Watch this fascinating Ted Koppel interview with Nelson Mandela from 1990. The video is part of a New York City town hall meeting broadcast on ABC’s Nightline during Mandela’s first trip to the United States after being released from prison.
In it Koppel presses Mandela on his support for the Palestinians and the political fallout this may cause in the U.S. This was certainly in response to the fact that the American Jewish establishment at the time rejected Mandela over his support for the PLO. At 5:35 in the video Mandela gets a question from audience member Ken Adelman, a noted neocon who would go on to be a leading proponent for the second Iraq War. Adelman calls Mandela a hypocrite for saying he believes in human rights while supporting Yasser Arafat. Mandela says he supports the Palestinians because they have been steadfast allies against apartheid in South Africa. Adelman is followed by Henry Siegman, then the Executive Director of the American Jewish Congress now a vocal critic of Israel, who says Mandela’s answer “suggests a certain degree of amorality.”
Later, Koppel makes an oblique reference to the Israel lobby and tells Mandela his comments on Palestinians were not politically expedient:
“If you were more political you might have been more concerned about alienating some people in this country who have it within their hands, within their power, either to continue sanctions against South Africa or to raise those sanctions”
Mandela doesn’t get the question. Koppel restates his question more clearly focusing on the relationship between the Black and Jewish communities in the United States (and hedges a bit warning that Mandela is offending Cubans as well). Mandela takes him on, calls Arafat a “comrade in arms,” and talks about the role of Jews in fighting apartheid. Suffice to say, the crowd is with Mandela. Watch here:
What a courage Mandela had!
Stupid israel-firsters didnt know that Mandela didnt give a f about their pressure.
11.30 to 12.30.
Pure genius.
Koppel clearly raised his chair to tower. Didn’t work.
Senator David Boren
“i think the American people understand what is going on in South Africa. we have seen families divided because they been classified according to race. we know people been deny the right to vote because of race. we know that people are detain and not even given a trial because of race and the American people regardless of party or position on other issues or not about to relieve the pressure until that system is change.”
one day a US senator will say the same about israel.
yes i know israeli Palestinians have the vote but it has become mere tokenism as most israeli Palestinians [see no difference between the parties, whether it is the liberal Left or the hawkish Right. Neither side has accepted the Arab minority as a legitimate member with aspirations in a democratic and multi-cultural Israeli society.] http://972mag.com/why-palestinian-citizens-dont-vote-in-israeli-elections/64332/
israeli Palestinians vote has been steadily declining over the last decade from 75% in the 1999 election to 50% in the last election.
Thank you so much for flagging that (like Cliff notes that compel me to dig deeper when I’m able).
Much appreciated.