Israel is not an apartheid state, former South African defense minister says

Israel cannot be compared to an apartheid state, former anti-apartheid activist and South African politician Mosiuoa Lekota said, in a complete rejection of the accusation in an interview with the South African Friends of Israel podcast earlier in September.

Lekota, who served time in prison alongside Nelson Mandela and later became South Africa’s defense minister, provided arguments against such comparisons.

“I was in Israel, my brother,” Lekota began, recounting his visit. “In Israel, you won’t find the same divisions between Jews and non-Jews that we used to witness during apartheid. There are no segregated buses for different ethnic groups, like Jews and Arabs.

“In Israel, everyone boards the same bus, travels wherever they need to, and disembarks as they wish. There is no apartheid in Israel, not even within their schools.”

Lekota was interviewed by South Africa Friends of Israel spokesperson Bafana Modise.

Who is Mosiuoa Lekota?

Lekota, a 75-year-old anti-apartheid activist with a storied history, initially aligned with the African National Congress (ANC) and endured imprisonment alongside Nelson Mandela in 1985. In 2008, he parted ways with the ANC to establish the Congress of the People (Cope), a splinter party, and has served as its president since December 16, 2008.

While with the ANC, Lekota held the esteemed position of defense minister under President Thabo Mbeki from June 17, 1999, to September 25, 2008.

His nickname, “Terror Lekota,” hails from his soccer playing days and his influential role in both the United Democratic Front and the Delmas Treason Trial from 1985 to 1988.

Can parallels be drawn between Israel, apartheid South Africa?

Lekota also addressed the common practice in South Africa of drawing parallels between apartheid and Israel’s situation. “There was an attempt, I think, at the time to suggest that what was happening in those areas [Israel and the Palestinian Authority] was similar to apartheid, even here.”

However, he firmly disagreed. “But we said, ‘No, there’s no way this can be done like that.’ In fact, when these two leaders – Israeli and Palestinian leaders – began moving towards agreeing on the two-state solution, we said, ‘That is something to be supported.’”

Reflecting on his earlier beliefs, Lekota admitted, “I once held the assumption, as we did in South Africa, that most Jews supported apartheid.” He continued, “I always had this idea that all the Jews are in one corner and the others are in the other,” but upon visiting Israel, he was surprised to find that “in the parliament, there are Arabs who are members of parliament, and they were all sitting together.”

In addition to his views on apartheid comparisons, Lekota touched on South African-Israel relations, expressing a more balanced approach.

“Under Nelson Mandela,” he shared, “we took the position of maintaining diplomacy with both states, and I believe it’s the correct path to follow.” He firmly stated, “I can never be convinced that it’s better for this country to favor one side over the other,” referring to South Africa’s stance on Israel.

“Our role as South Africans,” he emphasized, “is to convey that we have transcended our internal divisions. We are one nation, and we aim to support both parties in their pursuit of common goals.”