Israeli forces attacking pallbearers at Shireen Abu Akleh’s funeral in occupied East Jerusalem was “chillingly reminiscent of the brutality meted out to mourners at the funerals of anti-apartheid activists in apartheid-era South Africa.” This is according to the foundation of South African liberation icon the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
In a statement released on Saturday Mamphela Ramphele director of the Desmond Tutu Foundation said:
“The scenes of members of the Israeli security forces attacking pallbearers at the funeral in Jerusalem of slain journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on Friday were chillingly reminiscent of the brutality meted out to mourners at the funerals of anti-apartheid activists in South Africa during our struggle for freedom. As Archbishop Tutu taught us the perpetrators of violence and human rights violations might think they are advancing their goals but are in fact undermining their own humanity and integrity.”
Ramphele who was the partner of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko added that members of the Israeli security forces were “evidently responsible” for Abu Akleh being shot in the head on Wednesday as she covered news in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
“To further inflame the situation by attacking her funeral cortege is like seeking to extinguish righteous flames with a can of petrol” she said.
Other South Africans also joined an international outcry after Israeli security forces attacked the pallbearers on Friday.
Prominent political analyst Eusebius McKaiser said the violence was all too familiar. “South Africans have such memory. Apartheid police also liked attacking us at our funerals after murdering us” he wrote.
