Tutu to Haaretz: Arabs Paying the Price of the Holocaust

[Purveyor]

"The lesson that Israel must learn from the Holocaust is that it can never get security through fences, walls and guns," Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu of South Africa told Haaretz Thursday.

Commenting on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement in Germany Thursday that the lesson of the Holocaust is that Israel should always defend itself, Tutu noted that "in South Africa, they tried to get security from the barrel of a gun. They never got it. They got security when the human rights of all were recognized and respected."

The Nobel Prize laureate spoke to Haaretz in Jerusalem as the organization The Elders concluded its tour of Israel and the West Bank. He said the West was consumed with guilt and regret toward Israel because of the Holocaust, "as it should be."

"But who pays the penance? The penance is being paid by the Arabs, by the Palestinians. I once met a German ambassador who said Germany is guilty of two wrongs. One was what they did to the Jews. And now the suffering of the Palestinians."

He also slammed Jewish organizations in the United States, saying they intimidate anyone who criticizes the occupation and rush to accuse these critics of anti-Semitism. Tutu recalled how such organizations pressured U.S. universities to cancel his appearances on their campuses.

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HAARETZ: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1110762.html

[Poll_Blind]

1. Israel was the closest ally to White South Africa and that fact has not been forgotten.

Israel defied the U.N. arms embargo on White South Africa, helped them develop medium-range missiles and nuclear weapons. Curious readers can learn a great deal more without searching too hard. Also, check into the Vela Incident.

New York Times, June 12, 1994: Israel Fears A.N.C. Backlash on Support for Old South Africa

PB

[tabatha]

2. Yet many of the anti-aparthied fighters in South Africa

were Jewish - Helen Suzman comes to mind.

[Larkspur]

3. And there are Jews who opposed Israel's apartheid policies

against the Palestinians. Just because one is a Jew doesn't mean they are in lock step with Israel's government.

[Poll_Blind]

4. Hey, I'm not trying to make a point about Jews- I'm making a point about Israel.

Jews != Israel
Israel != Jews

No heat, but I feel I need to make the distinction. Pre '67 it would have been even more obvious.

PB

[tabatha]

5. It was not heat - just an observation.

[Hippo_Tron]

6. In fairness, so was the United States

Both decided that their strategic relationship with South Africa was more important than than being morally consistent. That is, unfortunately, how foreign policy is made.

[grassfed]

8. blood diamonds

In 2005 Israel gemstone exports were valued at $16 billion

The Israeli Ministry of Defence budget in 2007 is $12 billion

In 2007 the value of gemstone exports from Israel is estimated to reach $18–20 billion

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/80943

[aranthus]

9. I believe that this article highlights the dishonesty of much anti-Israel activism.

The protest against Israeli diamonds makes it seem as if Israel is the only country marketing conflict diamonds. In fact, most diamonds are controlled by Dutch companies and go through Amsterdam and not Israel. If they were really interested in ending the trade in blood diamonds (rather than coming up with new ways to beat on the Israelis), then the protesters would not only target Israel. Assuming Israel stopped all of its trade in conflict diamonds, does anyone think that these protesters would continue to protest the diamond trade, or would they simply look for another way to attack the Israelis?

[aranthus]

7. What a steaming pile.

The man has no clue. The lesson of the Holocaust is that you can't get security from a fence? That's a total nonsequitur. Nor does it help his credibility to repeat old canards like the Arabs are paying the price for the Holocaust. If he's one of the wise "Elders" then we live in a world of fools.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

10. Good for Tutu. N.T.