E-mail correspondence with Cosatu's Bongani Masuku

I have decided to make public a series of emails between various members of the pro-Israel South African blogging community and the internatinal relations secretary from Cosatu. Get the full background here: Cosatu spokesperson calls on Jews to leave SA

Here’s the e-mail from Mohammed Desai which sparked Bongani’s interest in my blog.

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Muhammad Desai Sent: 07 February 2009 01:20 AM To: PSC Core Subject: [psc-core] Fwd: Even when all the monkeys in Cosatu have died of aids Even when all the monkeys in Cosatu have died of aids (even those who were cured by raping babies), I still won't return [to SA]. Jews should be in Israel supporting Israel - Friends - make Aliya! Do it! Posted by: Philip | February 06, 2009 at 16:08 http://supernatural.blogs.com/weblog/2009/02/urgent-stand-your-ground-against-cosatu.html#comments

E-mail from me to Bongani:

Hi Bongani, I'm the owner of the It's Almost Supernatural blog. The comment in question was removed as soon as I spotted it - which was 1 day after it had been posted due to the Jewish Sabbath, during which I refrain from using a computer, amongst many other things. It was posted on February 06 at 16:08. February 6 was a Friday afternoon and on a Friday afternoon at 16h00, as a religious Shabbat observing Jew, I am busy rushing home in order to prepare for the Sabbath. I only spotted the offensive comment after Shabbat came out, which was February 07 - Saturday night. As soon as I saw the comment I deleted it. I do this whenever I see comments that invoke hate-speech. I try moderate comments as much as possible but because I can't be on the blog the whole time, I obviously from time to time miss a few bad ones. This one in question was not missed - as I said, I spotted it and removed it as soon as I noticed it after Shabbat had ended. It certainly does not represent the view of the blog, or its readers. Mohammed Desai took a single comment from a racist idiot and portrayed it as being from me. He sent his e-mail on Saturday 7 February before I had a chance to delete it because it was Shabbat. I can't apologise on behalf of the racist who entered the comment but I can say that I deplore it. I don't think one comment, however, is enough justification for your comment. When you posted it, if you even cared, you would have seen that the offensive comment had already been removed. The only reminder of it was a another comment, also posted during the Shabbat, which mockingly condemned the comment that had already been removed. Regards Steve

Email from Bongani to me:

Dear Steve, I am not necessarily a member of the forum and will admit to not knowing much about it. I was forwarded a comment from a certain Phillip, which followed one I forwarded to all COSATU structures about all Jews from now onwards not employing COSATU members and having to phone COSATU to “harass it and force it to stop supporting the devils”. I only sent to that forum something that was to indicate I have received the comment about us from there and did not bother much about who is in the forum, though I really appreciate that you have explained now. Further, if anyone of you was at the march on Friday, you would know the insults we received, the threats we went through and the stone-throwing at our buses by the people who were there, coincidentally, Jews, without being anti-Semitic. They even told us that we can march all over South Africa, but not in main street Orange Grove, etc. They were really eager to manhandle us, etc. I will not explain further, but I came to one conclusion, that Jews are arrogant, not from being told by any Palestinian, but from what I saw myself. Now you blame me for making my conclusion, I owe no one an explanation and care not a bit, but want the freedom of Palestinians and am convinced no amount of being reasonable will resolve the real problem, because occupation is not reasonable itself and we know it ourselves, worst still when people come all the way from wherever they come from to tell us where and how to march, they can do that in their own country, not here. I repeat, there are Jews all over the world, who have proven to be reasonable and humane, but I have no doubt that all those who support Israel are just as evil as the actions of Israel and am less concerned whether that is semitic or not, but am interested in the end of human suffering caused by Israel. Thank you Steve and hope that am not making a hate speech, but speaking from the deepest part of my heart, what I sincerely believe in.

Email from me to Bongani in response to the mention of the comment used by Patrik Craven in a Cosatu newsletter:

Dear Bongani, I noticed that Patrick Craven included that comment in his newsletter. It annoyed me because he described it as a threat coming from Zionists, using the plural and creating the impression that many Zionists were starting some campaign. The reality, as you know, was that it was a comment posted by one person - "Gary" on some arb blog. (My blog is just an arb blog and doesn't claim to represent Jewish South Africans). Gary wrote (and I do not support this position at all): Let us bombard the COSATU offices with phone calls to let them know our anger. It is hardr to ignore phone calls than e mails. Maybe we should start a policy that Israel-loyal Jews refuse to employ COSATU members in retaliation for COSATU's evil actions. This was a reaction from one guy who felt intimidated by a march against his community. There was no policy to employ such an approach. No-one else expressed any support for the idea to refuse to employ COSATU members. Craven's inclusion of the comment as coming from many Zionists, was cheap and helped create a fake version of reality. I think your view of Jews is highly problematic. I can understand that you might have felt intimidated by the reaction from the crowd, but you were leading (ok, not sure if you were leading it) a march against our very presence in South Africa. That is certain to invoke a hostile and, even hateful, response. If Jews marched through Lenasia burning Palestinian flags and you were with the Jews helping them burn the flags, do you think the reaction from the local Muslim community would be pleasant? I have already written that in this hypothetical situation, the provocative Jews would deserve what the Muslims gave them. You can't march into a people's neighborhood - illegally - burn the flag of their (other) nation, mock them with a swastika - the symbol used by the Nazis who exterminated 6 million of them, and then expect a pleasant reception. Perhaps one day, when the tensions ease and there is peace in the Middle East, with Israel and Palestine existing side by side with secure and defensible borders, you will agree to meet some real Zionists under friendlier circumstances.

