Lost in all the world-wide publicity surrounding former South African President Nelson Mandela’s funeral last month was the fact that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu decided against attending Mandela’s memorial service citing security costs as the reason. Israel almost sent nobody to represent its country, but at the last minute Knesset (Israel’s legislature) Speaker Yuli Edelstein journeyed to South Africa to pay Israel’s respect. Apparently, Edelstein’s security didn’t cost that much.
It is altogether fitting that Netanyahu would refuse to attend Mandela’s funeral. Mandela was a man who poured his very soul into tearing down the pillars of apartheid in South Africa, while Netanyahu has poured his soul into building up the shameful walls of apartheid in Israel. Israelis and Israeli law now treat Arabs and Palestinians living in Israel in the same manner as South Africa’s former white regime treated South African blacks for decades under its system of apartheid. For pro-apartheid Netanyahu to pay respect to anti-apartheid Mandela would have been the height of hypocrisy, but what does that say about the United States? We’re Israel’s staunchest ally and chief financial supporter!
No comments:
Post a Comment