The Republic of South Africa and Israel belong to the group of developed capitalist states. They lie far apart from each other, their histories are unlike. Yet they play an identical role in the capitalist world. Both are imperialism’s strongholds, the Republic of South Africa on the African continent, Israel—in the Middle East.

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

p The Republic of South Africa occupies the southernmost part of the African continent. It is a large capitalist state both in area (over 1.2 million sq. km.) and in population (21.3 million). The capital, Pretoria, has 550,000 inhabitants. The Republic was established on the basis of former British possessions.

p The bourgeois government has instituted a reign of terror in the state and pursues a policy of apartheid. Numbering less than four million, European colonisers (English and 139 Afrikanders) oppress the non-white population comprising about 15 million Africans and two million people of Asian extraction.

p All non-Europeans are deprived of political rights and are brutally exploited by the white minority. The reactionary ruling circles of South Africa also oppress the indigenous population of Namibia which they have illegally occupied.

p The Republic of South Africa is an industrial-agrarian state whose economy is dominated by a powerful state- monopoly sector and by foreign capital. Monopoly capital from the Federal Republic of Germany and other capitalist powers is penetrating deeper and deeper into the economy of the country.

p Heavy industry, extractive and manufacturing, is the foundation of the economy.

p Its mining industry supplies the capitalist market with key strategic raw and other materials. On an average the republic annually produces up to 1,000 tons of gold, over seven million carats of diamonds, 3,500 tons of uranium, 1,200,000 tons of chromite, 2,600,000 tons of manganese ore and also considerable quantities of copper, tin, antimony and other minerals a large part of which is exported to the USA, Western Europe and Japan.

p The republic’s iron and steel production (up to five million tons of steel annually), ferrous metallurgy, power industry (about 50,000 million kwh annually) and chemical industry are developing on the basis of its fuel and raw material resources. Its five oil refineries annually process more than 13 million tons of imported crude oil.

p Engineering, shipbuilding in particular, is the leading industry, and armaments production is developing rapidly.

p The major industrial centres are Johannesburg (1.3 million inhabitants) with the surrounding towns of Benoni, Springs, Germiston, Pretoria (metallurgical, engineering and chemical industries), Cape Town (shipbuilding), Durban, Port Elizabeth and some others.

The South African Republic is not self-sufficient in cereals, potatoes, and some animal products and has to import them. At the same time its capitalist farms are increasing the production of wool, fruits and other agricultural products which are exported to capitalist countries. Observing a United Nations resolution, the socialist countries 140 and many developing states do not trade with the Republic of South Africa, that stronghold of racialism and neocolonialism on the African continent.

ISRAEL

p Situated in the Middle East, the Israeli republic is an industrial-agrarian state. It has a population of about three million, of whom 300,000 are Arabs. The capital is Tel Aviv.

p The territory of Israel, within the boundaries denned by the UNO decision of 1947 on the formation of a Jewish state, is 14,000 sq. km. Striving to enlarge the territory of the country "from the Euphrates to the Nile”, the Israeli ruling circles in the course of aggressive wars annexed first 7,000 sq. km. of land belonging to Arab Palestine and then occupied more than 60,000 sq. km. in Egypt, Syria and Jordan.

p Relying on the political, financial and military support of imperialist circles, Israel ignores the UN Security Council resolution of November 22, 1967 on the withdrawal of all Israeli troops from all occupied Arab territories. Enforcing a policy of annexation, the Israeli ruling circles are illegally developing the occupied Arab lands and resorting to brutal terror in an effort to assert their domination.

p Israel’s economy is geared to aggressive plans of seizing Arab territories. The principal branch is the manufacturing industry in which a prominent place is occupied by the light and food industries and diamond-polishing. Chemical, engineering, automobile, electrotechnical, and radio electronics industries, which are closely connected with arms production, are developing in the country.

p The majority of the industrial enterprises are situated in Tel Aviv (population about 400,000), the port of Haifa (more than 200,000 inhabitants) and in several other towns. A weak side in the country’s industry is the shortage of raw materials and fuel which are imported in large quantities.

p Agriculture specialises in the production of citrus fruits. Wheat, rice and corn are also cultivated. There is also beef, cattle and particularly poultry farming. Nevertheless, Israel produces less than fifty per cent of her requirements in food.

p The continued militarisation of the country is undermining her economy and is leading to a decline in the material welfare of the population. Vast expenditures on armaments and the maintenance of the armed forces swell the foreign trade deficit and increase her dependence on foreign capital.

By helping Israel the imperialists and Zionist circles connected with them are endeavouring to use it as a weapon in their struggle against the progressive regimes in Egypt and Syria and as a bridgehead for re-establishing imperialist positions in the Middle East. The progressive public throughout the world is demanding the speediest elimination of the consequences of the Israeli aggression and is convinced that the Arab people supported by socialist countries and all peace-loving forces will frustrate imperialism’s treacherous plans and that the cause of the progressive development of the peoples of the Arab East will triumph.