Israel faces a three-fold dilemma in its future relations with South Africa — economic, moral, and its obligation to do nothing that might compromise the security of South Africa’s large and active Jewish community.
Those problems were discussed at a meeting of the Inner Cabinet (five Labor and five Likud Ministers) Wednesday and will be addressed by the full Cabinet at its regular meeting next Sunday.
Relations with South Africa has become an urgent issue because of sanctions against the Pretoria regime enacted by the U.S. Congress over President Reagan’s veto. Countries engaged in certain areas of trade with South Africa, particularly arms trade, may face a reduction in U.S. economic aid.
The General Accounting Office (GAO), a Congressional body, will publish a list on April 1 of countries involved in the arms trade with South Africa. Israel is expected to appear prominently on that list. If it does not impose its own sanctions on South Africa by the end of the year, the U.S. may reduce its economic and military aid to Israel in the next fiscal year.
SITUATION COMPLICATED BY POLLARD CASE
The situation is complicated by the Jonathan Pollard spy case which has put severe strains on U.S.-Israel relations and the Iran-Contra arms sales scandal for which Israel has been scapegoated in some official circles in Washington.
Both Premier Yitzhak Shamir and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres have stated publicly that Israel will not enter into new contracts with South Africa though it will honor agreements already made.
ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS
This adds to Israel’s economic difficulties. Its military ties with South Africa provide employment for thousands of Israelis and Israel relies heavily on South African coal to generate electric power, because of the higher cost of oil.
According to foreign press reports, Israel has been selling military equipment to South Africa for the past 15 years, mainly light weapons, communications and electronic equipment.
In addition, it has licensed South African manufacturers to produce several major Israeli weapons systems. These include Saar-class missile boats, the Gabriel surface-to-surface naval rockets and important components of the Kfir jet fighter-bomber.
An embargo of such material to South Africa would lay Israel open to charges of hypocrisy since it has been in the forefront of the battle against embargoes and boycotts as political tools. Of no less consideration is the impact Israeli sanctions may have on South Africa’s 120,000 Jews.
DELICACY OF THE SITUATION
Absorption Minister Yaacov Tsur, who is well aware of the delicacy of the situation, suggested this week that Israel should not be the first to impose sanctions on South Africa but could not lag behind other countries. “It should be said explicitly (that) relations with South Africa are gradually taking on new norms,” Tsur said.
He estimated that 1,000 Jews will leave South Africa for Israel this year. He was not certain how Israeli sanctions might affect South African Jews. “The only message I can convey to South African Jewry is to leave and come to Israel,” Tsur said.
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