District Six Removals and Ethnic Cleansing of Palestinians – Do Parallels Exist?

Abstract

This essay tries to trace parallels between proposed ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza and forced removals in South Africa during Apartheid. As perfect historical example the razing to ground of District 6 in Cape Town in mid-1970ies is quoted.

This with regard of a social analysis of Richard Rive`s 1986 novel „Buckingham Palace, District 6“, divided into 3 main parts and each section introduced by the author`s personal memories.

Furthermore, Mr Rive constituted an integral part of my series of artists talks from 1986/87, entitled ROLE OF ARTIST IN SOCIETY, 24 INTERVIEWS FROM SOUTH AFRICA. The book laid groundwork for my New Theory of  Art – socially based ANTOA.

Even though Mr Rive`s fictional masterpiece was published almost 40 years before the fact, strong parallels between forced segregation under Afrikaner Nationalist Apartheid law and current proposals, however fictitious, by the Trump regime in US and that of Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, do indeed exist.

Keywords: Apartheid Law - Artist´s Role – District 6 - Ethnic Cleansing – Forced Removals - Gaza – Human – Humour – Israel - Palestinians – Racial Segregation – Resistance - Richard Rive – Social Situation –  South Africa.