Page 2-3 - Hashalom April 17(electronic)

April 2017

HASHALOM

3

“ANTI-SEMITISM IN APARTHEID

WEEK”

Prof Antony Arkin

EDITORIAL

“Israel Apartheid Week” organised by the Boycott, Divestment and

Sanctions (BDS) movement tends to bring together a pretty despicable

group of people with distorted attitudes about Israel who are often

motivated by anti-semitism.

According to the Editorial in the Jerusalem Post many, particularly

the founders and most active members, are utterly opposed to the

existence of a uniquely Jewish state anywhere, let alone in the Jewish

people’s historic homeland. Israel is portrayed as an imperialist force in

Palestine even though Jewish ties to the land of Israel span 38 centuries

of uninterrupted presence.

Some of the alarming incidents on the University of the Witwatersrand

Campus last month included BDS and anti-Israel supporters emulating

Hitler in the Nazi goose-step, flying flags of terrorist organizations and

advocating for the death of Jews and Israeli-Arabs. A video surfaced of

a BDS activist at Wits advocating that “people want to kill Jews because

Jews don’t behave when they are visitors in other people’s countries”. An

event hosted by the SA Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) was disrupted

by pro-Palestinian supporters who cut the wires to the sound system

and stormed the stage. The police were called in to prevent further

violence. Despite the continued threats and intimidation, SAUJS stood

strong and continued to run their programs.

Commentator Howard Feldman in a News 24 op-ed argued that the

“ANC has forsaken its Jewish compatriots”. “And I watch as the history

of my fellow South Africans is stolen and appropriated by sellers of

hate. I watch as the trader of Israel Apartheid Week as they negate

our South African history in order to carve another notch of hatred for

Israel in what is really only about the failure to concede that Israel has

the right to exist at all”.

Feldman argued the ANC government’s “travel ban” to Israel in case its

members see for themselves Israel’s dynamic democracy can only feed

fear and hatred. Evenmore likely to stoke anti-semitismare the remarks

quoted by Itamar Eichner in Ynet, that the South African Minister of

Water and Sanitation, Nomvula Mokonyane, at an Israel Apartheid

event described the terrorist shot by Elor Azaria as a “Palestinian

protester lying on the ground”, accused Israel of practising apartheid to

subjugate Palestinians and “lacking any humanity”. She accused Israel

of conducting a system of water apartheid against Palestinians and

added the Israel Defence Force “was a murderous machine”. Deputy

Secretary-General of the ANC, Jesse Duarte called on the government

to strip South African Jews of their citizenship if they had served in the

IDF. During Operation Protective Edge Duarte had compared Israel’s

military conduct to Nazi behaviour.

National Director of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies Wendy Kahn said

it was not surprising that Israel Apartheid Week had degenerated into

hatred against South African Jews. “The Wits Palestinian Solidarity

Committee staged an aggressive and hate-filled campaign to stop

SAUJS students from providing a different perspective on the Israeli-

Palestinian conflict”. She said this behaviour does not belong in a

democratic South Africa. She concluded by quoting former South

African President Kgalema Motlanthe who warned BDS activists about

anti-semtisim in their campaign saying “Anti-semitic actions couched

in the language of human rights and disguised by its discourse cannot

be countenanced”.

Israel should be proud of what it has accomplished in such a short

period of time while facing seemingly insurmountable challenges. We

are proud of how students from all walks of life, races and religions

stood together in support of Israel during the hostilities. SAUJS is to be

congratulated for uniting Black and White, Christian, Arab and Jewish

students to celebrate Israel and to stand up to the haters.

Contact: Robyn Bradley P.O. Box 10797 Marine Parade 4056

Production Manager: Mrs Robyn Bradley

The views expressed in the pages of Hashalom are not necessarily those of the

Editorial Board or any other organisation or religious body unless otherwise

individual.

Hashalom Editorial Board:

Editor: Prof Antony Arkin

Sub Editor: Mr Colin Plen

Editorial Board: Mrs Mikki Norton, Mrs Michelle Campbell

Commitee: Dr Issy Fisher, Ms Diane McColl, Mrs Lauren Shapiro

Designed by RBG Studios, email: rowan@rbgstudios.co.za

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DEADLINE FOR THE MAY ISSUE: 7 April 2017