Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Mandla Mandela, has declared that Palestinians under Israeli occupation face conditions “far worse than apartheid”, urging the international community to intensify pressure on Israel in the same way it once isolated apartheid South Africa.
Mandela, 51, made the comments on Wednesday evening at Johannesburg Airport, where he was preparing to fly to Tunisia to join the Global Sumud Flotilla — a coalition of humanitarian boats attempting to deliver aid to Gaza despite Israel’s naval blockade.
“Many of us who have visited the occupied territories in Palestine have only come back with one conclusion: that the Palestinians are experiencing a far worse form of apartheid than we ever experienced,” he told Reuters
“We believe that the global community has to continue supporting the Palestinians, just as they stood side-by-side with us.”
The flotilla, made up of dozens of vessels and activists from 44 countries, is carrying food and humanitarian supplies for Gaza. Among its participants is Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, joining hundreds of campaigners calling for an end to Israel’s blockade.
Israel has consistently rejected comparisons to South Africa’s apartheid regime, insisting that restrictions on Gaza are necessary to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas. However, aid agencies warn that the blockade has fueled an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. The World Food Programmereports widespread hunger, with nearly a quarter of Gaza’s population facing famine.
South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) has endorsed Mandela’s mission, describing it as an extension of the country’s historic struggle for freedom. “Our mission echoes our own struggle for liberation,” the party said in a statement.
Mandela stressed that apartheid in South Africa collapsed only after intense international sanctions and diplomatic isolation — a strategy he believes should now be applied to Israel.
“They isolated apartheid South Africa and finally collapsed it. We believe the time has come for that to be done for the Palestinians,” he said.
Source:Reuters
