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ByAnonymous, Anonymous

Analysis

The big lie: that Mandela viewed Israel as an apartheid state

NELSON MANDELA: 1918-2013

December 12, 2013 09:50
Mandela gestures during a rally held in Durban to commemorate the anniversary of his arrest (Photo: AP)
3 min read

Ever since his death, Nelson Mandela’s political and moral legacy has been subjected to intense analysis. But one misconception that has not been adequately debunked is that he equated the Jewish state to apartheid-era South Africa.

This view is largely based on a notorious memo from 2007, which was addressed to the New York Times journalist Thomas Friedman and signed “Nelson Mandela”.

It read: “Palestinians are not struggling for a ‘state’ but for freedom, liberation and equality, just like we were struggling for freedom in South Africa. The so-called ‘Palestinian autonomous areas’ are bantustans. These are restricted entities within the power structure of the Israeli apartheid system.

“Apartheid is a crime against humanity. Israel has deprived millions of Palestinians of their liberty and property. It has perpetuated a system of gross racial discrimination and inequality.”