arig@cvl.UUCP (Ari Gross) (01/31/85)
> I don't see how you can say that selling arms to South Africa makes > Israel a supporter of apartheid (if in fact they do sell arms). > > Does trading with the Soviet Union make the U.S. a supporter of > communism? > > ellen bart While on the subject, there was recently a discussion concerning South Africa in the United Nations. Israel alone was condemned for its trade with that country. What about all the U.S. companies that do business there -- some of them even manufacture goods there which means they have to conform to South Africa's own employment regulations, where blacks and whites have 2 different wage rates, blacks making only a fraction of what whites do. As far as hypocrisy is concerned, let us not forget those valiant heroes in pursuit of international justice, the Arab States. They were among the most vocal nations in their condemnation of Israel's trade with South Africa and seek to ally themselves with the black nations on the African continent . Yet, according to a recent article in the Near East Report, Arab Opec nations are selling over a 'billion dollars' worth of oil to South Africa a year. Most of this selling goes on behind closed doors, and the destinations of such oil cargoes are often made deliberately obscure . Why do the Arabs sell to South Africa , all the while labeling Israel the 'racist'? Because South Africa, having been ostracized by many nations, is willing to pay a premium for their oil -- and at a time when oil prices have started tumbling downwards. While Israel does what it must to survive, other nations will do anything for a buck. Ari Gross arig@cvl.arpa