The outcome of South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is unlikely to have any more effect on the war in Gaza than the court’s ruling against Russia’s actions in Ukraine had on Vladimir Putin. But apartheid has some lessons Israel — and the Palestinians – would do well to absorb.… Read the rest
“Cometh the hour, cometh the man” is a cliché of disputed origins. It is also an apt description of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He would no doubt have referred any who applied it to him to the Gospel of John (4:23): “But the hour is coming, and is now here…” — which begs the question: Where are his successors?… Read the rest
“I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.”
Nelson Mandela’s words on the day he was released from being the 20th century’s most famous political prisoner have been shredded by his successors.… Read the rest
… Read the restAmong the many privileges of being a roving foreign correspondent is encountering stark, and sometimes edifying contradictions in the midst of chaos. Over time, they help build a prism through which to view today’s world.
Since 1973, I’ve reported on wars, civil upheavals, famines, natural disasters, and uncountable non-hazardous news events in nearly 100 countries on six continents.