President Motlanthe signs anti-Israel petition

I’ve been so busy at work that I haven’t managed to blog about the uproar surrounding an update to an anti-Israel petition from earlier this year that includes President Kgalema Motlanthe’s name.

It’s late and I’m tired...I’ll save you from my analysis and instead provide some quick, top-of-mind notes of interest .

• The ANC is no longer listed as an organisation who has officially endorsed the petition – although they did endorse its first incarnation.
• The new “saviour” of opposition politics, who recently called for smart Jewish minds to join his new political party, Mosioua “Terror” Lekota, is still a signatory to the petition
• The Jewish Board has spoken out against the President signing the petition. But it’s too little too late. Its particularly embarrassing for them after, just a few weeks ago, paying for an advert in the local Jewish Report outlining Jacob Zuma’s (and the ANC’s) commitment to a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian crisis.

So very quickly, here’s all the information you need:

• Our write-up on the original petition
• A scan of the updated petition that appeared in the Mail & Guardian 2 weeks ago (PDF - right click and save target as to download)
• The news report on the Jewish Board’s reaction to Motlanthe’s name on the petition
• If you confused on where the ANC stands, click here
• The Zionist Federations press release condemning the President’s decision to sign the petition (see below)

1 December 2008 Anti-Israel petition signed by President Motlanthe The name Kgalema Motlanthe, President of the R.S.A., affixed as a signatory to the anti-Israel petition which appeared in the Mail & Guardian on 21 November, is a matter of grave concern to the South African Zionist Federation. The petition, headed “We fought for apartheid; we see no reason to celebrate it in Israel now!” and condemning Israel for having “caused six decades of catastrophe for the Palestinian people”, was signed by more than 120 politicians, trade unionists, members of NGOs, academics and business people. President Motlanthe’s spokesman Thabo Masebe attempted to allay the fears of the Jewish community, saying that “presidents don’t sign petitions” and that he “signed it in his personal capacity long before he became president – I don’t know why this has been published now” and continued that the president would have communicated any government view through official governmental channels. However President Motlanthe has not yet spoken out on this issue, which conflicts with the accepted ANC and government policies promoting a two-state solution in the Middle East with an independent Palestinian state existing side by side in peace with Israel. The South African Zionist Federation calls on President Motlanthe to distance himself as a signatory from this appalling and abusive petition and to confirm that not only does he not share its sentiments, but that he too condemns it as being counter-productive to any moves towards peace which are vital for the well-being of the region. Issued on behalf of: Avrom Krengel Chairman: South African Zionist Federation

Comments

[Gabe]

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[BLACKLISTED DICTATOR]

Steve,
I am worried that Gabe from "The Purple Youth" might be taking drugs.
Does Gabe really love the Supernatural content?? Must be smoking some heavy shit.

Re the anti-Israel petition... I note that both Farid Esack and Jerermy Routledge of The SAHRD signed it. Doronno and Nathan didn't.

Ronno, of course, did.

[Gary]

If Motlathe signed it before he became President, then Im sure Lekota also signed it before he formed COPE.
COPE won't have aviciously anti-Israel policy because they are no longer influenced by the SACP and COSATU.
The ANC's hatred of Israel comes from the SACP's influence as do all their other most vile ideas.
In fact Jewish communists like Kasrils and Denis Goldberg are the main instigators of the Israel hatred.
You'll see how free from SACP influence COPE comes around to a reasonable position on Israel.

[Shmuel ben David]

The IOL Website of 25 November (http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=vn20081125113714574C177308&set_id=1&click_id=13&sf=) which means the Independent Newspaper group, carries the following in the article:

"Zev Krengel, national chairman of the Jewish Board of Deputies, said on Monday that if this had been done with Motlanthe's consent then it could fundamentally affect South Africa's future capacity to mediate in the protracted Middle East crisis."

Of course Krengel, ever ready to ingratiate himself to the ANC, would hold some silly carrot out to the self-deluding ANC. Let us all be honest. The ANC has no capacity, ability, right, honest broking status or whatever you like to call it to involve itself in the politics of the Middle East. To even mention something like this is ridiculous and shows our weakness. The trouble is the Krengels believe their own publicity and love the reflection.

Let us be honest and call a spade a spade and clearly say to the ANC:

"BUTT OUT and STAY OUT! You have no role to play, no contribution to make, no knowledge of what its all about and you are already a biased dishonest broker. Further more, you actually have enough on your plate and your own delivery record is not good at all, and, by the way, your party is falling apart exactly for the reason that you have neglected your own backyard."

To the mostly Cringing Krengels, both of them, there is a liitle bit of pretended spine shown in the reaction to the signing of this petition, but generally, we need more substantial, wise and courageous leaders at the head of the Board and SAZF and definitely not you two.