SA Jewry feel betrayed by ANC downgrade position
The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) and the South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) strongly condemn the ANC’s resolution to downgrade the South African Embassy in Israel. We question the motives behind this discriminatory decision that would effectively prevent South Africa from playing any mediatory role in bringing about peace or dialogue between Israel and Palestine. This downgrade will do nothing for the Palestinian people, and have a detrimental effect on South Africans. We further question the motives of organisations and individuals who have managed to “capture” the ANC’s international relations agenda including the BDS.
It appears to us that the ANC’s foreign policy formulation process was hijacked by forces that have a limited interest in promoting South Africa’s and key South African communities’ wellbeing and are rather obsessed with undermining the viability of Israel and harming the local Jewish community. The broad presence of Hamas – a terrorist organisation which actively calls for the destruction of Israel - at the Elective Conference and its extensive lobbying efforts supports this view.
Those who are calling for the downgrade, as was clearly evident at the ANC International Relations Commission, including the usual suspects of Bongani Masuku (who has a hate speech ruling against him for threatening the Jewish community) and Mohamed Desai (now famously known for justifying the singing of “Shoot the Jew”) are consistent in their desire to demonise Israel, while real human rights abuses like those occurring in Libya, Mynamar and Syria, among others, are ignored. They are pushing their radical anti-Israel agenda to the detriment of fellow South Africans, and against the interests of the country as a whole.
This is how South Africa will be poorer.
1) South Africans will be economically poorer: A downgrade will negatively affect the South African economy by jeopardising (to name but a few) trade, tourism, access to hi tech and water technology.