Just last week I was driving to pick up my daughter from school. On that drive I always dial into the Dennis Prager program on the radio.
Dennis Prager could be categorized as a political radio personality, but he’s much more than that, he has a thought-provoking radio show that always brings me back for more.
Last week Prager had on the most fascinating guest – South African Member of Parliament and pastor, Kenneth Meshoe. Kenneth Meshoe grew up in apartheid South Africa, enduring the harsh discrimination and segregation of blacks. Today Meshoe is a proud South African Member of Parliament who is speaking up and defending the State of Israel.
Why?
Well, Israel is often labeled an “apartheid state” by its harshest critics. As a South African who suffered apartheid himself, Meshoe takes great offense to such lies. In the video posted above Meshoe highlights the vast differences between apartheid South Africa and the so called “apartheid” happening in Israel.
Meshoe argues that to label Israel an “apartheid” state is disrespectful and insolent to those who actually suffered under apartheid. In an article by Gatestone Institute written by Michael Curtis, Curtis emphasizes Meshoe’s arguments,
He [Meshoe] describes those who promulgate the lie of Israel-as-apartheid as ignorant individuals who are not aware of, or who deliberately disregard, the true nature of the negative impact of apartheid on black South Africans — an experience quite different from that of Palestinians in nature and intensity. South African blacks were treated as second-class citizens and were denied basic human rights. By contrast, he points out that in Israel there are no laws discriminating against people on the basis of their color or on the basis of their religion. Palestinians have not suffered the pain of apartheid experienced by black South Africans.
Pastor Meshoe amplifies his general remarks by specific examples. He calls attention to the fact that in South Africa there were separate modes of transport for blacks and whites; there were coaches in trains only for black people, and others only for whites. Segregation was present in schools, hospitals, public places, city parks, benches, chairs, beaches. No such segregation exists in Israel.
Watch the video and tell us if you think Kennth Meshoe makes a valid argument in defense of his own people and Israel?
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