by Ilan Solomons on Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 1:29pm
Veteran anti-apartheid activist Rabbi Ben Isaacson and Palestinian Ambassador to South Africa, Dr Ali Halimeh, met for the first time in almost 20 years at the Palestinian Embassy in Pretoria. Rabbi Ben Isaacson was an out-spoken member of the Jewish community concerning the atrocities of the apartheid regime. He took on the apartheid regime from various platforms including his own pulpit. He was loathed and despised but many in his own community, and accused of endangering the Jewish community for speaking out on apartheid from as early as the 1960’s. He even clashed with the Chief Rabbinate and Jewish Board of Deputies on several occasions. Undeterred by this, Rabbi Isaacson only increased his activism taking the stage to denounce apartheid with the likes of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Beyers Naude. He even gave refuge to ANC activists like Ben Turok and Janet Love risking his own family’s safety.
The Rabbi also served in the Israeli Defence Force and fought in combat units. He believed strongly in the principles of Zionism and the Jewish peoples’ right to self determination in its national homeland of Israel. He however also came to recognize the rights of the Palestinian people to live in dignity and freedom which only further incensed many in the Jewish community.
Ambassador Ali Halimeh on the other hand grew up in a Palestinian Refugee camp in Lebanon and was actively involved from an early age in the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), although he never joined or trained in its armed wing preferring to be involved in its international diplomatic affairs. He is very much a secular Muslim and has been involved in raising awareness of the Palestinian peoples plight for several decades, serving as the PA representative in various countries including Ireland, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Although he grew up in a family of Palestinian refugees who fled during the 1948 Israeli War of Independence he acknowledged from early on that the Jewish people had certain historical, religious and national connections to the land in Israel. This view led him to trying to create dialogue with Jewish people and communities where ever he was posted on diplomatic missions.
In the 1980’s while Rabbi Isaacson was in exile serving as head of the Zimbabwean community and also continuing to highlight the evils of apartheid, he met with Ambassador Ali Halimeh at a function in Harare where they began to discuss the importance of finding a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The two became very close friends and Rabbi Isaacson was often a house guest of Ambassador Halimeh where they shared meals and conversation. Halimeh remarks “The first time I brought Ben home my wife was very scared she had never met a Jew let alone an Orthodox Rabbi who they knew had served in the IDF, she would say that he was going to spy on them. To which I replied well you know he spies on me I spy on him”, laughed Halimeh. Isaacson “Your wife was very scared of me at first but she soon got over it and treated me like one of the family”. Isaacson said that he only had fond memories of the times he spent at the Halimeh’s.
However there came a time when Rabbi Isaacson would have to call upon that friendship with Ali Halimeh. Isaacson continued to be active in his anti apartheid activism and he also started speaking publicly with Halimeh about the concept of the 2 states solution which was just too much for the local Jewish community of Zimbabwe and they wanted to get rid of Isaacson and send him back to South Africa. The communal leadership essentially ended his contract and requested that the authorities deport him within a matter of weeks. Fearing a return to South Africa which was still under the apartheid regime he called on his friend Halimeh who was able to intervene and went to the highest levels of Zimbabwean Government to get a 10year extension on his passport and thus was able to save the Rabbi from imminent deportation back to South Africa. Halimeh gained nothing from intervening on Isaacson’s behalf, in fact he could well have put himself at risk of political repercussions but this did not deter him. When asked why he did what he did Halimeh’s response was simple “Ben was my friend and comrade he was pro peace and justice in South Africa and he also supported peace between Israeli’s and Palestinian’s and most importantly for me he was, is and always will be my friend and comrade”. Isaacson “I will always be grateful to Ali for what he did for me”.
At the end of a very emotional and stirring meeting held in Ambassadors office the two hugged and promised to ensure they remained in contact. Although they do not agree on everything concerning the path to lasting peace in the middle-east and both recognize that the current state of affairs is rather bleak but they both continue to hold out hope for a 2 State’s Solution. The incredible story of friendship between a PLO diplomat and a Zionist-Orthodox Rabbi who stood up for justice for all people, is something which should serve as model for the possibility of a lasting not only peace between Israeli’s and Palestinian’s but friendship and co-operation. Inshallah, Bezrat Hashem, God Willing speedily in our days Amen!
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