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Having eagerly rushed into the arms of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which greeted them warmly, following the end of apartheid. all that was left for the leadership of the African National Congress to do to get proper attention from the US, was to genuflect to Israel, as this statement from the SA ambassador to Israel, Fumanekile Gqiba, on the eve of an ANC trip to Israel, clearly indicates is on the agenda. Said Gqiba"
"We need to understand the thinking in this part of the world and be exposed to the reality on the ground. There is a unique situation here which you cannot analyze from the outside. You need to be here to get an insight into the realpolitik of this place."
Expect an ANC delegation to come to the US very soon, hosted by a variety of Jewish organizations, with the goal of rebuilding Black-Jewish relations which have deteriorated in recent years following exposure of Israel's ties to the old apartheid regime and the heavy-handed efforts of Jewish community organizations to control the Black political agenda and target Black politicians and academics who are critical of Israel.
Just when you think the pile is as high as it is going to go, it just gets higher. Pile of what you ask?
Jeff
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/581069.html
ANC officials to visit Israel By Charlotte Halle
A group of senior African National Congress members will be in Israel next week on the first official trip here by South Africa's ruling party since the fall of apartheid more than a decade ago.
The delegation of five senior party officials will arrive in Israel on Monday and spend four days of intensive meetings with Israeli politicians from across the political spectrum, in a program devised by the Likud, in conjunction with the South African Embassy and the Foreign Ministry.
The trip follows on from last year's visit by Likud MKs to South Africa, when they met with President Thabo Mbeki and current and former government ministers involved in the negotiating process that led to the demise of apartheid. Until then, invites from the South African government to Israelis had been restricted to left-wing politicians and peace activists.
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South African ambassador to Israel Major General Fumanekile Gqiba described next week's visit as a further sign of improving bilateral relations between the two countries, which have been strained since the ANC came to power 11 years ago. Though the visitors have been invited by the Likud and the Foreign Ministry, the ambassador has been heavily involved.
"We are two countries trying to understand each other," Gqiba told Anglo File this week, adding that the most important aspect of the trip would be the party-to-party talks between the ANC delegation and Likud members.
"We need to understand the thinking in this part of the world and be exposed to the reality on the ground. There is a unique situation here which you cannot analyze from the outside. You need to be here to get an insight into the realpolitik of this place."
The ambassador's words signify a change in tone from his initial stance when he arrived in Israel last June. Then, in an interview with Haaretz, he emphasized the ANC's historical links with the PLO: "We rubbed shoulders with the Palestinians. They were our comrades in the liberation movement. And that relationship is still there. It is our moral duty to continue with that."
"At the beginning, I was fresh from the liberation movement," Gqiba said this week in an effort to explain his shift in attitude. "You come here with preconceived ideas and a preconceived mindset. Then you begin to encounter the reality of the place, with all its complexities. I hope what happened to me will happen to [the members of the ANC delegation]."
Gqiba said the ANC's Palestinian colleagues support their trip to Israel. "This visit is part of our effort to ensure peace in this part of the world," he said. The ambassador added that more bilateral activity is in the pipeline, mentioning trade and student exchanges.
In July, South African Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa will visit Israel; both countries hope the trip will result in the signing of a bilateral trade agreement for the lowering of customs duties on a limited number of products.
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