By Haroub Othman
1. On 16th October 1967 at the TANU Biannual Conference in Mwanza before more than 2000 delegates, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere delivered a speech on Tanzania Foreign Policy. This statement guided the country's ethical foreign policy for many years during his rule. The following are excerpts relevant to the on-going discussion on Israel/Palestine war:
"Our desire for friendship with every other nation does not, however, mean that we can be unconcerned with world events, or that we should try to buy that friendship with silence on the great issues of world peace and justice. If it is to be meaningful, friendship must be able to withstand honesty in international affairs. Certainly we should refrain from adverse comments on the internal affairs of other states, just as we expect them to do with regard to ourselves. But to stay silent on such issues as Vietnam because one or more powerful nations do not like what we say would
be a disgrace."......
"In the Middle East we have seen yet another outbreak of dangerous and destructive war in recent months. The fighting there was brought to a halt very quickly, but the situation remains one of great danger to us all. Large areas of UAR, Syria and Jordan remain under Israeli occupation.... We are thus very obviously concerned in the matter. But we have other interests too. It is not, and should not be, part of our policy to gloss over an act of aggression because we recognise and have diplomatic relations with the country which commits such aggression."
"The establishment of the state of Israel was an act of aggression against the Arab people. It was connived at by the international community because of the history of persecution against the Jews. This persecution reached
its climax in the murder by Nazi Germany of six million Jewish men, women, and children ...... The survivors of this persecution sought security in a Jewish national state in Arab Palestine. The international community
accepted this. The Arab states did not and could not accept that act of aggression. We believe that there cannot be lasting peace in the Middle East until the Arab states have accepted the fact of Israel. But the Arab states cannot be beaten into such acceptance. On the contrary, attempts to coerce the Arab states into recognising Israel - whether it be by refusal to relinquish occupied territory, or by an insistence on direct negotiations between the two sides - would only make such acceptance impossible.
"In expressing our hope that a peaceful settlement of this terribly difficult situation will soon become possible, it is necessary for us to accept two things. First, Israel's desire to be acknowledged as a nation is understandable. But second, and equally important, that Israel's occupation of the territories of UAR, Jordan and Syria, must be brought to an end. Israel must evacuate the areas she overran in June this year -
without exception - before she can reasonably expect Arab countries will begin to acquiesce in her national presence. Israel has had her victory, at terrible cost in human lives. She must now accept that the United
Nations which sanctioned her birth is, and must be, unalterably opposed to territorial aggrandizement by force or threat of force.
"That is Tanzania's position. We recognise Israel and wish to be friendly with her as well as with the Arab nations. But we cannot condone aggression on any pretext, nor accept victory in war as a justification
for the exploitation of other lands, or government over other peoples."
2. As a result of Israeli aggression against Egypt, an African country, and occupation of its territory, Tanzania broke off diplomatic relations with Israel and ordered its Ambassador to leave the country. At that time Israel was involved in a number of development projects such settlement schemes, training of youth leaders, building of Kilimanjaro Hotel, training of national security personnel, etc., but all these were stopped.
3. In 1973 Tanzania recognised PLO as a legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and was the first African country to have allowed PLO to open an Embassy in Dar es Salaam.
4. As a result of the siege of Beirut by the Israeli armed forces and the massacres carried out by Ariel Sharron in Sabra and Shatilla in 1982, we were the only country in the world that held a demonstration in support of
the Palestinians. This event was organised by CCM Youth League and supported by a number of groups, including students and members of staff from this university. The demonstration was received by the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs.
5. In 1984 at this very university an international conference on Palestine was held organised by IDS, Centre for Foreign Relations and Beirut-based Institute of Palestinian Studies. The conference was opened
by the then Foreign Minister, Dr Salim Ahmed Salim. Papers from the conference were published in Harare in a book which I edited. Copies are available both in the university library and IDS Documentation Centre. It
was at that meeting that a Tanzania-Palestine Solidarity Committee was established. The committee still exists under the chairmanship of Prof Joe Kanywanyi.
6. In 1984 when Comrade Yasser Arafat came on an official visit to the country, he met with some members of the Solidarity Committee and expressed his appreciation for the act of solidarity that Tanzanians had
shown towards the people of Palestine. He asked how could they reciprocate. A suggestion was made that perhaps Palestinian doctors who could not go back home could come to Tanzania and offer their services.
Within no time a group of Palestinian doctors came to Tanzania, and started working for free at what became known as a Palestinian Health Centre along Shekilango Road in Sinza Area.
7. In 1999 Mwalimu Nyerere, a devout Catholic, was invited to Bethlehem to attend the 2000 Millennium celebrations, but he declined because he did not want to go to an occupied country. He considered doing so would tantamount to condoning occupation!
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