SOUTH AFRICA: A NATION ON EDGE
SOUTHAfrica’sJewsareunder severepressure—andnotjustbecause they live in an aggressively anti-Zionist country.Theyarealsobeingbuffetedby apowerfulinternaldebateoverhowto relate to Israel over its war with Hamas.
Thisweek,JohannesburgJewish teenagerJoshuaBroomberg,deputy headboyofKingDavidHighSchool inVictoryPark,postedaphotograph inwhichheandtwoJewishfriends sported“keffiyehs”toshow “oppositiontothehumanrights violations carried out against the people of Palestine”.A petition of over 2,000signaturesurgedtherevocation ofhisschoolhonours.
Meanwhile,500Jews–among themanti-apartheidveteransand otherprominentindividuals—tooka half-pageadvertinthenational
sayingtheywere“appalled”by Israel’s actions.
Allthiscomesamidpoisonous anti-Israelfeelinginthecountryat large.OnSaturday,around40,000 mainlyMuslimprotestersmarchedin CapeTownagainstIsrael.Themarch, addressedbyArchbishopDesmond Tutu,wassaidtohavebeenoneofthe biggestheldinthecity,rivallingthose heldduringapartheid.
Therehavebeenrepeatedcalls —resistedbygovernment—forthe expulsionoftheIsraelienvoyand forsanctionstobeimposedagainst theJewishstate.Thisweek,former presidentThaboMbekicalledfora boycottofIsraeligoods.
Lastmonth,ANCdeputygeneral secretaryJessieDuartecompared IsraeltoNaziGermanyandGazatothe Holocaustdeathcamps.
Afewdayslater,anANCvolunteer postedapictureofHitlerwiththe caption:“Yesman,youwereright”. Inthewakeofthesetwoincidents, theBoardofDeputiesandthe Jewishcommunityhavelodged separatehatespeechcases withtheSAHumanRights
Commission.