A significant amount of criticism has been leveled at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over his decision to skip Nelson Mandela’s funeral this Tuesday in Johannesburg. Israeli President Shimon Peres, age 90, will also not attend — according to his aides, doctors advised him not to make the trip.
Netanyahu’s foregoing the event, however, citing cost as the reason, prompted a derisive — sometimes sneering — response, with some even calling for a fundraiser to ‘help’ send the PM to the event.
But over at Haaretz, Ilene Prusher has a nice overview of Mandela’s views on the Israeli/Palestinian issue. Prusher notes that, although he “fully endorsed Israel’s right to exist,” Mandela’s “most notable quotes on the conflict remind us why Netanyahu may have decided it wasn’t worth the trip.” Reading over the summary of Mandela’s views, the PM’s decision seems quite reasonable and fully understandable.
It is worth a quick read. You may find it here.
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