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Mobhare Matinyi
WITH AN EAGLE’S EYE
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The recent remarks by the Israeli Defence Minister, Ehud Barak, which implied that the United Republic of Tanzania is irrelevant to Israel, deserve the strongest condemnation from everyone that respects the integrity of a nation-state. That statement was deplorable, to say the least!
It all started on December 20 when Britain, France, Germany and Portugal, currently the four European members of the United Nations Security Council, issued a joint communiqué condemning Israel’s decision to unveil the construction of 1,028 new illegal settler units in East al-Quds and the West Bank.
Upon hearing the European statement the Israeli Foreign ministry responded harshly and that response angered Barak who fired back: “We don’t accept their position on these matters, [but] they are very relevant,” openly insisting that France and Britain will protect Israel from being brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The Jerusalem Post quoted Barak as saying: “I don’t think we have an interest in turning them into bitter and insulted foes.” Alright, fair enough! But here is where he fumbled in his reckless poetic argument: “Germany, France and Britain are not Tanzania, Mauritania and Tripolitania. These [European countries] are very important in the world, and we have no interest in increasing the tension.”
That is when Tanzania’s Honorary Consul to Israel, Kasbian Nuriel Chirich, sent a diplomatic note to the Israeli Foreign ministry articulating: ''On behalf of the United Republic of Tanzania I wish to express regret over the comments made by Defence Minister Ehud Barak, who, in an attempt to (emphasize) the importance of key European countries, chose to belittle Tanzania and even compare it to a country that does not exist."
Badly, Tripolitania is an ancient Libyan province.
Indeed, that statement was derogatory to Tanzania by any standards but unfortunately some people chose to side with Barak sloppily simply because they are dissatisfied with our government’s ways of handling economic affairs. Well, these are two different issues.
Since when did economic strength alone stand as a yard stick for any country’s relevance? So what about poor North Korea?
Notably, Tanzania despite being a developing country was and is still relevant in global affairs depending on what the issue is.
In fact, while Tanzania has been a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council twice in its 50-year history, Israel has never been in its 60-plus year’s history.No wonder that Professor Ali Mazrui praised our first president, Julius Nyerere, for placing Tanzania on the world map of international politics. But Israel is famous for causing troubles constantly.
When the UN Secretary General was searching for his deputy in 2007 he didn’t see an Israeli but a Tanzanian, Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro. Responsibly, Barak should also have recalled that in 1981 when he was still killing Palestinians, the United States had to exercise its veto to stop a Tanzanian Dr Salim Ahmed Salim from becoming the UN chief after all other nations had agreed to support him. Not a single Israeli has come this close.
Additionally, Tanzania has never committed the evils that Israel does to Palestinians; instead Tanzania has liberated millions of Africans from colonialism and dictatorships.
Frankly, if we want again, for our hatred of injustice, we can rally many developing countries against Israel as we did in the past. On another note, Israel with just six million people today, is the number one beggar in the world receiving $3 billion annually in aid from the US alone with at least $1.2 billion going into development projects, and another $750 million of the military aid remaining in Israel to boost its economy.
It is incomprehensible for a tiny begging-nation like Israel to disparage Tanzania which according to one American organization, Visual Economics, has received a mere $2.89 billion in the last 50 years as Official Development Aid, less than what Israel receives annually? Please, don’t compare the two!
According to authors John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt in their book The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy, total US aid to Israel since World War II was well over $140 billion in 2003 while the US Congressional Research Service’s conservative estimate of total cumulative US aid to Israel amounts to $109 billion from 1949 to 2010 without any inflation adjustment.
Barak, a retired general and controversial politician, should have known better that his tiny enclave that can be wiped off the earth’s surface the moment Americans withdraw their support, has no right whatsoever to belittle any nation on earth, not even Somalia.
Israel, which some pundits call it a criminal state, no matter how powerful it thinks is, has no right to disparage any country.After all Israel is the only nation that can cease to exist in one day if Americans dump it; Tanzania won’t. With all due respect, Mr Barak, please watch your tongue and have a wonderful new year!
Mr Matinyi is a consultant based in Washington, DC
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Comments
Your article has millions of misleading theories some of which have been motivated by unneccesary hatred toward jewish people.Suppose ,If Israel state wants to recall all N' words, name callings, and bashing statements, that we used to strike at them durring Palestinians day festival, will you stand a chance to blame our foreign ministry? was that not bullying toward Israelis? com on,buddy?To be candid with you, salim ahamed salim was kicked out of UN secretary race, because his country of origin(TZ) did not have a diplomatic tie with the country that babysits son of jackob, get me buddy?Who told that, Israel could be wipped off the world map within a day? the six days war in 1967 was enough to give you a feed back!!!
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