Against the tide by Steven Friedman

2025-09-26

In many countries, Palestine has become a test for democracy. Around the world, most people want an end to the genocide and justice for Palestinians. But many governments either ignore them or offer token gestures rather than what their voters want. As they continue to ignore their own citizens, their claims to be democratic are losing all credibility.

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Steven Friedman is a public commentator and an academic, currently employed as a Research Professor at the University of Johannesburg. He has been writing on South African politics for the entire democratic period both as a scholar and public commentator. He has published books on South Africa’s transition to democracy, the role of the trade union movement, and current South African politics. He has also written columns and articles for several South African newspapers. His writing seeks to use academic research to shed light on current politics but to ensure that this is conveyed in a way easily understood by people who have no academic training.