Mandela Legacy Falsely Co-opted by Palestinians

Many anti-Israel articles have appeared in recent weeks following the death of Nelson Mandela. Anti-Israel activists have cynically used this…

By December 23, 2013
Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela

Many anti-Israel articles have appeared in recent weeks following the death of Nelson Mandela. Anti-Israel activists have cynically used this opportunity to parrot the false charge that Israel is an “apartheid state” while claiming that Nelson Mandela believed the same. Typical of some of the quotes being attributed to Mandela is this that appears in a Toronto Star op-ed by Haroon Siddiqui:

Our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.

In fact, the full quote should read:

We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians; without the resolution of conflicts in East Timor, the Sudan and other parts of the world.

Other conflicts have been removed from the quote to deliberately place the Palestinians at the center of the Mandela discussion. Here are some recent articles that address the Palestinian propaganda campaign that misappropriates the legacy of Nelson Mandela:

You can also find more resources on our page dedicated to The Apartheid State Libel.

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© Divuach Ne’eman R”A, 2025

Simon Plosker

Simon Plosker

With over two decades of experience in various non-governmental organizations in the UK and Israel, Simon Plosker returned to HonestReporting in October 2022 as Editorial Director having previously been part of the organization’s management team from 2005 to 2020.

Prior to his first spell at HonestReporting, Simon worked in Israel for NGO Monitor, BICOM, and served for a short period in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. He was Managing Editor of the Geneva-based NGO United Nations Watch for two years before moving back to the frontline defending Israel from media bias.

Simon has a BSoc.Sc in International Studies and Political Science from the University of Birmingham and an MSc in History of International Relations from the London School of Economics. He immigrated to Israel in 2001 from London.

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