South African Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein has strongly defended Israel against charges that it practices Apartheid, which was the official policy of the separation of the black majority by the former white government in the country.
Writing in the Times of South Africa, he stated that the only analogy between Israel and South Africa is that both countries were forced into an armed struggle because there was no partner for peace.
He wrote that the accusations against Israel of Apartheid "defame the Jewish state and also diminish the victims of the real apartheid — the men, women and children of our beloved South Africa — who suffered for centuries under arrogant, heartless colonialism, and then for decades under the brutal apartheid policies of racial superiority, oppression and separation inflicted by the National Party. If everything is apartheid, then nothing is apartheid." 
Accusations against Israel of Apartheid "defame the Jewish state and also diminish the victims of the real Apartheid.
Former American President Jimmy Carter last year published a controversial book entitled Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid in which he accused Israel of practicing the policy of Apartheid by building the security barrier against suicide bombers.
Rabbi Goldstein wrote that if the number of deaths at the hands of terrorists were proportionately applied to South Africa, there would have been more than 10,000 murdered and 80,000 injured.
He declared that Jews and Arabs in Israel are equal before the law and pointed out, "Israel has none of the apartheid legislative machinery devised to discriminate against and separate people."
The Chief Rabbi emphasized that many Arab citizens hold positions of authority throughout the Jewish state, including that of cabinet minister, Knesset Members and judges.
"All citizens vote on the same voters' roll in regular, multiparty elections, and there are Arab parties and Arab members of other parties in Israel’s parliament," the rabbi told his readers.
He also denounced the term "occupation," explaining that in 1967 Israel restored Judea, Samaria and Gaza to Jewish sovereignty and that its legal status is unclear. "It is incorrect legally, factually and even morally to speak of an occupation that implies there was once a Palestinian entity in these territories, and that this is now occupied by Israeli forces…. By contrast, Israel is the third Jewish state, the first dating back 3280 years to when Joshua led the Jewish people into the land of Israel."
He concluded, "Our South African experience has taught us that you cannot make peace unless both parties to the conflict wish to resolve it. When the Arab world is ready to make peace, Israel will be there immediately."