Why Netanyahu & Peres skipped the Nelson Mandela memorial

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Netanyahu claimed he cancelled plans to attend because the flight and his accompanying security would be "too expensive" (remember, this is the same guy who budgeted almost $3000 in Israeli taxpayer money for his personal ice cream parlor, and nearly $1700 in Israeli tax money on scented candles for his three residences - which cost taxpayers nearly another million dollars to maintain.)

Apparently, this was a last-minute decision on the down-low, as the emcee at the Mandela memorial even announced Netanyahu's name among all the world leaders in attendance - I guess nobody told him Bibi backed out.

As Haaretz noted:

... tight budgets and sick notes do little to mask the lingering discomfort between the two nations. Jerusalem maintained close military and economic ties with Johannesburg even in the final days of the apartheid regime, when most of the world was backing away, and the then-leader of the African National Congress never forgot it,"

... he was indeed highly critical of the Israeli occupation and the absence of an independent Palestine from map of the world. But Mandela fully endorsed Israel’s right to exist – and thought the Arabs states would need to reconcile fully with Israel in the context of a peace agreement.

http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/jerusalem-vivendi/.premium-1.562566

972mag breaks down Bibi's dilemma in detail:

Why aren't Netanyahu and Peres going to Johannesburg for Mandela's memorial?

Bibi says it’s the expense, Peres says it’s a flu he can’t kick. More likely it’s two other reasons: Israel’s past and present.

Nelson Mandela’s death brought up some inconvenient memories for Israel and the Diaspora Jewish establishment: Israel’s extremely fruitful alliance with apartheid South Africa until the very, very end; the anti-Mandela stance of right-wing Zionists because of his support for Arafat and the PLO (as well as for Gadhafi); and mainstream South African Jewry’s comfort with the apartheid regime (notwithstanding the brave opposition by a greatly disproportionate number of the country’s Jews). Then there’s the present-day, ongoing inconvenience of the similarity between apartheid and the occupation, and the awkwardness of having to praise a man who chose violence over submission while vilifying Palestinians who make the same choice.

It seemed, though, that this embarrassment over the Israel-South African apartheid alliance was going to blow over; official Israel and its supporters obviously were stonewalling the subject, it was just a few pain-in-the-### leftists who kept harping on it; in another day or two they’d get tired.

But now this embarrassment has been shoved into the spotlight by none other than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres. They’re doing what no national leader in his right mind would dare do: They’re snubbing Mandela’s memorial service in Johannesburg.

Since Mandela’s funeral in his rural birthplace next Sunday is going to be a more intimate affair with no foreign VIPs invited, Tuesday’s memorial service, because of Mandela’s uniquely exalted stature, is going to be the most prestigious event since I don’t remember when. Presumably every head of state in the world will be there – except Israel’s.

On Monday, Netanyahu announced he was going to Johannesburg with his wife Sara, then a few hours later he changed his mind, saying the expense was too high – nearly $2 million. This was a jaw-dropper coming from the guy who, with his wife, spend the public’s money on personal luxuries like no Israeli prime minister and wife every have; Bibi and Sara are Israel’s Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos. Besides, Israel is going to send somebody to the Mandela service, reportedly either Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein or Justice Minister Tzipi Livni; how much cheaper can it be to send one of them and their bodyguards instead of Bibi, Sara and theirs – especially if Sara were to stay home, which would save a bundle, and if Bibi were to travel like a mortal for once instead of an emperor, which would save a bundle more?

When Bibi begged off, President Shimon Peres was at first going to take his place, but then Peres dropped out, too, saying he’s still getting over the flu. Okay, he’s 90; it’s possible he’s staying away for genuine health reasons. But I don’t believe it. Peres is the biggest glory-hog in the world, and at the Mandela service, the highest-prestige event in memory with all the world’s highest and mightiest in attendance, he would be the elder statesman, the man of peace – the Israeli Mandela, may God forgive us. Everything else being equal, it would take much, much more than the remains of a flu to keep Peres away from that. No, I think his real reason for staying home is the one Yediot Ahronot columnist Eitan Haber, who has stood at the nexus of this country’s military, government and media power for 50 years, ascribed to Netanyahu:

