A font page article in this week’s Jewish Chronical (the British equivalent of the Jewish Report) is claiming that secret plans are afoot to airlift the remaining 600 odd Jews left in Zimbabwe to Israel (in the same vain as operation Solomon and Moses).
Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft, the spiritual leader of the African Jewish Congress, is said to have flown to London this weekend to raise funds for the operation, the cost of which could run into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Ofer Dahan, the Jewish Agency’s senior representative in Southern Africa is quoted as saying that Zimbabwean Jews were scheduled to “leave Zimbabwe soon” but he refused to elaborate.
The actual details of the plan are extremely sketchy. There is no Israeli embassy in Harare and there are no direct flights to Tel Aviv, making a wholesale airlift difficult. While this secret plan may well exist, the idea as reported seems slightly bizarre.
Last month a high powered delegation from South Africa including Chief Rabbi Goldstein and President of the African Jewish Congress Mervyn Smith visited Zimbabwe. But according to an article in the South African Jewish Report this visit was designed to show solidarity with the local Jewish community and assess their humanitarian needs, not their wholesale evacuation. At a public meeting in Harare attended by almost two-thirds of the Jewish community, the South African delegation was said to have stressed the importance of the community pulling together in the current times of distress in order to help one another and ensure the continuance of Jewish life.
I can also confirm that Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft has flown to London on a fund raising trip. But as far as I am aware the money is for further humanitarian assistance. The dire economic situation is Zimbabwe has made access to basic necessities extremely difficult even for the relatively well off Jewish community. Thus the South African Hebrew Order of David and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee have been providing monthly food parcels of much needed stuff like jam, coffee, salt, toilet paper and cereals. With the prospect of an impending civil war, access to food will be even more difficult.
But what makes this airlift story so improbable is the stubbornness and inability of the remaining Zimbabwean Jews not to leave. Most are elderly (some in their late 80s) and sickly. Even if they could make the trip, they would be unable to afford the type of care that they have become accustomed to. Moreover Israel seems like a rather unlikely final destination. While the Zimbabwe community is extremely pro the Jewish state, the culture shock would be far too great. South Africa, where many of them have family would seem like a far better idea.
And finally one would need to consider the ramifications for South African Jewry of such an operation. Around the Friday night dinner table many South African Jews wonder out loud if our country is not destined to go the same way as our northern neighbour. Seeing the once strong and influential Jewish community of Zimbabwe flown with their walkers and wheelchairs like refugees to Israel will certainly create panic here. The new wave emigration that is currently underway will only intensify.
Furthermore, the South African government is unlikely to view this type of evacuation positively. Those same images of elderly Whites being airlifted to safety will make it clear to the entire world the extent of the crisis in Zimbabwe, which this government habitually denies. It will also create more doubt in the minds of many Black South Africans of the commitment and loyalty of Jews to Africa in general.
Every effort must be made to protect the safety of Zimbabwe’s Jews. Clearly if a war breaks out dramatic steps such as airlifts may need to be taken. But hopefully all other options will be considered first.
Great! and you *should* panic. Like the proverbial frog in a boiling kettle, why can't you see what seems so obvious to Christian Zionists: they hate you, they will plunder and kill you. Make aliyah now.
Posted by: ER | June 18, 2008 at 22:09