It's Almost Supernatural

PSC Joins Calls to Silence Israel in SA

The Palestine Solidarity Committee has joined Zachie Achmat's calls to stop Israeli IDF Legal Advisor David Banjamin's participation at Limmud in South Africa next month. They have taken Achmat’s calls one step further and called on South Africa to arrest Benjamin as he steps foot into the country.

They have bemusingly described Limmud's refusal to bow to the pressure of Zachie Achmat and rescind the invitation to Banjamin as an "arrogant refusal".

I’ve already covered what I think are the issues involved here (see Achmat calls on Jews to silence Israel’s voice) but I would hope that the press does some homework before covering the attempts by the PSC to censor Israel’s right to be heard. This isn’t the first time the PSC has pressured speakers from the Middle East into cancelling their visits South Africa and it won’t be the last.

In November 2006, the Mail and Guardian reported that veteran anti-Apartheid journalist and Israeli-Palestinian coexistence campaigner, Benjamin Pogrund, was forced to call off a speaking tour of South Africa in the wake of threats from the PSC.  Pogrund, together with Palestinian peace activist, Walid Salem, were scheduled to speak in South Africa to promote a joint initiative “called Shared histories, A Palestinian-Israeli dialogue”.

Walid 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.

Who could imagine anyone having a problem with this tour? The PSC, that’s who.

Salim Vally, at the time referred to as the spokesperson of the Palestinian Solidarity Committee, launched an intimidation campaign that resulted in the lecture tour being cancelled. The Mail and Guardian quoted an email sent by Vally to Salem

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.

He further threatened:

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.

This new PSC press release is signed by Salim. Although I’m not certain that it is Salim Vally, if it is it would be deeply ironic that a former head of the Freedom of Expression Institute in South Africa should again be caught up in attempts to prevent free speech in this country.

Limmud SA is in JHB

When Sunday 9 and Monday 10 August 2009 (Long weekend) Where Wits Medical School. 7 York Rd, Parktown Cost R475 (Adults) / R280 (Under 28s) / R300 (Under 18s) Website www.limmud.org.za call 076 779 8906 / Email [email protected]

Limmud SA is a festival of Jewish learning that deals with everything and anything relating to Jewish culture and identity through philosophy, religion, history, politics, dance, music, art and literature. Meet Jews of all backgrounds, affiliations and interests. Enjoy film, workshops, meditations, text-study sessions, panel discussions, debates and musical performances. Listen to local and international presenters that will captivate you and spark your interest. Be a part of a knowledge seeking society. Register now to secure your place!

Download this PDF flier detailing all Limmud presenters on topics related to Israel

For me, the most exciting speaker has to be Nobel prize winner Yisrael Aumann.

Yisrael Aumann is a professor emeritus in the Institute of Mathematics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a member of the University's Center for the Study of Rationality. He is the author of over ninety scientific papers and six books, predominantly in the field of Game Theory, and was awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize in Economics for his efforts. When not working, he likes to hike, ski, cook, study the Talmud and spend time with his family, 34 of whom went with him to Stockholm to collect his Nobel Prize Aumann will present: War and Peace in the Middle East-a Game Theoretic Solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict and on Game Theory applied to the Talmud.

Zackie Achmat calls on Jews to silence Israel’s voice

The Sunday Times today has reported that world renowned AIDS activist Zackie Achmat has pressured South African Jews into boycotting Limmud, a Jewish cultural learning programme, because former IDF legal advisor David Benjamin has been invited.

I’m disappointed that instead of encouraging debate, Achmat seeks rather to censor it. Benjamin is due to participate in a panel discussion with human rights lawyer Shlomo Zachary that will be chaired by one of Achmat’s co-delegates, Judge Dennis Davis, on a recent anti-Israel mission.

In a rather sensational manner, Achmat has called Benjamin an “architect of the war on Palestinian people”. This is the same Benjamin who was instrumental in having Israel withdraw completely from Gaza.

Let’s consider the most recent war in Gaza. Achmat aggressively changes Israel’s aims to suite his political posturing. A war on Hamas becomes not just a war on Gaza, but a war on the Palestinian people.

In employing this sensationalist language, Achmat changes the context of the conflict. He does this because without this manipulation, his stance that Benjamin should not be invited to speak at Limmud is untenable.

Achmat certainly does not fall into the category of human rights activist who have a sole and obsessive focus on Israel. His human rights credentials are real. His activism has been spread far and wide, focusing primarily on addressing injustice in South Africa. But when Israel is involved an excretion of moral blindness creeps in.

In this case Achmat is not just campaigning to prevent Israel from being heard, it’s a campaign to restrict the freedom of Jews in this country from identifying with mainstream Israel. He would presumably explain this stance as stemming from an opposition to many of Israel’s policies. But given his history of activism, he is also opposed to the policies of Hamas. Gay rights, separation between religion and state, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, minority rights etc, are all values that Israel has, which Hamas doesn't have. Yet Achmat seeks to censor an Israeli, after having remained silent when Hamas members and former PLO terrorists have visited South Africa.

