A Jesuit priest in Jerusalem – the son of Jewish parents who fled Nazi Germany and found refuge in Johannesburg – reflects on what Palestine and Israel might learn from South Africa and its history.

For the last few years, I have been privileged to spend four months a year at the Jesuit Institute in South Africa. This has allowed me to discover the land of my birth – almost unrecognisable after the end of the apartheid regime that provoked my seeking refuge in Jerusalem when I was little more than an adolescent, deeply aware of the inequality, injustice and horror of the regime. The other eight months of the year, I live in Jerusalem, working in both Palestine and Israel. I have just returned to Jerusalem and I want to express my gratitude to South Africa for its lead in standing up for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and its courageous calling-out of the Israeli government. This is a prophetic stand that I hope will be followed by more and more governments.

Get Instant Access

Continue Reading

Register for free to read this article in full

REGISTER

Subscribe for unlimited access

SUBSCRIBE NOW

From just £37.50 quarterly

  Print copy of The Tablet delivered directly to your door.
  Complete access to all Tablet website content including all premium content.
  Access to the weekly digital copy of The Tablet.
  Full access to The Tablet’s archive – over 180 years of back issues.

Already a subscriber? Login