Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that an electronic fence along the Israel-Egypt border has saved the Jewish state from jihadist attacks or what he believes would be worse — a tide of African migrants. …
The interior ministry says there are currently some 42,000 African migrants in Israel, mainly from Sudan and Eritrea, and the government has ordered that thousands of them must leave or face indefinite imprisonment.
(IOL Africa, March 20, 2018)
Politicians across the world condemned US President Donald Trump two months ago after he cursed Caribbean and African countries as “shitholes.” I joined the commentariat’s chorus of condemnation with “Only an Asshole like Trump Would Call Caribbean and African Countries ‘Shitholes,’” on January 12.
Incidentally, to his credit, Trump dispatched Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to Africa earlier this month to mend fences. Never mind the Trumpian way he undermined that mission by firing Tillerson in the midst of it.
As it happens, Netanyahu is more of “an asshole like Trump” than any other world leader. In fact, I have condemned him on many occasions for his own racist rhetoric.
For example:
- In “Netanyahu’s Call for Jewish Exodus more Sharpton than Moses,” February 23, 2015, I condemned him for insinuating that Jews in Europe are as oppressed today as they were during the heyday of the Nazi Germany. The irony is obviously lost on this self-righteous schmuck that he is oppressing Palestinians today even more than Hitler oppressed Jews … before executing his “final solution.”
- In “Israel Votes to Become more Like (old) Apartheid South Africa,” March 18, 2015, I condemned him for exhorting Jews to rush to the polls because too many Israelis of Arab descent were showing up to vote.
- And in “Israel Deporting Blacks to Preserve White Character of Jewish State,” January 4, 2018, I condemned him for trying to ensure that Africans and Arabs compose no more than a negligible percentage of Israel’s immigrant population. In this, he is simpatico with his BFF Trump – who is trying to ensure that Mexicans and Muslims compose a much lower percentage of America’s.
The point is that, if Trump calling African countries shitholes is racist, then surely Netanyahu calling African migrants worse than Muslim terrorists is, well, even worse.
Yet you’d be hard-pressed to find politicians or commentators condemning Netanyahu the way they condemned Trump. I suspect ignorance accounts for this deafening silence as much indifference. (Had you read or heard of Netanyahu’s remarks before reading them here?) But the silence of American and African politicians is worthy of comment.
With respect to the Americans, it should not surprise you to learn that, despite his racist rhetoric, Netanyahu is even more popular among American politicians than Trump. Frankly, most Republicans would sooner kiss the ass of this Jewish prime minister than the brass ring of the Christian pope.
I’ll spare you my sermon on the ‘biblical’ alliance between these two polarizing religious sects. Suffice it to consider the condescension/bigotry inherent in these Christians deeming it an article of their faith – not only to protect Jews (whom they hail as ‘God’s chosen people’), but also to convert them to Christianity to ensure they make it into Heaven. Never mind the contradiction inherent in God needing self-professed evangelicals to convert his chosen people for this rapture.
(“Alas, Bush Still Being Misled/Goaded by Cheney,” The iPINIONS Journal, May 4, 2015)
I have decried the reverence American politicians show for Netanyahu in many commentaries, including in “Chutzpah: Israeli PM to Address US Congress,” January 23, 2015, and “Netanyahu’s a Putz for Branding Obama a Judas Over UN Resolution,” December 29, 2016.
With respect to the Africans, you’d be forgiven for wondering why they would even give Netanyahu the time of day.
He clearly does not have the clout to compel African politicians to overlook his insults. Trump does because Africa remains as dependent on American military and economic aid as ever. This, despite China and former colonial powers in Europe increasing theirs considerably in recent years.
This is why only ignorance or indifference explains their failure to condemn Netanyahu the way they condemned Trump.
On the other hand, there’s no gainsaying the willingness of African politicians to welcome any foreign leader bearing gifts of direct investments. This, no matter that leader’s ulterior motive or unsavory character.
As old Cold War alliances fragment and Israel’s allies within the United Nations dwindle, observers have said that Jerusalem was looking to build alliances with Africa in order to win its geopolitical battles.
By coupling its political stakes with commercial interests, like the Power Africa project or the $1 billion pledge to ECOWAS nations for green energy projects, the government hopes to ingratiate itself with African countries and improve its brand.
(Quartz Africa, December 11, 2017)
Mind you, according to The Africa Investment Report 2016, Israel does not rank among the top countries when it comes to foreign direct investments. In fact, it ranks even below countries like Malaysia and Bahrain.
Alas, there’s also no gainsaying that Netanyahu was only talking about African migrants the way African politicians treat them. This, more than anything else, might explain their reluctance to condemn him.
After all, it’s bad enough that these politicians created the chronically oppressive conditions that forced so many of their people to flee the “dark continent. But they are also demanding aid from any country seeking to repatriate their own people. This perverse form of extortion prompted the staid London Times to publish the following paternalistic rebuke on December 6, 2017:
Instead of demanding more aid, its leaders should tackle corruption and economic failure.
Which compels me to end by noting that Africa’s post-colonial failures should cause Africans to condemn their own political leaders with even more indignation than I (or they) could ever think of condemning Netanyahu.
Related commentaries:
Asshole like Trump…
Israel … like South Africa…
Deporting blacks…
Bush Cheney…
Chutzpah…
Putz…
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