Sasha Polakow-Suransky, Senior Editor at Foreign Affairs and author of The Unspoken Alliance: Israel's Secret Relationship with Apartheid South Africa
Polakow-Suransky writing in the Huffington Post:
Goldberg's and Chait's ongoing blog posts on the latest Goldstone uproar betray what is at best a naively ahistorical approach to current events and at worst a willful blindness to Israel's own sordid history of supporting a white supremacist regime.
After all, Israel was the most significant arms supplier to that regime throughout the 1980s and served as a lifeline for the apartheid government during a period when Pretoria faced growing international condemnation and heightened domestic unrest (i.e. protests by 80 percent of the population demanding their democratic rights).
Anyone who served in the Israeli army during the late 1980s, as Goldberg did, should be well aware of this history.
During these years, military intelligence officials from the two countries held annual intelligence-sharing conferences and South African military representatives came to the West Bank to view the anti-riot equipment the Israeli army was using against Palestinians. When foreign journalists in the West Bank encountered visiting South African military officials, the Israeli military censor was quickly ordered to hush it up. Back in South Africa, a large contingent of Israeli rocketry experts was holed up in the seaside town of Arniston helping the South African government put the finishing touches on ballistic missiles intended to carry its next generation of nuclear weapons. . .
There are many legitimate grounds on which to criticize the Goldstone Report, but Goldstone's past is not one of them. Rather than examining the historical record, Goldberg and Chait relied exclusively on the Yediot article in passing judgment on Goldstone's early career. Their posts, and a more recent one by Ron Radosh, fail to acknowledge Goldstone's crucial role in facilitating South Africa's transition to democracy by chairing the investigative Commission on Public Violence and Intimidation from 1991-1994. Among other things, this commission exposed the apartheid government's links to a so-called Third Force--made up of government security and ex-security operatives seeking to derail peaceful democratic elections.
The Goldstone Commission's revelations outraged Nelson Mandela, leading him to conclude that F.W. de Klerk's government had organized covert death squads. (For more on this topic, read the dispatches of British journalist John Carlin, the author of the book that became the movie Invictus.) Goldstone's work earned him Mandela's respect and, in 1994, South Africa's first black president appointed Goldstone to the Constitutional Court--hardly the sort of honor the great moral icon of the 20th century would have bestowed on "a man without a moral compass," as Goldberg calls him.
I’ve heard that large iron deposits in the earth will falsify a magnetic compass’s reading. So you never really know where true North is. But there may be clues. Also to “moral compasses.”
As to moral compasses, if Mandela really liked Goldstone (after all the death sentences, of which he must have known) and the Israel-hard-liners detest him, then he must be all right. That’s how I read the “moral compass.”
The relationship between the old South African regime and Israel is not lost on the current ANC leadership. I attended South Africa’s freedom day in Ramallah recently held by the South African Representative Office to the Palestinian Authority and chatted to the ANC’s chief whip. He gave a speech along the lines of the similarities and how the SA govt was working towards stronger support for the Palestinians and recognising symptoms of a new apartheid regime.
On a trip back from Gaza with another black South African diplomat he also said that the SA govt’s relationship with the Israelis has cooled significantly over the last three years due to input from the Ramallah office.
MDM that’s great to hear, thanks for some inside information.
Even though there are legal definitions of apartheid the actual opinions of South Africans, their testimony, carry a lot of weight when it comes to the building awareness about Israel’s crimes. I hope to see more public expressions of support in the future.
Israelis (not you, Shmuel babee) have become the world’s nutjobs. They’re on stupid steroids. And the same with their American stenographers.
“They’re on stupid steroids.”
MRW, it’s called “ziocaine”. It’s a chemical messenger, self-produced (by the self-self determined who determine themselves) by second-hand, vicarious self re-traumatization. Among its other effects it depresses the vagus nerve. The physiological and mental effects of ziocaine are easily observed (flushing, increased salivation or even foaming, verbal epileptics, among others)
Ziocaine produces alternating periods of self-righteous grandiosity, alternating with whiny paranoia. Preliminary research indicates that a group setting reinforces and encourages its effects. This “high” as with cocaine, is followed by amnesia, which enables them to forget what they said, and do it all over again the next day. Unfortunately, many people find these changes gratifying, and so ziocaine is addictive.
Sure, sure, chuckle about it, but I will be vindicated on this! There is an actual physiological change in Zionist-supporters to accompany and expidite the mental contortions necessary. I’ve watched it all my life.
