From Silent Partner to Vocal Advocate: South Africa’s Moral Awakening

During the mid-20th century, both Israel and South Africa found themselves in precarious positions on the global stage. Following its establishment in 1948, Israel was often met with suspicion and hostility from neighboring Arab nations, which led to numerous regional conflicts and wars. The Jewish state’s treatment of Palestinians became a central issue in its foreign relations, particularly in Africa, where many newly independent states were initially hesitant to recognize Israel. These African nations, emerging from colonial rule, sympathized with the Palestinian struggle for self-determination, drawing parallels between their own liberation movements and the Palestinian cause.

Similarly, South Africa was increasingly isolated by the international community due to its apartheid policies. Apartheid, instituted in 1948, codified racial segregation and discrimination against the country’s Black majority population, drawing sharp condemnation from the United Nations and global human rights organizations. The South African government faced growing internal resistance from groups like the African National Congress (ANC), and external pressure in the form of economic sanctions and divestment campaigns. Amid this isolation, both Israel and South Africa sought strategic alliances to secure their political and economic interests.

This period was marked by significant military and technological collaboration between Israel and South Africa. Starting in the late 1960s, Israel deepened its ties with the apartheid regime, providing essential military training, arms, and technological support. The South African government, which faced an increasingly determined and organized anti-apartheid movement, sought assistance from Israel to strengthen its military capabilities. Israeli military advisors were dispatched to train South African forces in counterinsurgency tactics, which became critical as the apartheid regime sought to quell domestic uprisings and suppress dissent. This training, drawing on Israel’s own experiences in conflicts such as the Six-Day War and later the Lebanese War, included guerrilla warfare techniques, intelligence operations, and urban combat.

Israeli military hardware and technology also significantly enhanced the South African military’s effectiveness. The two countries engaged in covert arms deals and military exchanges, circumventing international sanctions imposed on South Africa. This relationship helped South Africa maintain control over its restive population, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s, when internal resistance and international condemnation reached their peak. South African forces, bolstered by Israeli technology, employed increasingly brutal tactics to suppress anti-apartheid groups like the ANC and the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), leading to widespread human rights violations.

Both regimes shared a common approach to suppressing dissent. The South African government employed brutal tactics against anti-apartheid activists, including mass arrests, torture, and extrajudicial killings. Political leaders like Nelson Mandela were imprisoned for decades, while others were forced into exile or assassinated. Israel, too, has faced criticism for its treatment of Palestinians, with allegations of excessive force against protesters, collective punishment, and systematic discrimination. Palestinians, particularly in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, experienced restrictions on movement through checkpoints and military barriers, limiting their access to resources, education, and healthcare. The shared use of violence and repression to maintain control over marginalized populations was a hallmark of both regimes during this era.

As apartheid South Africa faced growing sanctions and divestment campaigns from the global community, Israel emerged as one of its most critical trading partners. The two countries engaged in a range of economic exchanges, particularly in sectors such as military equipment, technology, and agriculture. Israel’s expertise in irrigation, water management, and desert farming techniques was particularly valuable to South Africa, where agricultural productivity was a key concern. In return, South Africa provided Israel with valuable minerals and raw materials, including gold, uranium, and coal, which were essential for Israel’s economy and its military needs, including its nuclear program.

One of the most notable collaborations between the two countries was in the field of aerospace technology. Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) played a crucial role in enhancing the military capabilities of the apartheid regime. In collaboration with South African defense forces, IAI helped develop the Atlas Cheetah, a fighter jet that drew heavily from Israeli designs and technology, particularly the Israel-developed Kfir aircraft. This partnership allowed South Africa to produce advanced military aircraft domestically at a time when international sanctions and arms embargoes severely limited its access to such technologies. The development of the Atlas Cheetah fighter jet became a symbol of the secretive yet substantial military cooperation between the two nations, and it sparked widespread international condemnation.

IAI’s involvement was particularly contentious because it directly contributed to South Africa’s capacity to suppress anti-apartheid movements. Sophisticated weaponry and counterinsurgency tactics developed with Israeli expertise were used to crack down on protests, raids, and strikes led by Black South Africans. Human rights organizations and anti-apartheid activists accused Israel of complicity in the regime’s brutal methods of maintaining control. This relationship further fueled global criticism of Israel, with many activists and governments arguing that Israel’s cooperation enabled the apartheid regime to prolong its reign of terror.

By the 1980s, global opposition to apartheid had intensified. The anti-apartheid movement gained traction around the world, leading to widespread protests and calls for divestment from companies doing business with South Africa. The United Nations imposed sanctions, and many Western countries withdrew their diplomatic and economic ties. In this environment, Israel found itself increasingly isolated, particularly as some critics began drawing parallels between Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and South Africa’s apartheid regime. In 1975, the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 3379, which classified Zionism as a form of racism, reinforcing Israel’s international isolation. This ruling was not overturned until 1991, largely with the support of the United States, as geopolitical dynamics shifted with the end of the Cold War.

The election of Nelson Mandela in 1994 marked a turning point in South Africa’s relationship with Israel. Mandela’s administration prioritized human rights and social justice, values that had been central to the anti-apartheid struggle. In this new era, South Africa openly criticized Israel’s policies toward Palestinians, drawing parallels between apartheid and the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. The new South African government reassessed its diplomatic stance, cooling the previously robust military and economic collaborations with Israel, and instead aligning itself more closely with the Palestinian cause. South Africa became an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights in international forums such as the United Nations.

Mandela himself was particularly vocal about the military and economic ties between Israel and apartheid South Africa. He condemned the collaboration, emphasizing that it was morally indefensible to support a regime that systematically oppressed a majority population based on race. Mandela frequently drew attention to the parallels between the South African and Palestinian struggles, highlighting the importance of solidarity between oppressed peoples. In speeches, he argued that the fight for freedom and justice in South Africa was directly related to the Palestinian quest for self-determination.

The fight for Palestinian rights continues to this day, and the South African government has taken a prominent role in advocating for their cause. Drawing on its own experience of apartheid, South Africa has called out Israel for its policies in the occupied territories, which it considers to be reminiscent of apartheid. In October 2024, South Africa joined with Bolivia, Colombia, Libya, Spain, Mexico, Palestine, Nicaragua, and Turkey in filing a case with the International Criminal Court (ICC), seeking accountability for the apartheid-like practices in Israel. This move was rooted in the African National Congress’s (ANC) commitment to human rights and its historical struggle against racial oppression.

South Africa’s advocacy extends beyond legal efforts. In the United Nations and other international forums, the South African government has consistently supported resolutions condemning Israeli settlement expansions and military operations that harm civilians. South Africa has positioned itself as a champion of global human rights, using its own history as a basis for its moral stance on international issues. Mandela’s famous statement, “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians,” continues to resonate in South Africa’s foreign policy.

In addition to diplomatic efforts, South African civil society has also played a significant role in supporting the Palestinian cause. Organizations within the country have organized protests, solidarity events, and advocacy campaigns to raise awareness about the situation in Palestine. South Africa has provided humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees and actively participated in global movements calling for divestment from companies profiting from the Israeli occupation.

The relationship between South Africa and Israel has evolved significantly over the decades, reflecting broader geopolitical shifts and changing moral landscapes following the end of apartheid. Having experienced the brutal realities of apartheid firsthand, South Africa recognizes the dangers of systemic oppression and is determined to advocate for self-determination and justice on a global scale. This historical empathy drives the country’s robust advocacy for Palestinian rights, viewing their struggle as part of the larger fight against inequality and injustice.