PRESS RELEASE: S.African Diplomat rejects & returns Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs "gift"
18 June 2013
 
South Africa's ambassador to Israel, Ismail Coovadia, who completed his term in Tel Aviv last December, has rejected and is returning a "gift" presented to him by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The "gift" was a certificate [find a copy here: http://tinyurl.com/lv8rvgq] indicating that 18 trees would be planted in honour and in the name of the South African Ambassador by the Israeli parastatal, the Jewish National Fund (JNF). The move by Coovadia is set to add to the already tense relations between Pretoria and Tel Aviv. In a hard hitting letter, Coovadia explains the reasoning for his actions:
 
"I have recently completed serving my term as the fifth Ambassador of democratic, non-racial South Africa to the State of Israel...regrettably, my permission was not sought [by the JNF nor the Israeli Government] to plant a tree/s in my or the name of the South African Ambassador on usurped land, the rightful land of the Palestinians and Bedouins. I reserve the right to the usage of my name...I have supported the struggle against Apartheid South Africa and now I cannot be a proponent of what I have witnessed in Israel, and that is, a replication of Apartheid!"

"The 'Certificate' awarded to me by Mr. Rafael Barak, the Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the backing of the Jewish National Fund (JNF), is nothing less than an offence to my dignity and integrity. I was not a party to, and never will be, to the planting of '18 trees', in my 'honour', on expropriated and stolen land...I shall be returning the 'Certificate' to the Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a humble request to remove the '18 trees...... planted... in my honour'." [Find the full letter by Ambassador Coovadia below this press release or here: http://tinyurl.com/l4r537t].
 
The gift 'Cetificate' to the former South African ambassador was co-signed by the controversial Israeli parastatal organization, the Jewish National Fund (JNF). The JNF is the subject of a recently released documentary titled "Village Under the Forest" by Emmy-award winning filmmaker, Mark Kaplan and Cape Town based Jewish scholar, Heidi Grunebaum. The film explores the role of the Israeli-parastatal, the Jewish National Fund (JNF), in building the "South Africa Forest" over the Israeli-destroyed Palestinian village of Lubya (destroyed by Israeli forces in 1948, during the Palestinian "Nakba"). The JNF is celebrated by Israel and its supporters for its forest building work, however, the JNF is also criticized by human rights activists and experts for its involvement in the Israeli oppression and "ethnic-cleansing" against the indigenous Palestinian people, and specifically the construction of forests above Israeli-destroyed Palestinian villages in an attempt to erase traces of Palestinian life.

In his letter Coovadia writes at length of the Jewish National Fund and the movie, "Village Under the Forest":
 
"The racist actions of the Israeli parastatal, the Jewish National Fund, together with various other Israeli state institutions to forcibly remove the Palestinians and Bedouins from their legitimate homes is yet another repeat of the ongoing injustice meted out by the Israeli Defence Forces...I have had the opportunity to visit both, the 'South Africa Forest' [built above the village of Lubya] and the 'Ambassador's Forest' [built above the Israeli destroyed Palestinian village of Al-Arakib] in Israel where trees are reportedly planted in the name of South Africa...my queries, to the Israeli Foreign Ministry officials [regarding this], have gone un-answered for over a year."

"The forced removal by Israel of Lubyans from their place of abode bears all the hallmarks of Apartheid South Africa’s forced removals of the legitimate inhabitants of Sophiatown...I am pleased to be associated with the film 'Village under the Forest', a truly objective , honest and a far reaching story that requires national and international viewing...[and which] hopefully, will also inspire other recipients to consider returning [JNF] trees that were planted [in Israel] in their names."

The Jewish National Fund (JNF), tries to operate as a charity in some countries including South Africa, but is coming under increasing protest by the Palestinian boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel movement for its involvement in the Israeli displacement, forced removals and oppression of the indigenous Palestinian people. Recently, after months of nationwide protests, South Africa's largest toy retailer, "Reggies", terminated its charity relationship with the JNF.
 
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In a related story, immediately following the release of the film, "Village under the Forest", the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference stated that it is considering ending its ties with the Israeli para-statal organization, the Jewish National Fund (JNF), over the JNF's complicity in the Israeli oppression of Palestinians.

According to West Cape News: "The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference may severe collaborations with the Jewish National Fund (JNF) following the premier of a film at the Encounters International Documentary Festival which criticizes Israeli occupation of Palestine....[The] Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) said their collaborations with JNF had been 'based on ignorance' and would not partner with an organisation alleged to be oppressing Palestinians and forcing them off their land...Father Michael Deeb of the SACBC’s Justice and Peace department said they were 'very concerned' about JNF’s alleged role in trying to erase the identity of Palestinians who lived in Lubya."
 
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Meanwhile, BDS South Africa have officially written to South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation requesting an investigation into the use of the name of "South Africa" by Israeli authorities for the forest planted above the Israeli destroyed Palestinian village of Lubya. BDS South Africa contends that permission cannot be granted to Israel on ethical and policy grounds, in its letter to DIRCO, BDS South Africa writes:
 
"Permission [to name the forest above the Israeli destroyed Palestinian vilalge of Lubya] may have been granted to Israel in the 1980s by Apartheid South Africa, however, given South Africa's painful history of forced removals (which have been compared, by DIRCO itself, to current day Israeli practices, see: http://tinyurl.com/pm9lmq3), the Group Areas Act and other apartheid policies (which, again, DIRCO itself has compared to Israel, see: http://tinyurl.com/mvwcnrd) together with South Africa's deep solidarity and support for the Palestinian people (and their progressive Israeli allies), post-1994 Democratic South Africa cannot be associated with such Israeli destruction and displacement. " [Find the full letter by BDS South Africa to DIRCO here: http://tinyurl.com/kafaeqykafaeqy]
 
 
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ISSUED BY BDS SOUTH AFRICA'S SPOKESPERSON, MUHAMMED DESAI. FOR COMMENT:
 
MUHAMMED DESAI, BDS SOUTH AFRICA: +27 (0) 842119988
ISMAIL COOVADIA, FORMER SOUTH AFRICAN AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL: +27 (0) 825779786
 
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