I am making arrangements now to have EKG and brain-scan machines wired to sensors in the seat cushions at the next AIPAC conference. I think I can detect ziocaine right at the source. That’s why the sensors are right in the center of the seats.
Ziocaine®, a little jab’ll do ya,
Use more, only if you dare,
But watch out,
The gals will all pursue ya,–
They’ll love to put their fingers through your…
Ziocaine, a little jab’ll do ya,
Ziocaine, you’ll look so debonair.
Ziocaine, the gal’s ‘ll all pursue ya!
They’ll love to get their fingers in your….
link to en.wikipedia.org
Mooser: Shamir, Shamir, you’ve got to get off ziocaine! That stuff is just a slow death!
Shamir: So who’s in a hurry?
“the self-self determined who determine themselves) by second-hand, vicarious self re-traumatization”
I take it back, Mooser. You are still Numero Uno in the humor department.
But I, for one, would like to see you elaborateon the concept of “the self-self determined who determine themselves”. It has a nice verbal ring to it. I can hardly read it without spitting saliva all over the monitor. Tooooo funny.
You gotta ask “eee” (the “atheist Jew”) about that one. It’s all his.
Normally, if we were talking about a political or even theological point of doctrine, there would be some way to check it. But our zio-trolls seem to think Zionism is a very, very individual doctrine. Witty is a big proponent of that. Anyway, he seems to be off somewhere, polishing his jewel, so “eee” is the guy to ask.
And I already told you, my Mom caught me self-determining myself once, and she raised holy hell (“just look at those sheets! For this I buy you the super-percale-plus?”) and I never did it again.
this is great mooser, can i have permission to post it elsewhere? i will give you credit of course.
never mind, i’ve already sent it out to my local listserve. i couldn’t wait for your response. too impatient.
“this is great mooser, can i have permission to post it elsewhere? i will give you credit of course.”
Go ahead, but I’ll just deny it to my last breath.
Look, I’m not joking about this. I think, I’m pretty goddam sure there is some kind of body-mind chemistry change which takes place. You gotta another explanation for “Shamir” (Most Jewish mothers are very protective, and would never drop their baby headfirst down a flight of stairs)?
And I’m very sure the present generation of brain-scan technology will pick it up. And if the detection process starts with a dye-marker enema, so much the better.
I suppose “the concept” has entered the mental system of most here by now. I caught myself typing “clogged synapses” a little earlier in the European evening, but then used “CANCEL REPLY” button. Ahh, there it is, I thought. You faught against it in vain.
not bad, not bad: “verbal epilepsy”, pretty close I would say.
I sure could use a hit of that right about now…
It has the power to make every argument
seem like it’s the word of God. Side effects
can include maximal superiority complex.
“It has the power to make every argument
seem like it’s the word of God.”
Sure, that’s on the up-swing, the self-righteous grandiosity. The other side is when you’re coming down, you get so paranoid you think a Mercedes 550SL is a sealed box-car.
” you get so paranoid you think a Mercedes 550SL is a sealed box-car.”
LOL thanks Mooser for some regular comic relief.
interesting divergence taking shape in American public opinion: More and more Americans see ziocaine-addicted Israelis as frightful, alien creatures to be feared and shunned.
Simultaneously, more and more Americans perceive the Iranian people as ‘a lot like them,’ sharing ordinary human qualities, values and desire.
This divergence triggers desperation in ziocaine pushers in the US — AIPAC. Look for a flurry of strident activity by the AIPAC ziocaine pushers as they furiously work to keep their ‘market share’ among the US drug-susceptible masses.
“furiously work to keep their ‘market share’ among the US drug-susceptible masses.”
That’s just ziocaine-by-proxy, a “contact high”. I am serious about this. I think there are actual physiological changes which take place, triggered by the release of chemicals in the body.
Give me a Zionist, a brain scan machine, EKG recorder, one Mondoweiss post, and I could prove it in about 15 minutes. We would see a brain on ziocaine.
South Africa is the leading country for women getting raped.
*crickets chirping*
Today must be Non-Sequitur Day in the Hasbara Office. In other news, I have Tourette’s! Balls, balls, balls!
Every day is non-sequitur day in the Hasbara office. Non-sequiturs are the logical foundation, so to speak, of most hasbara. I noticed it even before I knew about the Nakba–the standard justification for not letting Palestinians back in 1948 was that they allegedly fled at the behest of their leaders and were just aching to come back when all the Zionists had been driven away. Leaving aside the little question of how one could know that was in the minds of 700,000 people, how does it justify stealing someone’s home?
