By Ras Mubarak, MP.
On Thursday 13th August, the world woke up to the news by US President Donald Trump, announcing the brokering of a deal between the United Arab Emirates and apartheid Israel, where according to reports, the brutal regime in Tel Aviv would “suspend” a further annexation of Palestinian territory.
Once again, the Palestinian people have been left in the lurch. First, it was Egypt, under President Anwar Sadat in March 1979 and Jordan in 1994.
During the South African people’s struggle against apartheid, African states formed the frontline of resistance against Pretoria’s brutal regime. From Zambia to Tanzania, to Ghana and Algeria, countries across the African continent provided logistical, political and economic support to South Africa’s liberation struggle.
Across the African continent, we cut ties with South Africa and supported the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against apartheid South Africa. We stood shoulder to shoulder with our African brothers in their fight for freedom.
Today, we find Palestinians living in apartheid conditions that are worse than what South Africans experienced.
All Arab states must treat the apartheid state of Israel in the same way that African states treated apartheid South Africa. There can be no normalization of ties with Israel while the Palestinian people are still occupied; there can be no normalization of ties while Israel still practices apartheid, colonialism and siege against the Palestinians.
Just as the isolation of South Africa on the African continent was a crucial component in the fight against South African apartheid, so too is the boycott of Israel in the Arab world central in the fight for the liberation of Palestine.
How can peace-loving people of the world claim to be in solidarity with the state of Palestine, and still go ahead and do business with the racist Israeli regime that kills Palestinian children, men and women?
The so-called normalization of ties between the UAE and apartheid Israel is a shameful betrayal of the Palestinian people by the UAE.
As prophetically predicted by Palestinian Liberation Organization Leader (PLO), Comrade Yasser Arafat, “False peace will not last”. Over 40 years on, Egypt’s betrayal of the Palestinian people has not stopped Israel from practicing apartheid. And with the announcement by Trump about normalization of ties between the UAE and apartheid Israel, the world would soon and yet again realize Netanyahu’s hypocrisy about being committed to peace with the state of Palestine.
The author is a Member of Parliament in Ghana.
