Israel Lists New Anti-Apartheid Sanctions Against South Africa

Israel has banned investment in South Africa, restricted cultural ties with that nation and will refuse to buy its Krugerrands under a new set of tough anti-apartheid sanctions made public here Friday.

A total of 10 sanctions against South Africa were adopted Wednesday at a meeting of Israel’s “Inner Cabinet,” which had been considering taking such action for much of the summer.

But the details were withheld for two days apparently due to a disagreement between Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres over who would announce the sanctions, government sources said.

Under the sanctions, no new investments in South Africa will be allowed unless a specific exception is approved by a special government committee of representatives of the Finance and Foreign Affairs ministries and the Bank of Israel.

Israel is also halting government loans to South Africa, the sale and transfer of oil products to Pretoria and the import of Krugerrands, South Africa’s gold coin.

The measures are described as parallel to sanctions adopted by the European Communities.

Israel had come under increasing U.S. government and American Jewish pressure to adopt a tougher stand against South Africa, which has been one of the Jewish state’s strongest allies in Africa.

Under U.S. government pressure Israel has already halted arms sales to South Africa, and Jewish leaders in the United States have voiced concern that continued ties with South Africa would erode Israeli support in Congress.

The sanctions adopted by the Cabinet included:

-- A freezing of the iron and steel import quota.

-- Limiting cultural ties between the countries to “conform to the State of Israel’s basic negative view of the apartheid regime.”

-- Limiting athletic ties to those set by international sports associations.

-- Halting government support of tourism in South Africa.

-- Refusing to sign any new joint scientific agreements.

-- Refusing visits to South Africa by Israeli civil servants without Foreign Ministry approval.

The government also said it will stop goods from being shipped through Israel on their way to or from South Africa that might involve circumventing sanctions imposed by a third party.