South African Jewry

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Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres (photo: activestills.org)

Why aren’t Netanyahu and Peres going to Johannesburg for Mandela’s memorial?

Bibi says it’s the expense, Peres says it’s a flu he can’t kick. More likely it’s two other reasons: Israel’s past and present. Nelson Mandela’s death brought up some inconvenient memories for Israel and the Diaspora Jewish establishment: Israel’s extremely fruitful alliance with apartheid South Africa until the very, very end; the anti-Mandela stance…

By Larry Derfner December 9, 2013

Nelson Mandela in 1937 (Photo: Unknown, public domain)

Seeing Mandela’s miracle: A trip from Israel to South Africa

This piece was originally published as ‘Coming home from the land of miracles’ in the Jerusalem Post, April 11, 2007, after a family trip I took to South Africa. I think it says something about the difference between that country and Israel, and is also a description of the new society that Mandela and his…

By Larry Derfner December 6, 2013