(C) Common Dreams
This story was originally published by Common Dreams and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



Nelson Mandela & His Connection to Palestine [1]

[]

Date: 2025-08

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and former president of South Africa.

In the 1950s, he joined the movement against apartheid in South Africa and for years led political movements defying the government and its racist policies. Mandela was eventually arrested and served 27 years in prison.

After his release, Mandela continued his advocacy work and was integral in dismantling apartheid in South Africa. In 1994, he was elected as the country’s first Black and democratically elected president.

He was also a staunch advocate for Palestine.

What Is Apartheid

Apartheid refers to the institutionalized racial segregation that was implemented in 1948 under the all-white government of South Africa. Coming from the Afrikaans word for “apartness,” apartheid laws divided South Africans into different racial categories. It aimed to separate the country’s white population from its Black population through racist and oppressive policies.

In 2002, the International Criminal Court was established and designated apartheid as a punishable crime against humanity. The term is now used to describe similar systems and practices of oppression around the world.

Apartheid in Palestine

International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and B’Tselem, have declared Israel an apartheid state.

The Israeli government has created and maintained a system of oppression and domination over Palestinians, including discrimination and violence, dispossession of land and property, segregation, and denial of economic, social, and human rights.

South Africa’s Support for Palestine

Mandela frequently spoke about the Palestinian people’s fight for freedom and the similarities between South African apartheid and Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. In 1997, he gave a speech in which he famously stated, “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”

Even after Mandela’s death, South Africa continues to stand in support and solidarity with the people of Palestine. In January 2024, South Africa filed a case with the International Court of Justice against Israel for war crimes and genocide in Gaza.

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://ca.cair.com/updates/nelson-mandela-his-connection-to-palestine/

Published and (C) by Common Dreams
Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 3.0..

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/commondreams/

You are viewing proxied material from magical.fish. The copyright of proxied material belongs to its original authors. Any comments or complaints in relation to proxied material should be directed to the original authors of the content concerned. Please see the disclaimer for more details.