely envious types in the dust. Any “democracy can only be called such where ALL kinds of religions, traditions, cultural puralities, and Peoples, inhabit the Land – THIS describes, the JEWISH Homeland – the Liberal Democratic State of Israel, Tthe US, the UK, Australia ect. This “REALITY<" does NOT describe countries where Christians, Jews and all non-Islamic Peoples are persecuted, their places of worship destroyed, Women denied active representation in civil life – often times stoned to death, and sexual minorities anre MURDERED, Human Rights systematically Violated , Civil Rights are Non-Existence, any solitary stranger needs to pay a "tax" and is held tp be a 4th class citizen, and the Oppressive Collusive mindset on the part of the Majority of citizens which encourages, agrees with these heinous non-human, anti-human activities. This has NEVER described the aforementioned Nations, Particularly ISRAEL, the same can simply not be said of Islamic Countries. The "Arab Spring," has nothing to do with anyone else but Arab Peoples, no one else is welcome to the Arab lands, and as a matter of HISTORICAL FACT, Jews were Deported, Assets taken over, and lands expropriated.
There should be NO doubt that Peoples here does NOT include non-Islamic Peoples, it is as though we matter not, unless we wish to pay taxes for daring to be non-muslim.
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Norma shaw
6:10 pm
Jul 11, 2011
That inhumane guy from the band faithless is a moron! Who would listen to his crap anyway! These wannabe stars trying to get into politics and world events no nothing oc what they preach! Need to get your facts strait! Israel is an awesome state they deserve there land it belongs to them! And I will fight and go against anyone who comes against Israel period!
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Anonymous
6:37 am
Jul 20, 2011
“FAithless,” you say – how about “Foolish and the Gang of Frozen Froggy Tails.” They are jumping too quickly into a melee they know nothing about, their music must be chaotic!!!
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Jew-Hatred on Full Display …. Everywhere « yossibarnegev
7:12 pm
Jul 11, 2011
[...] to my article of the week, I’ve included articles dealing with Jew-hatred in Egypt, Norway and South Africa, a violent assault on a Jewish student at the University of California (Berkeley), attacks on [...]
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Hilton
4:41 pm
Jul 13, 2011
Faithless says it all ….pop culture rubbish… like to see him point Israel out on a map…
I agree with all the above, and wish to paraphrase Paul…FUCK
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LK
10:07 pm
Jul 20, 2011
ASA and Mr Randall obviously do not know their facts. ISRAEL wants only PEACE in their land. All throughout history we see the struggles of the Jewish people and the terrible suffering they had to endure. Even though Israel comprises less than 1% land mass of the Arab world, people still want to take their land. World media often does not give coverage on the truth about Israel. Take for example this article i read some time this year regarding the Goldstone Report: “The Goldstone Report generated a tidal wave of anti-Israel sentiment and fuelled anti-Israel campaigns from the European Union to Church deliberations to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction efforts on campuses worldwide. One wonders had Judge Richard Goldstone reported the truth, and shown Israel to be the true democratic nation which they are, would the Methodist Conference and other Christian groups have had a more positive view of the people and Land of Israel? The big lie that the Israeli military acted like Nazis has now been retracted. The United Nations spread that libel and only the United Nations can retract it. However, at the same time, often the media channels such as the BBC, CBN etc pick up issues such as the Goldstone Report and show a very negative and condemning slant on Israel’s actions to defend herself amongst other issues. Now is the time for these media channels to tell the truth. I have yet to hear any major TV News Channel in the UK make mention of Judge Richard Goldstone’s retraction… have you? ”
The Word: “Son of dust, prophesy to Israel’s mountains [The West Bank]. Tell them: ‘Listen to this message from the Lord. “‘Your enemies have sneered at you and claimed your ancient heights as theirs; they have destroyed you on every side and sent you away as slaves to many lands. You are mocked and slandered. Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. He says to the hills and mountains, dales and valleys, and to the ruined farms and the long-deserted cities, destroyed and mocked by heathen nations all around: My anger is afire against these nations, especially Edom, for grabbing my land with relish, in utter contempt for me, to take it for themselves… My people Israel will walk upon you once again… No longer will those heathen nations sneer, for you will no longer be a nation of sinners,” the Lord God says. (Ezekiel 36:1-15 TLB)
Mr Randall, have a little faith…and learn the Jewish history before making such statements.
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Bonnie Prince Charlie
10:33 am
Jul 29, 2011
Isn’t it about time we produced a short video comparing ‘apartheid’ in Israel – as claimed by our detractors – with the reality of the historic and current apartheid of South Africa and which is alive and well in other countries? The longer we refrain from hitting back, the more this becomes the accepted wisdom. If someone or some organisation is prepared to sponsor it, I’ll organise the production and distribution to a wide audience.
And on a totally different – but related – topic, just a wee word of advice to Paul and Hilton and others who might understandably be tempted to resort to similar intemperate language: don’t. There’s a danger of descending to the level of the ignorant mindless people who attack and vilify us, and we are above that. We need to be seen as the people with the rational arguments, with the facts rather than merely expressing our anger. I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment, but don’t say it. Think it and do everything you can to do it!!!!!
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South African Watchdog Declares Israel an Apartheid State | ..meanwhile on the background!
8:53 pm
Aug 13, 2011
[...] Read More [...]
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