11 February 2014
The African National Congress (ANC) Youth League in the Western Cape is shocked to learn that two South African opposition parties Agang and the Democratic Alliance (DA) together with the DA’s parliamentary candidate Advocate Glynnis Breytenbach, are being funded by Nathan Kirsh, the director and owner of Israel’s Magal Security Systems which is complicit in the construction of Israel’s illegal Apartheid Wall (
www.whoprofits.org/company/magal-security-systems).
Magal Security Systems was founded in 1969 as a department of the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). In 1984 Magal Security Systems was established as a private company, with some shares still held by IAI but with 24.2% of Magal Security System shares being held by Nathan Kirsh, through holdings in Mira Mag and Ki Corporation, both of the companies are registered in Liberia. The 24.2% stake in Magal Security Systems makes Nathan Kirsh its largest shareholder, Kirsh is also the Director of the company (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magal_Security_Systems).
Nathan Kirsh's Magal Security Systems in September 2002 won 80% of the tenders (totaling 19 million USD) published by the Israeli Ministry of Defence to install detection systems along 150 KM of Israel’s Apartheid Wall in the Israeli Occupied Palestinian West Bank (
www.whoprofits.org/company/magal-security-systems). Israel’s Apartheid Wall was deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2004 thus making Magal Security Systems and its Director, Nathan Kirsch, complicit in criminal activity. Following the 2004 ruling by the ICJ, two Danish companies, the Danske Bank and the Pensioner Bank (PKA) both decided to withdraw all investments from Magal Security System (
http://tinyurl.com/nbto2wj).
How can Agang, the DA and the DA’s parliamentary candidate accept monies from, basically, a criminal, Nathan Kirsh? Agang, the DA and the Democratic Alliance’s parliamentary candidate Glyniss Breytenbach (who received 6,3 million from Nathan Kirsh) are basically being funded off criminal Israeli activity. How can the DA and Agang expect voters to support them if they are receiving money that was made off the oppression of the Palestinian people?
Firstly, it’s a moral question but, secondly, the DA and Agang will most definitely be constrained by their funder to tow a pro-Israeli agenda (and a pro-Israeli agenda is an anti-Palestinian, anti-human rights agenda). In addition, Agang and the DA will be constrained by their funder to oppose the progressive
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel campaign. The DA and Agang are basically lap dogs of an Israeli imperialist agenda.
Primedia, often a critic of the ANC, is owned by the brother of Nathan Kirsh, Mr Issie Kirsh. Nathan Kirsh’s nephew, William Kirsh is the CEO of Primedia. We wonder whether Primedia and its LeadSA campaign will come out definitively condemning Nathan Kirsh’s involvement in Israel’s illegal Apartheid Wall and his backing of Agang and the DA through profits made from criminal Israeli activity.
In the absence of a critical voice from Primedia we as the ANC Youth League will expose and ensure democracy, transparency and rule of law.
