Israel voted in favor of four resolutions containing implicit criticism of South Africa’s apartheid policies in the General Assembly yesterday but abstained on another resolution that condemned apartheid outright. All five resolutions were adopted by overwhelming majorities.
The resolutions called on South Africa to end immediately the physical and mental torture of opponents of apartheid and to punish those committing such acts; appealed for generous contributions to aid those “persecuted under repressive and discriminatory legislation in South Africa, Namibia (South-West Africa) and Southern Rhodesia”; and authorized consultations with experts and representatives of “the oppressed people of South Africa” and with African liberation movements to seek ways to intensify anti-apartheid action. The fourth resolution asked Secretary General Kurt Waldheim to disseminate information on apartheid.
In voting for the four drafts, Israel found itself in rare concert with the Soviet Union which voted for all five. But Israel was among the 21 abstainers, including France, Italy and Japan, on the resolution reaffirming “the legitimacy of the struggle of the oppressed people of South Africa to eradicate apartheid and racial discrimination by all available means.
The resolution, adopted by a vote of 100-4, called for renewed opposition to arms shipments to South Africa and an end to international cooperation with that nation. The negative votes were cast by United States, Britain, Portugal and South Africa.
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