The visiting Foreign Minister of South Africa, Pik Botha, and his Israeli counterpart, Yitzhak Shamir, stressed today that the relations between their countries are the normal relations that exist between any two friendly states and should not give rise to different inferences.
Statements to that effect were considered necessary because Botha’s three-day private visit, on his own initiative, has embarrassed the Israeli government which is in the process of mending its relations with Black African nations. Botha arrived last night and was greeted at the airport by Foreign Minister Shamir. They met for two hours at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem today.
Botha told reporters after the meeting that there is nothing unique about South Africa’s ties with Israel. “What happens between Israel and South Africa is happening between South Africa and African states. We trade. We have normal relations,” he said.
Shamir affirmed that relations between the two countries were “normal” and noted that South Africa’s Jewish community is flourishing and receives favorable treatment from the Pretoria government.
Nevertheless, the government is down-playing Botha’s visit to minimize possible adverse reactions from Black African states which, while trading themselves with South Africa, object to Israel’s commercial ties with that country. Israel, for its part, has stressed its opposition to the apartheid policies of the South African government.
Because of the sensitivity of this issue, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that Premier Shimon Peres would not be meeting with Botha. The South African diplomat said he was not offended. “Normally Foreign Ministers do not meet with Prime Ministers,” he said, noting that he had not requested a meeting with Peres. “I have come to talk to the Israeli government and I think Mr. Shamir is a member of that government — I hope so, “Botha said.
Before his meeting with Shamir, Botha visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and lunched with Abba Eban, chairman of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Security Committee. Eban, a former Foreign Minister, was born in South Africa but was raised and educated in Britain.
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