He accuses Benjamin of masterminding a series of extra-judicial killings – but what about the brutal slaying of Fatah activists and alleged Israeli conspirators by Hamas? Why were these issues not raised when Hamas members have entered South Africa?

It’s a pity that a man of Achmat’s impeccable human rights credentials has chosen to try to stifle the freedom to make one’s case by his attempts to bully South African Jewry into boycotting this year’s Limmud programme.

I hope Achmat rethinks his position and views the programme at Limmud as a chance for debate rather than as an opportunity to paint the conflict as a black and white affair in which only one side deserves the privilege of being heard. He should be praising Limmud as a programme that challenges the mainstream views in the Jewish community. He should be encouraging the Muslim community to run a similar event where diverse opinions often opposing those of the mainstream can be heard and debated. And he should start with an apology to South African Jewry for his unfair calls pressuring us into boycotting the event.

Israeli Gum Makes Hamas Youth Randy?

Oh dear...this report from the Daily Dispatch.

Hamas suspects that Israeli intelligence services are supplying its Gaza strip stronghold with chewing gum that boosts sex drive "to corrupt the young" an official claimed yesterday.

Mythical Legends Deployed Against Israel

If I could distil all that is wrong with a certain blend of knee-jerk pro-Palestinian support into it's kernel, this story would be it: JTA Exclusive - Greek telethon for Gaza hospital a scam

ATHENS (JTA) -- A campaign in Greece to raise money to rebuild a Chrisian Palestinian hospital in Gaza allegedly destroyed by Israel appears to be a scam, JTA has learned. The hospital that was the focus of a campaign, which included the participation of Greece’s president and foreign minister, never actually existed. For nearly a week in February, Greece’s official state television network inundated viewers with news about a telethon that would take place Feb. 9 to raise money to “rebuild the Christian hospital in Gaza that Israelis destroyed with their bombs” during the Israeli army's operation there in January. In its announcements, the network made clear that it was referring to a specific Christian hospital destroyed by Israel. The telethon included recorded video messages by Greek President Carolos Papoulias and Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyianni, along with a parade of Greek politicians, singers, public personalities and trade unionists. Many used the telethon to cast broadsides at Israel. The campaign raised $1.67 million, according to telethon organizers, who said little Greek children had gone so far as to break their piggy banks to offer $14 to Palestinians in need. A JTA investigation revealed, however, that no Christian hospital was on the list assembled by the United Nations and the Red Crescent Society of structures in Gaza damaged and destroyed as a consequence of the Israel-Hamas war in January. JTA spoke to two Palestinians living in Gaza who are active in or former members of nongovernmental organizations there, both of whom looked into the issue independently. Both reported that the only Christian hospital in Gaza, Al Ahli, was used during the war and did not receive a scratch. Al Ahli is financed by the Church of England. Outside the city there is also small medical center supported in part by the Near East Council of Churches that was destroyed during the war. One of the Palestinians demanded to know where the money from the Greek telethon went.

When Pigs Fly: BBC and Al-Jazeera Show Pro-Israel Bias!

The Media Review Network has a story on their website from the Guardian by Sharif Nashashibi which claims that not only the BBC, but also Al-Jazeera, favour Israel in their coverage.

Sharif debunked his own study. Applying his methods use on the BBC to Al-Jazeera he was forced to conclude that Al-Jazeera is also biased in favour of Israel.

I bet his analysis would conclude that even the Media Review Network are pro-Israel!

Find the article on the MRN site at http://www.mediareviewnet.com/index.php/200906291050/News-Headlines/BBC-anti-Israel-bias-is-a-myth.php

See a response from Honest Reporting at the Jerusalem Post: BBC Pro Israel? Don't make me laugh

Weekender Events Focus on Israel

Tomorrow sees the start of a series of public events jointly sponsored by the Business Day’s weekend paper, the Weekender, Johannesburg Workshop in Theory and Criticism and the Faculty of Humanities at Wits University.

In a series of 8 lectures, 2 of them are devoted to Palestinian propaganda. No other country specific lectures are scheduled thus far. Nothing on the recent Iranian human rights abuses, Sudan’s ongoing genocide, the violence in Sri Lanka where more Tamil tigers were killed in one week than Palestinians and Israelis combined were killed in the intifada, or the calamitous upheaval of democracy in Zimbabwe.

And we shouldn’t be surprised because in South Africa the only issue is the Palestinian issue.

The list of events can be found here: Weekender Events

The Israel focused events are:

PUBLIC LECTURE: THE QUESTION OF PALESTINE, THE QUESTION OF ZION AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN EXPERIMENT Venue: RICHARD WARD BUILDING (WISER), EAST CAMPUS Date: 13 Jul 2009 Time: 18H00 to 20H00 Register By: 13 Jul 2009

PUBLIC LECTURE: THE QUESTION OF PALESTINE, THE QUESTION OF ZION AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN EXPERIMENT Venue: RICHARD WARD BUILDING (WISER), EAST CAMPUS Date: 13 Jul 2009 Time: 18H00 to 20H00 Register By: 13 Jul 2009