Israel in the ‘70s and ‘80s was a full, enthusiastic partner of the apartheid regime. Until this day, millions of South African citizens have not forgotten nor forgiven Israel’s role. … Yesterday’s announcement of the cancellation of Netanyahu’s flight to the ceremony shouldn’t have surprised anyone. The leader has not yet been born who will knowingly step into a boiling pot of hatred and contempt. Netanyahu, if he were to go to the funeral, could attract headlines in the world media – negative ones. It’s a great honor to stand at a funeral alongside the presidents of the United States and other countries, next to kings, prime ministers, princes and the who’s who of the world. But it’s a very small honor indeed to have hundreds of TV cameras aimed at you when you are rejected, ostracized, disgraced.

I agree; I think Bibi didn’t want to take the chance of being booed and picketed and screamed at because of Israel’s past in South Africa and its present in Palestine. I think Peres has the same motivation, even more so; the irony of Haber’s column, written before Peres made his flu announcement, is that it alludes to the president’s history with apartheid, then praises him for having the courage to make the trip! Enjoy:

To a great extent, it can be said that Peres took his life into his hands when he decided [sunday] night to represent the State of Israel at the memorial service for the father of the new South Africa, Nelson Mandela. It’s so in character for him: Peres doesn’t give a damn about the wave of criticism he can expect. He’ll be there – in Johannesburg.

.....

http://972mag.com/why-arent-netanyahu-and-peres-going-to-johannesburg-for-mandelas-memorial/83366/

Poor little Israel. All alone again.

[Karee 4,189]

When I first started reading this, I didn't make the connection. Then it hit me. The Apartheid thing. I guess I'm getting slower in my old age.

I suppose it would be akin to the head of the KKK showing up at MLK's funeral. I applaud Netanyahu for not going. Maybe he's finally looking at himself in the mirror, but I doubt it.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Israel was in bed with the Apartheid government, trying to sell them their old nukes, and ended up just helping S.A. build their own. This was how the world finally had proof Israel was indeed a nuclear nation. Almost overnight, the US stopped considering Israel a terrorist nation, and instead sought to befriend them more as an ally in the Middle East than a belligerent. Interesting that S.A. voluntarily dismantled their nukes and stop pursuing the technology, while Israel has as yet to fully disclose their nuclear program, although it is one of the world's worst kept secrets. The technology that Israel once willingly sold to some of the world's most despicable regimes has now found its way to Israel's enemies.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

And some of that technology was actually American, stolen by Israeli spies, and then sold to enemies of the U.S.:

Brooks was characteristically undisturbed by the fact that American taxpayer subsidized development of Israeli enterprises combined with the free access to the US economy and government contracts eliminates jobs and damages competing companies on this side of the Atlantic. And there is another aspect of Israel’s growing high tech sector that he understandably chose to ignore because it is extremely sleazy. That is the significant advantage that Israel has gained by systematically stealing American technology with both military and civilian applications. The US developed technology is then reverse engineered and used by the Israelis to support their own exports with considerably reduced research and development costs, giving them a huge advantage against American companies. Sometimes, when the technology is military in nature and winds up in the hands of a US adversary, the consequences can be serious. Israel has sold advanced weapons systems to China that are believed to incorporate technology developed by American companies, including the Python-3 air-to-air missile and the Delilah cruise missile. There is evidence that Israel has also stolen Patriot missile avionics to incorporate into its own Arrow system and that it used US technology obtained in its Lavi fighter development program, which was funded by the US taxpayer to the tune of $1.5 billion, to help the Chinese develop their own J-10 fighter.

The reality of Israeli spying is indisputable. Israel always features prominently in the annual FBI report called "Foreign Economic Collection and Industrial Espionage." The 2005 report states, "Israel has an active program to gather proprietary information within the United States. These collection activities are primarily directed at obtaining information on military systems and advanced computing applications that can be used in Israel’s sizable armaments industry." It adds that Israel recruits spies, uses electronic methods, and carries out computer intrusion to gain the information. The 2005 report concluded that the thefts eroded US military advantage, enabling foreign powers to obtain expensive technologies that had taken years to develop.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg:

http://original.antiwar.com/giraldi/2010/01/27/stealing-success-tel-aviv-style/