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<font size="1"><a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201123-israelis-dont-need-visas-for-south-africa-but-palestinians-do-why-the-double-standards/">https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201123-israelis-dont-need-visas-for-south-africa-but-palestinians-do-why-the-double-standards/</a>
</font><h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Israelis don't need visas for South Africa, but Palestinians do; why the double standards?</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">Iqbal Jassat ijassat</div>
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<div class="gmail-moz-reader-content gmail-reader-show-element"><div id="gmail-readability-page-1" class="gmail-page"><div> <p> <span> November 23, 2020 at 9:25 am </span></p></div><div id="gmail-post-content"><p>When
I applauded Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan for his firm stance
against "normalisation" with Israel earlier this month, a friend posed
an interesting query. Is it true, he asked, that Israelis don't need
visas for travel to South Africa?</p><p>This was an important and timely
question, because this embarrassing issue has been swept under the
carpet for too long. The answer is yes, it is true; no visas are
required for Israeli citizens to get into South Africa.</p><p>What's
more, while Israelis are exempt from this bureaucracy, Palestinians are
not. Regardless of their faith or political affiliation, not only are
Palestinians forced against their will to endure Israeli apartheid in
ghettos across the occupied territories, but they also face the
humiliation of having to comply with apartheid-based visa regulations
imposed by the South African immigration authorities.</p><p>The details
provided on the Department of International Relations website make clear
the shamelessly hypocritical double standards that are applied. In
addition to having to apply for visas and the delay that the lengthy
process entails, Palestinians have extra burdens placed upon them which
do not apply to Israelis; they have also to provide proof of medical
insurance, proof of a hotel booking and proof that they have sufficient
funds for their stay.</p><p>There are a host of restrictions applicable
to Palestinians but not to Israelis, yet we are led to believe that
South Africa opposes Israel's brutal military occupation of Palestine.
In fact, by applying such measures on Palestinians wishing to travel to
South Africa, the government in Pretoria remains an active participant
in Israel's illegal, immoral and unjust occupation.</p><p><strong>READ: <a title="As South Africa fought for freedom we must do the same for Gaza, says Palestine activist" href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200817-as-south-africa-fought-for-freedom-we-must-do-the-same-for-gaza-says-palestine-activist/">As South Africa fought for freedom we must do the same for Gaza, says Palestine activist</a></strong></p><p>There
cannot be any "ifs" or "buts" about such a contemptible, racist
application of visa regulations favouring Israel but punitive towards
Palestine. This matter needs to be redressed without delay, and it must
be explained urgently by the immigration authorities why double
standards are applied which prejudice a people already subjected to the
severest of occupations.</p><p>If the policy has been in place since the
apartheid era, we have had more than 25 years to make the change, so
why hasn't it been done yet? And while officials look into this, they
might also explain why Israel's national carrier, El Al, is allowed to
have armed Shin Bet security officials —an agency involved in war crimes
— on board its aircraft at Johannesburg's O R Tambo International
Airport, in direct violation of security policies at "Key Points".</p><div id="gmail-attachment_419279" class="gmail-wp-caption"><p><img src="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1228281786-scaled-e1598866203248.jpg" alt="Israeli women take photos of the El Al airliner's plane, ahead of the first-ever commercial flight from Israel to the UAE at the Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, on August 31, 2020 [HEIDI LEVINE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images]" style="margin-right: 0px;" width="439" height="293"></p><p class="gmail-wp-caption-text">Israeli
women take photos of the El Al airliner's plane, ahead of the
first-ever commercial flight from Israel to the UAE at the Ben Gurion
Airport near Tel Aviv, on 31 August 2020 [HEIDI LEVINE/POOL/AFP via
Getty Images]</p></div><p>This controversial issue was exposed by both
Media Review Network and Carte Blanche on the eve of the 2010 FIFA World
Cup held in South Africa. Nothing seems to have been done about it,
though.</p><p>Solidarity activism in support of Palestine's freedom
struggle against settler-colonialism will remain out on a limb unless
drastic measures are taken to ensure that South African government
policies favourable to Israel are decimated. The current treachery by
despotic Arab regimes under the guise of "normalisation" with the
colonial state is to be expected precisely because they are tyrannical
dictatorships. South Africa does not fit that mould, and having been
freed from the clutches of apartheid, its constitutional values
underpinning human rights and dignity cannot be compromised by
continuing to pander to Israeli racism.</p><p><strong>READ: <a title="Israeli army bombs western, southern Gaza" href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201122-israeli-army-bombs-western-southern-gaza/">Israeli army bombs western, southern Gaza</a></strong></p><p>Whether
the South African government is simply turning a blind eye to the
security infringement at the country's premier international airport and
the denial of visa-free entry for Palestinians, or pretending to be
ignorant of the transgressions, it is an intolerable situation. The
ANC-led government will have to do much more than an "embassy downgrade"
to demonstrate real commitment to the cause of justice for Palestine,
which it is supposed to be advocating.</p><p>The current visa
requirements should be reversed without delay by lifting the
requirements imposed on the Palestinians and imposing them on Israelis.
The settler-colonial state has to understand that the world is aware of
its apartheid nature and that its brutal occupation is unacceptable to
the people and government of South Africa. We rid ourselves of one
apartheid regime; we cannot support another.</p><p>The views expressed
in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the
editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.</p> </div></div></div>
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