From the Conference - South African viewpoint

Moss Ntlha is an Evangelical Christian pastor in South Africa. He understood the importance of the return of the Jews to Israel for the Jews and for Christian Zionists. From South Africa, he observed Israel and considered that it had been blessed by its military victories. He was pleased to support his Jewish friends by planting trees in the new Israel.

Then he saw a picture of a young person throwing a stone at a military vehicle. He identified with the young person, because he used to throw stones during the South African Apartheid.

Then he discovered that the areas where the trees had been planted was a Palestinian village, and the tree planting was part of a plan to remove all trace of the village. He visited the area and was told the full story of what happened - he realised that there was a blacker side of the story and he wanted to uproot the tree. He returned to South Africa and asked his Jewish friends whether they knew the real reason behind the tree planting. They said that they did not know about the village and he believes them. 

He said that the conflict in Palestine seems to have something in common with the Apartheid in South Africa. His Jewish friends asked him if this was apartheid - he said to them "Who do you think has more credibility to judge whether this is apartheid - you or me?"

Governments were slow to stop apartheid in South Africa. It was ordinary people who started taking action and Governments finally came on board. So it is with Israel. It will be people of the world, and Christians bear a special responsibility, who will finally bring about change. It is not complicated. When something is wrong, you should speak out for change.