Nelson Mandela Day: Remembering anti-apartheid icon and friend of Palestine

By Ivan Kesic

Nelson Mandela Day is an international observance in honor of the iconic South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, observed annually on his birthday, on July 18.

The anniversary, which commemorates the illustrious legacy of a man whose epic struggle changed the course of contemporary history, was named by the UN General Assembly in November 2009 and observed for the first time in 2010.

As a young law student, Mandela was involved in anti-colonial and anti-racist politics in South Africa, joining the African National Congress (ANC), which was at the forefront of the fight against apartheid in the African country at the time.

Spearheading the fight for the rights of oppressed South African people of color, he relied on methods of strikes, boycotts, and civil disobedience. Despite favoring non-violence, due to the regime's brutal practices, he also had to resort to armed struggle against the oppressors.

The revolutionary icon was arrested several times and stood trial at least four times, serving over 27 years in prison, split between Robben Island, Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Verster Prison.

Mandela rose to international fame following his incarceration in the 1980s, when he became the most famous political prisoner in the world, a symbol of resistance against apartheid, and an icon for millions who embraced and espoused the ideals of human equality and justice.

After his release in 1990, he was involved in negotiations to end apartheid, eventually leading to the first democratic elections in 1994 in which Mandela led the ANC to victory and became president.

He strongly advocated for the rights of people living under repressive regimes everywhere, encouraging engagement and solidarity across borders.

Mandela was a staunch supporter of the Palestinian struggle against the Zionist occupation, building ties with the Palestinian leadership as far back as the early 1960s.

For Mandela and the ANC, the Palestinians and Yasser Arafat were "comrades in arms" and they supported their struggle against the Zionist entity, both armed and unarmed.

Only sixteen days after he was released from prison in 1990, Mandela met with Arafat in Zambia.

He was quoted as saying at the time that the Palestinian leader was "fighting against a unique form of colonialism and we wish him success in his struggle."

"I believe that there are many similarities between our struggle and that of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as we live under a unique form of colonialism in South Africa, as well as in Israel."

Later that year, Mandela said South Africans “identify with Palestinians” because they don’t believe the Israeli regime has the right to “suppress basic human rights in the occupied territories."

He lambasted the Zionist regime, saying they are “slaughtering defenseless and innocent Arabs in the occupied territories, and we don’t regard that as acceptable."

In 1999, he toured the West Asian region, including Palestine, and drew parallels between the struggle of South Africans and Palestinians.

“The histories of our two peoples, Palestinians and South Africans, correspond in such painful and poignant ways, that I intensely feel myself being at home amongst compatriots,” he said.

“The long-standing fraternal bonds between our two liberation movements are now translating into the relations between two governments."

Mandela's reputation as a champion of human rights and staunch support for Palestine and other oppressed people around the world wasn’t received well by Western regimes and Tel Aviv.

He was urged to publicly distance himself from Arafat in exchange for lobbying support, which Mandela refused, remaining steadfast in his support for the pro-Palestinian struggle.

In an interview with the Press TV website in May, Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, the grandson of South Africa’s legendary anti-apartheid icon, said South Africans took inspiration from the heroic resistance of Palestinians in their struggle for the liberation of Israeli-occupied territories.

“As my grandfather used to say, during our darkest days of the (anti-apartheid) struggle, they (Palestinians) supported us and stood side-by-side with us,” the South African MP said.

In the Western mass media, Mandela's meetings with Palestinians and trips to Iran were seen as "controversial" and his victory against apartheid was attempted to be portrayed as a victory for Western-type liberal democracy.

Interestingly, Mandela was removed from the US "terror" watch only in 2008, a few years before his death, and the same people then condoled over his death and hailed him as a hero.

Ivan Kesic is a journalist from the Balkans with focus on West Asian affairs.

(The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Press TV)

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk