Fashionably Jewish

Are you a Jewish South African looking for some attention by publicly denouncing Israel? Do you wish to flaunt the courage it takes to step beyond mortality and into the gates of otherwordly righteousness?

If the answer is yes and you have 2 or more friends who share your Godlike consciousness then write a group letter denouncing Israel to the Mail & Guardian today and have it published this Friday! Go on, rise above the silently sinful Jews in this country who stay loyal to the dreadfully repellent, apartheid, Nazi and colonialist state of “Israel”.

Go on…hold on to your humanity!

Opinion piece published in this week’s Mail & Guardian (no link at www.mg.co.za)

We reject Israels violations of international law As Jews and South Africans, we have noted with deep concern the report of John Dugard, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories occupied since 1967. The report, published on January 29 2007, is currently under discussion within the United Nations Human Rights Council (the council that has only passed 8 resolutions, all of them directed against Israel). It reveals substantial rights abuses by the Israeli government that we find abhorrent, particularly in the light of the painful past of both the South African and Jewish people. We believe these abuses are indefensible and that there is an urgent need for Jews and all South Africans to speak out against these rights violations […] We call on our government to speak out against the continued violations of international law perpetrated by Israel and to use what-ever diplomatic means possible to pressure Israel to desist. Secondly we believe that it is the particular responsibility of members of the Jewish community in whose name Israel purports to act, to reject Israel’s unlawful conduct and to act to seek an end to these abuses. Vanessa Barolsky, Paul Berkowitz, David Bruce, Erica Emdon, Adrian Friedman, Daniel Friedman, Steven Friedman, Sue Goldstein, Alan Horvaitz, Dämon Kalvari, Lee Klawansky, Lara Simone Koseff, Lance Levitas, Heather Jones Petersen, Rebecca Sher, Michal Singer, Raymond Suttner, Shereen Usdin.

I was at John Dugard's talk at Wits University last week and even he acknowledged that his report was biased because of his restricted mandate (his mandate precluded an investigation of any Palestinian violations of human rights abuses). This of course does not factor in the black-and-white blinkered world of these conscientious and upright Jews.

This is the kind of stuff the Mail & Guardian loves and unfortunately we have seen it all before.

Comments

[Gary]

Seriously-is it not possible for a group of us who actually support Israel to write a group letter in support of Israel in the M&G, and renouncing those words of those Jew-hating Jews.
Let us see if they publish it.

[Gary]

This is a really serious idea. Please can I request some response on this site here?
Steve?Mike? Anthony?
Dont ignore this!

[Gary]

Not veryone looks at these blogs but it it time to take astand in our national newspapers. Let SA know that these Not In Name hypocrites do not speak for all South Africans!

[mike]

Gary, they won’t publish it. And anyway I don’t think 10 of us signing a petition will have any effect. We need tot hink of a much bigger project to show that the vast majority of SA Jews stand firmly behind Israel.

[Steve]

I dont think its worthwhile. If we get a letter from 20 people does that mean there are just 20 supporters of Israel?

I think its pretty obvious that the overwhelming majority of South African Jews do not denounce Israel.

[THE DICTATOR / EMBITTERED CORRESPONDENT]

Gary,
Even if a "group" letter was published in The M&G, Ferial Haffajee
would accompany it with an editorial deriding its contents. She did the
same in response to the outrage at the Kasril's Nazi slur. I don't
think that The M&G is a level playing field!
Re the pro Dugard letter...it was inevitable that Dugard would receive
support from a group of anti-Zionist South African Jews.
Mike and Steve... did you see my letter in The M&G? Why don't you write
an editorial about that!

[Brett]

Hi, its me the cynic.
Look, as much as I am as angry as the everyone else about these idiots, writing letters and petitions never helped any cause. You have to accept that the M&G doesn't like us - they are not the battleground to fight this out. This cannot be dealt with fairly in any "Letters to the editor" section of any SA newspaper - they all have an agenda. So my suggestion is this - take a lesson from the guys that tackle the holocaust denyers. When argueing with someone who is lying you cannot win the arguement - ever. He can say whatever he wants and you are limited by the truth. What you have to do to win is discredit him. If this blog wants to arrange something effective then take the most guilty parties M&G, SABC etc - and descredit them - you did it well with SABC. If the M&G has the reputation for being openly biased then a letter in their newspaper means nothing. And maybe, with alot of Help, other newspapers might then not publish such rubbish, not cos they think we're right (no newspaper gives a hoot about the truth), but because they won't want the rep.

[Brett Chatz]

In order to combat the anti-Israel propaganda in the SA media it is necessary for the pro-Israel lobby to voice its opinion. While the efficacy of pro-Israel sentiment has been questioned, any inaction in this regard is tantamount to acquiescence of the status-quo. That being an undercurrent of anti-Zionist/anti-Semitic opinion.

The age-old debate about Israel being comparable with Apartheid South Africa is as nauseating as it is untrue. The unfair treatment of Palestinians at the hands of Israelis will forever remain the fodder of anti-Israel groups.

My tenure in Israel has allowed me the opportunity to scrutinise first-hand the so-called 'injustices' of the Israeli military juggernaut. I refer critics of the Jewish State's conduct to the reason de atre of its existence - 'To provide a safe-haven for world Jewry, where they may be shielded from persecution.'

The very essence of Israel is its Judaic identity; any attempts to subjugate the Israeli way of life to blatant terror campaigns and wanton destruction will fail. Israel represents Jewish salvation.

At times Israel's conduct has been questionable, but this in an environment of unparalleled mayhem. When the very survival of a nation is at stake, it is sometimes necessary to use unpopular measures to ensure the safety of the populace.

That is not to say that Israel is unaccountable for her actions - on the contrary, Israel faces terrorist groups funded by the likes of Syria, Iran and Iraq.

Democracy is alive and well in Israel - that much can hardly be said elsewhere in the region.

Jewish groups are doing a fantastic job of stating their case in the media. Websites and contributors are making a difference - you had better believe it.

Another fantastic website that presents an up-to-date expose on Israeli developments is www.me-ontarget.com

My advice: keep on making a noise it makes a difference!