I suppose when your main talking point is that you were given the land by the Supreme Sky Pixie, your argument will be kind of tenuous. Oh well.
“Leaving aside the little question of how one could know that was in the minds of 700,000 people, how does it justify stealing someone’s home? ”
See, that’s where you’re slipping up, Donald. You can’t let yourself get weighed down with things like “facts” and “morality” and “laws”. Please. Everyone knows that “facts” were invented by Nazis and “morality” was invented by Islamo-Jihadistanis and “laws”? LAWS? Who cares about laws when you have a freakin’ divine mandate? Except that everyone acknowledges Israel’s right to exist. Except when everyone doesn’t acknowledge Israel’s right to exist. And the ones that don’t outnumber the ones that do. Except when they don’t. Whatever’s convenient, really. (Also, they made the deserts bloom)
And so I say to you, sir, GOOD DAY!
“South Africa is the leading country for women getting raped.”
Shamir, if I’m not making enough Ashkenazi birth-rate jokes, please, just let me know, no need to drag the South Africans into it.
And of course, rape is no solution, and I’m glad it never takes place in Israel.
I suggest polygamy, it’s Biblical, and just think of the naches it’ll give the Mormons! More Christian (?) Zionists, hooray!
South Africa is the leading country in the world for child rape. Many rapists think raping a baby cures AIDS.
One adult in five is infected by HIV.
The country is a complete and utter disaster. No wonder Goldstone left.
The President of South Africa Zyuma has 20 children by 10 woman
link to iol.co.za
link to timeslive.co.za
They also have the world’s largest pineapple.
link to brokenkeyboards.com
link to en.wikipedia.org
Where’s Glenn Beck and his little black blackboard to help us understand it all Shamir?
Miss Dee Mena says, He gave a speech along the lines of the similarities and how the SA govt was working towards stronger support for the Palestinians and recognising symptoms of a new apartheid regime.
Ha, do you actually believe this liar?
The South African leaders are just Israel haters.
If Israel was in a conflict with Khmer Rouge, they would side with Khmer Rouge.
To prove my point, have you ever heard any South African leader condem Arab aparthied and Racism?
Miss Dee Mena, do you think this is aparthied?
link to kurdmedia.com
Campaign for the international recognition of human rights of half a million Kurds “Buried Alive” in Syria
10/13/08
Introduction
link to fr.jpost.com
PA: Death penalty for those who sell land to Jews
KHALED ABU TOAMEH
Apr 2, 2009
Maybe you should take it up with Israel and the US since we arm and train the PA security forces.
link to israelnationalnews.com
Arab Activist: Attacking Israeli Civilians – Not a War Crime
05/10/10
Spain is one of Western Europe’s chief producers of oranges and other citrus fruits. Citrus fruits that go toward making delicious Zionist Kool-Aid, the refreshing drink that scrambles your brain and inhibits your logic and sense of humour! Get it at a Hasbara Office near you today!
Also available for a limited time only: ‘The Brutal Assault of Gaza Was An Act of Self-Defense’ soda, just like the original Kool-Aid but with an extra hint of lime. Guaranteed to evoke a profound lack of self-awareness in the drinker, and the sympathy, understanding and MAJOR welfare cheques of gullible ninnies everywhere. It’s everything the prophets dreamed of!
In a court of law, they could always claim the ‘twinkie’ defense.
“The Hommus Made Me Do It: Lebanese food wreaks havoc on European zionist ability to distinguish between right and wrong”
MRW and Mooser, just as fascist Jordan prevents Jews from living in Jordan, they’ve added to their fascist ways.
And the stupid left wing Jews want a 1 state solution.
What type of Islamo cocaine are you on?
link to israelnationalnews.com
05/12/10,
Jordan Launches Campaign: ‘No Zionist Enemy Products’
You might want to lay off the Arutz 7 for a while, Shamir. Ziocaine’s bad, but that stuff will really rot your brain.
“And the stupid left wing Jews want a 1 state solution.”
It’s time Jews got a formal, world-wide co-ordinated ex-communication process enabled, huh Shamir?
Just think about it, it’ll be great, when the boxcars come and take everybody to the camps, those stupid left-wing Jews won’t get to go! That’ll show them. Oh, the insults you will yell at them as the trains leave…
“MRW and Mooser,”
Shamir, now that we are aquainted, please, call me “Moser”.
Phil Weiss on the latest “revelations” regarding Goldstone’s career as an apartheid Judge:
Shame on Goldberg.
