From South Africa to Gaza, a painful mirror reflects our past.

And the world can no longer pretend not to see.

I remember walking through Dachau as a young journalist in the early days of South Africa’s new democracy. The cold silence of the former Nazi concentration camp haunted me. It wasn’t just about what had happened to the Jewish people it was a warning to all of humanity. Never again, the world had promised.

But here we are again.

Today, in Gaza, civilians many of them children are being buried under rubble, starved by blockades, and erased from their homes. The images are horrifying. The numbers, too devastating to fully process. And for many South Africans, it’s a painful déjà vu.

We know apartheid. We’ve lived it. And what we’re seeing in Palestine feels all too familiar.

A Tale of Two Apartheids

Let’s be honest: not all Israelis support their government’s aggressive policies. Just as not all white South Africans supported apartheid. Our struggle was supported by Jewish South Africans like Joe Slovo, Helen Suzman, and Albie Sachs—people who stood for justice even when it came at great personal cost.

Today, organisations like South African Jews for a Free Palestine (SAJFP) are continuing that legacy. Their message is clear: the Israeli government does not represent all Jews. SAJFP spokesperson Daniel Friedman said it best: “Security concerns often distract from the crime of all crimes—the genocide happening in Gaza.”

They’re not alone. Around the world, Jewish and non-Jewish activists are linking arms in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

South Africa Speaks at The Hague

South Africa has taken a bold step, bringing the case of Israeli war crimes to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In response, instead of rallying behind justice, the United States under former president Donald Trump has turned its back on us, punishing our government for speaking out.

But South Africans know what it means to be punished for demanding dignity. We know what it’s like when the world turns a blind eye.

Reverend Frank Chikane, chair of the Anti-Apartheid Movement South Africa, is now leading the charge for boycotts, disinvestment, and an arms embargo against Israel. “We must pressure governments and people everywhere to stop supporting this regime,” he urged.

Food Convoys Under Fire

The Israeli military has even attacked humanitarian missions. One such ship, the Madleen, aimed at delivering food to starving civilians in Gaza, was targeted by Israeli forces—despite being led by peaceful activists including Greta Thunberg.

International waters. Civilian cargo. No excuse.

It’s one thing to wage war; it’s another to bomb those trying to feed the hungry.

Why South Africans Should Care

We carry a responsibility. Our past demands that we do not look away when oppression happens elsewhere. The parallels between apartheid-era South Africa and present-day Gaza are not just academic. They are visceral.

Like our townships once were, Gaza is a walled-in zone of deprivation. Like our people once were, Palestinians are labelled as threats for simply existing. Like our resistance was criminalised, theirs is too.

This isn’t a war on terror. It’s a war on survival.

Time to Stand Up

It’s no longer enough to post a hashtag or share a photo. South Africans—because of our history—must lead the charge for justice. That means supporting calls for sanctions. That means challenging the narrative that security justifies slaughter. And that means rejecting silence as complicity.

Apartheid was wrong in South Africa. And it is wrong in Israel.

So let’s make our voices heard. Not just for Palestine, but for the promise of “never again” that still echoes in the chambers of Dachau.

Because if we don’t stand up now, history will judge us too.

Greta Thunberg Deported, Banned from Israel for 100 Years After Gaza Aid Mission

{Source: The Citizen}

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