Pogrund Silenced In South Africa, Again

Veteran anti-Apartheid journalist and Israeli-Palestinian coexistence campaigner, Benjamin Pogrund, has called off his speaking tour of South Africa in the wake of threats from the anti-Israel lobby, the Mail and Guardian reported last week. This is not the first time that those committed to hatred and intolerance in South Africa have attempted to use intimidation to silence Pogrund. In an effort to discourage Pogrund from further exposing Apartheid repression, the previous regime put him on trial several times, imprisoned him once and had his passport removed.

Pogrund together with Palestinian peace activist, Walid Salem, were scheduled to speak in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban to promote their latest joint initiative “Shared histories, A Palestinian-Israeli dialogue”.

Progund is the director of the Yakar Centre for Social Concern while Salem heads up Panorama (the Palestinian Centre for the Dissemination of Democracy and Community Development).

Salem was imprisoned by Israel a number of times in the 1970s and 80s. But after the initiation of the Oslo process Walid joined Panorama, and has since conducted joint studies and activities with Israeli academics and peace groups. He also conducts training sessions in democracy, non-violence and civil-society building with Palestinians. He is a strong advocate of non-violence.They have already spoken together in Jerusalem, The Hague, Krakow and Amman.

But notorious South African anti-Israel activist, Salim Vally, together with his Palestinian Solidarity Committee launched an intimidation campaign that has resulted in the lecture tour being cancelled. The Mail and Guardian quoted an email sent by Vally on November 1, which threatened that

if any public event featuring Panorama and Yakar does go ahead in Gauteng we will be demonstrating outside. We also call on our comrades and friends in other parts of South Africa to take similar action.

Given the extreme nature of previous PSC protests this is no idle threat. But the intimidation did not stop there. Addressing Walid Salem, Vally writes.

Dear Walid we suggest that you would not appreciate the embarrassment of facing a demonstration or picket. Perhaps the best option would be for you to cancel this trip  completely. Certainly your speaking on the same platform as a Zionist like Benjamin Pogrund will not endear you to the vast majority of Palestinian solidarity activists and other social justice activists in South Africa who support the Palestinian cause.

Perhaps it is not surprising that Salim Vally and his PSC, who are associated with rejectionist groups like the PFLP, Hamas and Hezbollah, would attempt to silence in South Africa all Israeli and Palestinian voices that promote peace and reconciliation. But what is surprising is that such a man was previously the chairman of that bastion of Free Speech in South Africa the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI).

We call on Jane Duncan, the current Executive Director of the FXI and avid IAS reader (but not yet a fan) to distance the FXI from Vally and to denounce this brazen attempt to stifle free speech in South Africa.

Comments

[Diane]

Mike, Steve,

I second your call. In fact I think that the outcry in the country over this serious suppression of free speech should be larger than that which occurred when Ronny was unable to publish a letter in one paper. This seems to me far more nefarious, with an entire speaking tour having to be cancelled as a result of threats.

Indeed, Ms Duncan, I think your colleagues letters constitute clear incitement to cause imminent harm?

Diane

[Gary]

I wonder if terrophile Jewish Voices will join the PSC in their protests against Pogrund and Walid Salem.
After all Jewish Voices have joined the PCS in every one of their protests , against their fellow Jews in Israel.

[Anthony Posner]

I have alerted Jane Duncan (FXI) to the Supernatural debate about
Pogrund's cancelled visit.

Will she reply?

Should you hold your breath?

.... well, only if you have done a "Klever- Kebble" and topped up your
life insurance. "

[Enj]

Mike, Steve

What is the nature of this "intimidation campaign" that you refer to? I read your post and the M&G article and I couldnt find the campaign. Unless 1 email saying there will be protests is a campaign.

Secondly, you say: "Given the extreme nature of previous PSC protests". Can you give a FEW examples of the "extreme nature of previous PSC protests"? Where, when, etc?

And talking of silencing, werent you among those who tried to silence Heribert Adam from launching his book at the Constitutional Court?

[Steve]

Enj,
I will reply in full when I have time but for now I will correct you about the Heribert Adam book at Constitutional Court, and then I will pose your first question straight back at you.

First off, Seeking Mandela was released before the debate at the Constitution Hill.

We never tried to silence the authors of the book - we complained that the debate's panel represented only the One -State solution argument.

We wanted the debate to include a more diverse array of opinions - not the narrow and restricted opinions that were on display.

Naeem Jenna, Virginia Tilley and Stephen Friedman all hold the same ideas regarding the key issues discussed in Seeking Mandela. Is adding a person capable of presenting the Zionist narrative tantamount to trying to silence the debate?

"What is the nature of this intimidation campaign"

Salem's visit to SA was all planned - and he suddenly cancelled after receiving emails from Salim Vally. Why do you think he pulled out of the series of lectures?

[Enj]

Salem pulled out because... maybe because he understood the point that Vally was making in his ONE email: it wasn't worth the embarassment of having people protest outside your lecture. You think that's possible?

[Anonymous]

I came across this article rather late... but nevertheless let me just say:
I actually think that if Salim is a blatant anti fascist he should not make such fascist remarks and demonstrate what a cold, hostile, anti democrat he is. I think everyone's problem is that we have forgotten out shared membership of the human race and we create these hostile barriers by not speaking to each other. The problem with people like Salim, is that they think they are they the cognitive authority when it comes to the issue of Palestine and anyone who disagrees with them is a zionist, fascist, racist or some other ridiculous accusation
Please all this shit needs to stop and we need to start uniting, everyone