Goldstone’s murderous record stands on its’ own. he sent dozens of black men to their deaths and imprisoned and had tortured many others. This is fine to you because he wrote a report against Israel and switched sides in South Africa when he saw who was going to win.
Goldstones barbaric actions in SA are not lessened because Israel had a trading relationship with SA. The dozens of men Goldstone had executed are still quite dead. The men Goldstone had tortured will still bear their scars.
Donald, you say, Leaving aside the little question of how one could know that was in the minds of 700,000 people, how does it justify stealing someone’s home?
You must be talking about the Arab countries kicking out 700,000 Jews in the last 40s and taking their land.
Or Iraq and Syria taking all the Kurdish land.
Or the North African Arabs taking all the land from the Berbers.
Or maybe your talking about North Sudan taking the land from the Black Christians in Southern Sudan.
“You must be talking about…”
No, I was talking about Israel’s ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians. However, the theft by anyone is wrong and you can’t excuse one example by citing others. Most people are taught this basic principle by their mothers when they are around 3 or 4, but apparently the lesson didn’t stick in your case.
I self determine myself almost everyday, I’m lonely.
Shmuel, Its sad the Palestinians use civilians as human shields.
But then again, what do you expect from people who strap bombs on their children.
link to youtube.com
Hamas admits it uses human shields
It’s a nice touch, the way you “personalise” your canned hasbara material.
someone should contact the home office and request they send a new model, this one keeps repeating himself. perhaps it is an ill designed robotic program.
Certainly doesn’t seem to be any good at responding to responses – ever. You could be right annie.
He’s a linking machine, Sumud. He’s not there for the interaction. He posts and everyone responds. The way it is meant to be..It boggles my mind that you all did not understand that with this basic zionist tactic they’re putting you/us on the defensive rather than being on the offensive. This is not something blockhead shamir could come up with. It’s a textbook troll strategy. Everyone falls for it. I’m not denying the fun factor in responding to absurdities but it’s a defensive rather than offensive strategy.
LOL,
that explains why none of you will actually go out in the world, or out in the blogosphere and defend your position with your opposition. When you have no defense you must stay on the offensive huh atheist? Your phenomenon has become so much clearer.
You want us to go on a spree of links like he’s doing, asshole? We can do that too, you know!
I do not go on unlike-minded sites because I believe in freedom of speech. To each his own. I do not believe in “dialogues” of this nature, more like a pissing contest, it serves no meaningful purpose. Apart from antagonising the other even more, it’s a total waste of time. I’ve been much more radicalised by the opposition than being with people from my own side. The more you and your likes try to supress what we have to say the the stronger my determination grows.
With every post made by scumbag shamir the closer to Hamas I tend to go…..Archemedes law!
determination hasn’t gotten you guys shit yet atheist.
Neither did pissing contests.
well, what is plan C then.
Don’t underestimate the power and the impact of the internet, but you already know that, I guess. This site is a thorn in the hasbara bullshit artists’ collective backside. That’s why they’re here ‘en masse’, drunken with rage but they’re only creating the opposite effect. 4 years ago I used to be much more tolerant and conciliatory and peace loving. The interaction with the likes of fascists like eee and shamir made me much more radical and “maximalist”, as the hapless one puts it .
Think about it.
Spread the word the best one can..advocate what you believe in. Let people judge for themselves. Don’t try to obfuscate, distract, divert and silence blogs like this one. If there’s nothing you want to learn here then move to where you would. Set up your own blog, maybe..If there are some truths and validity in your positions, expose them in the appropriate venues. Not here. It’s impolite ( for better word). Not civil. Not effective and counterproductive…
No different from your denial of facts and replacing them with Palapro.
Shamir, you ever think of maybe taking up Yoga? It’s helped Witty avoid maximalism, and I’ve been told when you reach Nirvana the difference between “institutional” and “individual” just disappears!
“Hamas admits it uses human shields”
Not only does Israel admit to it, but is appealing laws against it.
IDF to appeal human shield banlink to news.bbc.co.uk
IDF soldier: We used Gazans as human shields / Amos Harel
link to shovrimshtika.org
I was in the village of Beit Ummar, just north of Hebron, several weeks ago covering some clashes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian youths. A 14 year-old boy was riding his bike past the soldiers and not involved in the stone throwing when the Israeli soldiers forced him off his bike, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and marched him in front of them as the stones rained down. A photographer working with us got very good pics of this even though he was shot at by the soldiers (rubber-coated metal bullets). The boy was then handcuffed, thrown into the back of the jeep and when he was released a couple of hours later he was limping and bruised.
