Ramzy Baroud in Al Jazeera: Palestinians Need to Learn from South Africa’s Mistakes

• October 8, 2019, 4:54 pm

The Palestinian liberation discourse has adopted references to the popular struggle against South Africa's apartheid. (Photo: via Twitter)

By Ramzy Baroud

Today, the comparison between Israeli and South African apartheid is as pervasive as it is obvious. Just as South Africa and many other settler colonies did in the past, Israel is now utilizing policies of racial segregation and ethnic cleansing to advance and preserve the interests of the colonialists while suppressing and marginalizing the basic human rights of the colonized population. 

Naturally, the Palestinian liberation discourse has adopted references to the popular struggle against South Africa’s apartheid, while the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement is also largely modeled around the boycott movement of South Africa. 

The relentless resistance and overwhelming sacrifices of South Africans which were made to ultimately overturn hundreds of years of Dutch and British colonialism and racial apartheid are exceptional and praiseworthy. Challenging and officially defeating the powerful and sinister forces that upheld such historic injustice is a tremendous feat. It underscores the unsurmountable power of popular movements and presents a positive example for Palestinians. 

However, in the rush to emphasize the similarities between the two experiences – which itself stems from the burning and justifiable desire of Palestinians to achieve their own “South Africa moment” – two major mistakes are being made.

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