South Af'rica-Middle Eastern Relations (circa zyxw 1948-1994) by Muhammed Haron, Ph.D. University of the Western Cape, South Africa zy Originally delivered at the 1995MESACoiifereitce in Washington, D.C. Introduction South Africa's geographical position andits vast natural resources have been the key elements in shaping her foreign policy. These two elements played such a crucial role that the traditional great powers, namely Britain and the USA, maintainedvery strongdiplomatic and commercial ties with South Africaso that no otherpower, such as the Soviet Union, was in the position to challenge or even undermine their spheres ofinfluence and power bases. Since South Africa found itself in a secure setting with the full backing of the Western powers, its foreign policy was vigorously pursued within the Southern African region. It has, however, not only extended its influence beyond its borders, but also extended its hand in friendship to other pariah states such zyxw as Israel and Taiwan. Moreover, its foreign policy has, to alarge degree, been determined by its domestic policy, which was based upon the philosophy of racial discrimination (Pienaar 1987:175). This paper intends to provide a chronological overview and an analysisofthe relationship between South Africa and the Middle East. It will, however, cover the government-to-government relationship and also make brief reference where necessary to the ties which exist between non-governmental organizations and their international counterpartsin the Middle East.