Denis Goldberg was a Jewish, South African, anti-apartheid activist accused alongside Nelson Mandela in the Rivonia Trial and imprisoned for 22 years. Goldberg became a vocal critic of Israel and a supporter of the Palestinian cause, saying: “There is no doubt in my mind that Israel is an apartheid state. […] Having lived through apartheid in South Africa, I cannot allow in my name the same kind of oppression to go on.” Learn more about Denis Goldberg in these tributes from Israeli author Gideon Levy in Haaretz and the New York Times.
Jewish News wrote an obituary about Goldberg, extolling his role in ending South African Apartheid.
SABS News, a South African news network, produced, The Life and Times of Denis Goldberg, a video about Goldberg’s life.
Middle East Monitor also published an obituary about Goldberg, describing in more detail Goldberg’s stand against mistreatment of Palestinians. Goldberg believed the occupation of Palestine and separate laws for different groups of people made Israel an apartheid state. “There is no doubt in my mind that Israel is an apartheid state… Having lived through apartheid in South Africa, I cannot allow in my name the same kind of oppression to go on,” Goldberg said at an event discussing lessons for the Palestine-Israel conflict from those who struggled against apartheid.
Goldberg died April 29, 2020.
