The General Assembly condemned by a large margin Israel’s “increasing collaboration with the racist regime of South Africa,” and demanded that Israel terminate “all forms of collaboration” with the Pretoria government.
The vote Monday night was 102-29 with 26 abstentions. The anti-Israeli vote, singling Israel out for alleged military and economic cooperation with the apartheid government of South Africa, was one of eight resolutions condemning all aspects of South Africa’s apartheid policies. Israel is singled is singled out for condemnation on this issue by the General Assembly every year as a result of Arab pressure despite the fact that Arab and other countries are engaged in trade and have other ties with South Africa.
According to information distributed by the Israel Mission here, South Africa imported $10 billion worth of oil from the Arab countries, from 1980 to 1984, in violation of the 1979 UN oil embargo on South Africa.
The anti-Israeli resolution adopted Monday night by the Assembly charged that Israel’s ties with South Africa constitute “a serious threat to the international action for the eradication of apartheid,” and a “threat to international peace and security.”
The resolution underscored the alleged “military and nuclear” cooperation between Israel and South Africa, and requested an immediate end of ties between the two countries.
The United States, Canada and Australia, as well as most of the West European countries, joined Israel in voting against the resolution. Israeli diplomats noted that last year only 19 countries joined Israel against a similar resolution, while this year 28 countries supported Israel.
RESOLUTION CONDEMNED BY ISRAELI OFFICIAL
The anti-Israeli vote was sharply condemned by Ambassador Meir Joffe of the Israel Mission, who blamed the Arabs and their supporters for “hypocrisy.” He said that while the Arabs themselves trade with South Africa, they push for the condemnation of Israel. “This is part of their political war against the Jewish State,” he declared.
Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, charged, at the opening debate on apartheid last week, that the General Assembly is guilty of “omission and distortion of the facts” both of Israel’s alleged cooperation with Pretoria and the extent of the Arab oil trade with South Africa.
Netanyahu disclosed that Israel recently sent an official letter to the UN Special Committee Against Apartheid, reiterating its opposition to apartheid and declaring its willingness to participate in international efforts to end the practice of apartheid in South Africa.
The anti-Israel vote Monday night coincided with the 11th anniversary of the General Assembly resolution equating Zionism with racism. One of the arguments the Arabs used, when they pushed for the adoption of the Zionism-equals-racism resolution, was that Israel was a major supporter of South Africa’s apartheid government.
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