PRESS RELEASE: Protest against Hypocritical SA Jewish Board of Deputies Conference (Sunday 14 Sept in Sandton, Johannesburg)

14 SEPTEMBER 2014

The South African Palestine solidarity and human rights organisation, BDS South Africa, agrees with the ANC Youth League that that the SA Jewish Board of Deputies are a bunch of hypocrites.

In preparation towards the SA Jewish Board of Deputies upcoming conference due to start today (Sunday 14 September in Sandton, Johannesburg) the SA Jewish Board of Deputies released a statement trying to disingenuously suggest that it played a positive role in the struggle against Apartheid. The truth is that individual Jews who did support the struggle against Apartheid (like Comrades Joe Slovo, Ronnie Kasrils, Ben Turok etc.) were ostracised by the SAJBD attacked and even called by some: "not Jewish". The SAJBD, as an organisation, supported Apartheid - it was not against it! This is well documented in several books including the recent book "The Unspoken Alliance: Israel's Secret Relationship with Apartheid South Africa" (click here).

The SAJBD tries to portray itself as a religious organization however it functions more as the Israeli government lobby group in South Africa. The SA Jewish Board of Deputies has not only consistently defended the government of Israel whenever it makes a decision to attack the people of Palestinian people, but they have also tried to justify Israel's ongoing oppression of Palestine. Recently during the horrific attacks on the Palestinian Gaza Strip, that resulted in the death of over 1900 Palestinians (more than 491 of them children), the SA Jewish Board of Deputies was one of the few South African organizations that shamefully supported the Israeli attacks on Gaza.

We would like to clarify and welcome the fact that the ANC Provincial Leader and Gauteng Premier David Makhura is NOT speaking at today's conference as was advertised by the SAJBD. This non-participation by Comrade Makhura is welcomed as we see no reason why any leader of the ANC should be on a platform hosted by the SAJBD. The SAJBD has publicly attacked and condemned the ANC, most recently when the ANC slammed the Israeli attacks on Gaza. The SAJBD has also viciously attacked and tried to undermine the ANC Deputy Secretary General, Comrade Jessie Duarte in particular, due to the ANC's long-standing support for the Palestinian people. The SAJBD through its political wing the SA Zionist Federation was part of an advertisement in the run up to the recent national elections discouraging voters to vote for the ANC (click here). The SAJBD was also part of a pro-Israeli rally during the attacks on Gaza to counter “ANC hostilities” (see attached).

Many South African Jews have recently come out in their numbers distancing themselves from Israel and the SAJBD, we salute them. In fact anti-Zionist Jews who do not support Israel were (and still are) demonised by groups such as the SAJBD for their progressive positions on the issue of Palestine. We condemn the way in which the SAJBD tries to suppress freedom of speech of Jewish community members who choose not to support a pro-Israel/pro-war position. Our and the ANC Youth League's condemnation of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies should in no way be seen as an attack on the Jewish people, we condemn all forms of racism including anti-semitism but are unapologetically opposed to Zionism and support for Israeli Apartheid policies. We have many Jewish comrades in our movement who we celebrate. Our issue is with the organization, the SAJBD, which is basically a pro-Israeli lobby group in our country.

A protest is planned for today (Sunday, 14 September) outside the SA Jewish Board of Deputies Conference in Sandton (Johannesburg) under the following details:
Date: Today, 14 September 2014 (Sunday)
Time: 14:30
Venue: Investec Offices, Corner Rivonia and Grayston Drive, Sandton, Johannesburg

ISSUED BY MUHAMMED DESAI ON BEHALF OF BDS SOUTH AFRICA

BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS AGAINST ISRAEL in SOUTH AFRICA (BDS SOUTH AFRICA)
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