IDI AMIN WARNING TO ISRAEL, RHODESIA AND SOUTH AFRICA

Once upon a time, standing with the oppressed was a usual occurrence on the continent. In this clip, former Ugandan President Idi Amin opened the 1975 Organisation of African Unity’s summit in the Ugandan capital of Kampala with a warning to Rhodesians, South Africans and Zionists. His words came to pass more than 40 years later when, in response to decades of Israeli oppression, Palestinians in Gaza struck back, shattering the myth that Israel’s ‘deterrence’ was both necessary and effective.

As for Rhodesia (the colonial name for most of the area occupied by today’s Zimbabwe) and apartheid South Africa, those states were relegated to the dustbin of history. The white minority-ruled countries unravelled under pressure after decades of the struggle for African independence. Countries like Angola, Tanzania and Mozambique played a key role by hosting Zimbabwean and South African rebels on their territory. Amin explained the struggle in Palestine transcends religion, and that shows that millions of people from many faiths around the world have, in recent months, flooded streets in solidarity with Palestine.