Echoes of Apartheid: South Africa and Israel’s Parallel Paths of Oppression
How Two Regimes Used Dispossession, Segregation, and Western Backing—And Why Their Endings May Be Alike
July 18 marks Nelson Mandela’s birthday—a man once branded a terrorist for resisting a regime where a minority of settlers ruled over the indigenous majority by force. The South African Apartheid government, propped up for decades by Western powers, crushed dissent and imprisoned freedom fighters under the label of “terrorism.”
Fast forward to today: more than nine months after Hamas’s Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, the same “terrorist” label is applied to Palestinians resisting Israeli rule. Since its founding, Israel has been supported by the West as it pursues policies of ethnic cleansing and domination over the indigenous Palestinian population.
Apartheid and Israel: Two Sides of the Same Coin
While South African Apartheid was built on racial discrimination, Israel’s system is rooted in both religious and racial exclusion. Both regimes, however, share a common sponsor: Western imperial interests, which have historically overlooked injustice in pursuit of control and resources. The West only abandoned Apartheid when it became too costly, yet continues to justify Israel’s actions—revealing a stark double standard.
A close look at the laws and practices of both regimes shows striking similarities. The most glaring is the seizure of indigenous land. In South Africa, white rulers confiscated over 80% of the territory, forcing black South Africans into “Bantustans”—isolated homelands. In one infamous case, 60,000 black residents were expelled from District 6.
Israel’s history is marked by similar mass expulsions. In 1948, over 750,000 Palestinians were driven from their homes during the Nakba. In 1967, hundreds of thousands more were expelled from the West Bank, Gaza, and Jerusalem, as Israel expanded its control over Palestinian land. Home demolitions and settlement construction continue this legacy of dispossession.
Movement Restrictions: Economic and Psychological Warfare
Both regimes weaponised movement restrictions. Apartheid South Africa required black people to carry permits to leave Bantustans, arresting those found without them. Israel divides Palestinian territories with walls and checkpoints, requiring permits for even basic travel. These barriers separate families from farmland, schools, and workplaces, crippling the economy and social fabric. Over time, such pressure fuels waves of emigration.
Legalised Discrimination
South Africa’s “Black Homeland Citizenship Act” stripped black people of citizenship and voting rights, enabling arbitrary detention and repression. In the West Bank, Israel applies civil law to settlers and military law to Palestinians, who can be detained for months without trial. The legal systems are designed to entrench inequality and suppress resistance.
A Key Difference—and a Shared Fate?
One difference: South Africa’s economy depended on black labor, which made mass civil disobedience and protest possible. Despite brutal crackdowns, this ultimately helped bring down Apartheid. Israel, by contrast, seeks Palestinian land without its people, using far more lethal force to suppress resistance.
Yet, both regimes have faced—and continue to face—determined resistance. Mandela’s long imprisonment became a symbol of the anti-Apartheid struggle. In Palestine, resistance takes the form of enduring siege, displacement, and military assault.
The U.S. Role: Backing Apartheid, Then and Now
A crucial thread connecting both cases is the unwavering support of the United States. While the U.S. once claimed to champion democracy and human rights, its record tells a different story. Washington propped up South Africa’s Apartheid regime for decades, only withdrawing support when it became politically untenable. Today, the U.S. is Israel’s staunchest ally, providing military, financial, and diplomatic backing even as Israel’s policies toward Palestinians are widely condemned as apartheid by international observers.
This support is not just material—it’s ideological. American politicians routinely compete to demonstrate their loyalty to Israel, often at the expense of their own stated values. The U.S. government, despite its rhetoric about freedom and democracy, has a long history of supporting autocratic regimes and turning a blind eye to human rights abuses when it suits its interests. The result is a growing global perception of American hypocrisy and decline, as even U.S. citizens become more aware of the gap between their government’s words and actions.
A Struggle for Justice
As Imam Khamenei has argued, the solution in Palestine lies in ending the Zionist regime and holding a referendum among all Palestinians—Muslims, Christians, Jews, and exiles alike—to decide the country’s future. Until then, the struggle continues, with the hope that, as in South Africa, justice will ultimately prevail.
Reference: The Official Website of Ayatollah Khamenei