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This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 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!
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7 comments:
I respect the fact that you have decided to stand up against israel, but you are doing the same mistake Barak did, as a matter of fact historically and theologically you can not compare these two nations, we as Tanzanians had just celebrated our 50 years of independence, israel had been a nation for a long time before she was colonized by babylonians, persians, romans, greeks, ottoman empire, arabs (especially muslims) and great britain, the modern day israel which was born 1948 have survived so many wars of aggression from her arabs neighbors but if you look how far modern israel have come in terms of development is just amazing, it has to be God behind it since he promised in the jews and christians scriptures that " israel will rise from ashes and flourish as a nation" don't make no mistake am not condoning this behavior shown by Barak but what am trying to say is that , you describing israel the way you did is almost amount to anti-semitic attitude towards jews and the only jewish nation in the world. nevertheless your liberal point of views is well explained in this article. thank you sir i just had to get this out of my chest, no disrespect.
This is a non-issue. Instead of dealing with a petty issue like this one. Tanzania and its paid officials at home and abroad should focus on addressing important issues at home. Fighting corruption, providing employment, providing quality education, Clean water to villagers and medicine to hospitals.If Tanzania dealt with these issues it will be respected by not only Israel but many other countries in the world.
I wold like to comment about Mr. Baraka topic: this is not about politics but is about how he sees peace and prosperity florishing in our country and he wants tanzanian people to fight unnecessary wars like Israel. This is not going to happening in tanzania. Mr. baraka do not be jealous of Tanzania. We are moving ahead without bullets tone and Tanzania left you behind away long to achieve its peace. An advice to Tanzanian diplomats: Let him call Tanzania all names in the book. In french we always say: Le chien aboie la caravane passe!
We know Mr. Matinyi, You are paid by CCM, I heard you even tried to become the president`s press secretary. I dont hear you say nothing when the TZ government get richer and richer while citizens get poor and poor. You know better Mr. Matinyi.
For a leader from a country whose people have been the victim of horrific prejudices it is astounding to read of Mr Barack's insensitivity. Thankfully there are more sensible Jews than Mr Barack.
Let me respond to Vijimambo readers and contributors as follows:
Anonymous No. 1:
Yes, I know that Israel has a great and long history, and that if one chooses to go by the Scriptures, then Israel will appear to him/her as a “sacred” nation – whether correctly or incorrectly. However, none of these reasons justifies Barak’s reckless comments. Please read my first paragraph again. Secondly, don’t be fooled by the thinking that any argument against Israel's thinking is anti-semitism. Israel is a nation; hence, she must behave like all other nations. Israel being a Jewish nation does not give it any right to misbehave. Finally, whether I have liberal views or conservative views is immaterial in this case; after all I don’t subscribe to Western political thinking, so I don’t sing “their” songs. Sorry!
Anonymous No. 2:
Tanzania, as a nation, we have a responsibility to brand our country, thus, any negative comment about our country should be taken seriously. Furthermore, Barak did not mention any reason behind his comments apart from that childish poetic line ending with …nia; so who are you to look for those reasons? Give me a name of one respected nation that does not harbor the kinds of problems you mentioned. The well-being of a nation and its respect as a nation-state are two different things. Read my article again. Finally, thinking that only paid officials should defend or work for our nation is stupid; we all ought to defend our nation. Do not wait for your nation to do something for you.
Anonymous No. 3:
Thanks for your ideas, but as a nation, we have a duty, obligation and a responsibility to brand our country; therefore, any negative comment about our nation should be taken seriously.
Anonymous No. 4:
First of all, Anony No. 2 and you No. 4 are probably the same person or two persons from the same group of irresponsible Tanzanians. This is not about CCM or the government or the president – both as a person or as an institution; this is about our nation, our country called TANZANIA. But, because of our primitive thinking as Africans with only 50 years of existence as nation-states, most of us do not differentiate between the aforementioned concepts – the presidency, the ruling party, the government, the state, the country and the nation, hence your comments. To you they are all one and the same; otherwise, where does CCM come from? Oh! If CCM is paying people for nothing, please connect me to that deal!
Additionally, nobody has the right to read everything written by a particular person, and in fact it is not possible. In the last few years I have written at least 1,000 op-eds, feature articles, very few news stories, commentaries, etc in various newspapers, websites, blogs, etc. and I have been interviewed several times by Voice of America – Swahili Service, even this week. All these articles and interviews are all still available. No doubt that you haven’t read/listen even to 0.1% percent of them because you don’t sound like a reasonable person who follows up things. So, where did you get this careless observation of yours?
Did you read my articles about Arusha killings of January 2011? … about Yusuf Makamba in January 2011? … Jairo and Luhanjo in August 2011? … and about the future of our economy written in November 2011? In 2009 I also discussed – in a series of several Swahili editorial columns – about our mineral wealth and every evil you know that is happening within the industry. Sir/Madam, if you haven’t seen anyone of them, then you must be a very stupid person to comment like that.
Last but not least, when our president was searching and appointing his press secretary I was a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University. So how could I vie for such a position which doesn’t adhere to any application procedures? My advice to you: Work hard for your own future if you can’t do anything for our nation; stop being loony.
Anonymous No. 5:
Thanks for your comments. As a matter of fact, Ehud Barak, suffers from this syndrome – loose tounge. In Nov. 2011 he angered Israelis when he said: “I would probably strive for nuclear weapons if I were in Iran’s position. Back in 1998 he said: “If I were a Palestinian I would probably have joined one of the terror organizations,” and again angered his fellows Jews. This guy is irresponsible, to say the least.
Thanks,
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