I guess he was lucky in that he was only used as a human shield against stones and not live ammunition.
The soldiers had come into the village as people were trying to hold a commemoration for Palestinian prisoners’ day. They provoked the entire episode.
There is chapter in US history that is missing in my book. During the “Equal Rights” movement the Jews were highly supportive and militant. Was the South African boycotts and Israel’s support (and of course the American Jewish acquiescence) for the continuation of apartheid the root of friction of the blacks for Jews? It used to be tight brotherhood and then poooof.
jimby, there is a wide divergence of opinion and actions among Jews. One of the most pernicious canards enjoyed by both anti-Semites and Zionists is that there is some kind of cohesiveness among Jews. There ain’t, on anything.
Jimby, would it surprise you if I told you that in my own family, my Dad’s side contained artists, union workers and organisers, his sister(my Aunt Edith, may she RIP) was Vice-Preisdent of the ECLU (“E” not “A”, Google it, if you like) who arranged some of MLK’s speaking dates in NY and was very concerned with left-wing causes, back in the 50-60′s. My Mom’s side of the family was mostly concerned with moving somewhere before the schwartzes moved in.
Okay, best way I could describe it, jimby, is if somebody said “I’m Protestant” You would need a lot more information than that before you could generalise about political and social tendencies related to their religion. Are they Episcopalian, or Southern Baptist, and that’s just to start.
And from what I understand, moving out before the Puerto Ricans and blacks “ruined the neighborhood” did not save my Conservative cousins from the later cocaine scourge. But I was long gone by then.
There a bunch of divergence in Jewish circles and I know where many Jews stand on the issues, without speaking about Israel.
Hey Moser, is that where your name actually originates from?
I agree with this statement by Mooser (Moser). I was married to a Jewish lady for a long time; and in my contact with her large, extended family in the same metro area, I found a lot of divergence of opinion and actions.
Thanks Mooser, That would be normal. I am used to Jews with multiple opinions. However on Israel there seems to be a strange cohesion and since the issue involves Israel I am curious. I am glad to hear there was a diversity over the South African situation. I must have been out of the country at the time.
Judge Goldstone responds to death penalty story
link to thejc.com
Thanks, zed. Excellent response. Outrageous that he has to respond to such tripe – spread with the sole purpose of helping Israel get away with murder. I’m sure the response won’t make a bit of difference to the smearers.
Mr. Goldstone is a class act.
Anotehr Hasbara talking point bites the dust.
What’s the odds that Dershowitz will issue Goldstone an apology for jumping all over the allegations against his former “friend”?
Not only will Dersh not apologise, he will continue to spout this hasbara nonsense as long as he thinks it will help Israel get away with the murders it committed in Gaza. Goldstone is not the issue; his damning report on Gaza is. The attempts to discredit the report by attempting to discredit its main author will thus go on unabated. Nothing he or others say about his record will change that.
Zed, in your link, Goldstone provides a persuasive defense to this scurrilous accusation, but there is something quite strange in the story. Goldstone cites and links to a statement made in January by two fellow SA jurists in his defense. I was unaware of these charges being dredged up until a few weeks ago, yet apparently they were brewing months ago, at least in SA itself, and were prominent enough that people were coming to Goldstone’s defense. What was going on between January and April, when Dershowitz and Goldberg and their ilk began to get interested? One possibility, I suppose, is that the initial salvo in SA was going nowhere, and was effectively debunked by Goldstone’s defenders there, requiring Dershowitz & co. to work on their stories of Goldstone’s past until they could become more convincing. Or was this story surfacing here before April, and I simply missed it?
David,
The only thing I can think of that was happening between January and April re South Africa, was Judge Goldstone’s nephew’s barmitzfah and the threats to stop him attending. He was eventually “allowed” to attend on the condition that he front the South African Zionist Federation, to explain his report on Gaza.
link to newstime.co.za
I imagine there’s a whole comittee designated to dig up dirt on Richard Goldstone, and the huge smear campaign was likely in full swing in SA before it became prominent in the media abroad, which would explain defenders in January.
Shmuel, correct.
Attorney (disbarred!) seeks to bar Goldstone from US
link to jpost.com
(Hell, a Google of Neal Sher is another story in itself!
Top Holocaust Industry Officer Fired for Embezzling
link to ukemonde.com
)
How dare Judge Richard Goldstone subject people to a trial and uphold the law of the land in a civil court. Doesn’t he know that extrajudical assassination and collective punishment is the way to deal with the indigenous?