Email from Bongani to me:

Let me clarify one thing. I hate no Jew (for that matter a great admirer of Ronnie Kasrils, Steven Friedman and other millionsof Jews who refuse to be silenced on the basis of their nationality by Zionists) and organised a march not to anyone’s neighbourhood, but to offices of an organisation that I considered the enemy of peace and that is the Zionist Federation. I am aware that so many Jews are on the side of justice and only those Jews are people I hold in high esteem, but not those who silently support the massacres, but expect us to regard them as human beings. Surely, the threats and insults hurled at me and my comrades for merely marching peacefully against an organisation that has openly supported murder and insulted all of us who stand on the side of Justice is no crime, particularly in a democratic country, am not sure in a country that still practices apartheid. If the offices of the Zionist Federation and that loud-mouthed Rabbi and his SABJD were in town we would have marched there. All we wanted, as we still want to target are all who represent evil and suffering, whether its companies, individuals, offices, etc. We are working on identifying them now. It’s a pity if they are in residential areas, which unfortunately will not deter us. No one must enjoy peace while supporting and promoting the suffering of others, so goes our believe and we shall enforce it to its fullest. Surely, we cant blame Patrick for taking Gary’s email, which was sent to us as COSATU in its very raw form and we did not worry much which forum it came from, but we only knew it was written by a Zionist full of hatred and evil, thirsty for the blood of Palestinians and all who dare stand by the side of the oppressed. I am not sure he was not wrong in doing so. Finally, I am looking forward to the day when all Jews will openly say, we are not benefiting anything from what Israel is doing in our name, than hiding and silently consenting or grumbling under tables while Israel intensifies its massacres. Only then, am I sure will we need no march, no confrontation, but brotherly peace and happiness for all. Bongani

Email from Bongani to a fellow Zionist blogger:

Thank you and please never send anything to me too, I have nothing in common with colonialist invaders and racists, anyway!!! I have much in common with decent Jews who stand for justice, I love and honour their huge contribution to humanity and my own morality. In fact, all the people who deny that occupation is wrong must be encouraged to leave South Africa before they infect our society with much more racism. What kind of person refuse to acknowledge that Israeli is a murderous state for what it has done to Gaza, something is wrong with that person. All the best in your anti-Palestinian crusade and anti-humanity!!! Bongani

Email from Bongani to Anthony Posner:

I repeat, South Africa belongs to all who subscribe to the ideals of democracy, anti-racism and anti-racism and none of those who tolerate Israeli apartheid and racism should ever imagine it to be their home. With no apology, neither amendment, all racists are encouraged to search for a place where their practices are allowed, but that is not here. Mandela made it clear that all who think they are not prepared to adjust to the new South Africa and the reality that we now live in a democratic and Free South Africa must feel free to live. Simple as that. You hate apartheid and what Israeli is doing (colonialism), then this is your home, whether Jew or whatever. But if you hate the freedom of Palestinians, then surely you hate our own freedom too, then the door is open, live as of yesterday!!! No working class internationalism must be used conveniently to justify occupation, where is it when we must tell the Zionists to stop occupation. Bongani

A final word, from our estemmed Cosatu spokesperson, in response to emails from various other individuals:

Now that almost everyone has fully understood what I stand for and what I mean when I say we shall support the cause of justice till end, could I humbly request that no more Zionist communication with me any further. I want to repeat the following in case of doubt; 1. Israel supported apartheid South Africa and assisted in the murder of many of our comrades and still works with the most reactionary and murderous regimes the world over, including Colombia (also financed by the US) 2. All Jews who have risen above the fascist parochial paranoia of Israel have changed our views on Jews, as we thought all of them are inhumane, hence our respect for Kasrils, Friendman and all of them. But we still believe the majority of them continue to vote the Likuds, Kadimas, Yisraelis who have blood in their hands and are equally guilty of murder 3. The source of the war is the occupation of Israeli and not rockets of Hamas or Al-Aqsa matrys. Any people who are occupied have a duty to fight as we all did, we would never support people who only submit to invaders, but will actively support those who are fighting against colonialists and settlers, who have one intention, occupation to steal other people’s land. No jew, however much his hatred will ever deny that FACT that occupation is evil and an injustice 4. Finally, in the world where there are progressives who stand on the side of justice and progress, on the one hand, and enemies of peace and justice who support wars OF OCCUPATION IN IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, PALESTINE, etc, one the other, we stand on the side of those who stand for justice and are victims of colonial bigotry and wars of greed. Israel is the client and puppet of US imperialism and responsible for protecting the oil interests of the west, which itself was stolen from the Arabs A humble reminder therefore, Israeli as an apartheid state deserves the fate of all its preceding fellows and friends. Apartheid is a crime against humanity, so is colonialism and invasion. With these words, I dearly apologise to all friends of justice and comrades who were angry at me for even wasting precious time with enemies of justice, agents of apartheid and friends of Hitler, instead of attending to more urgent things with people of justice and freedom from occupation. I finally rest my case and request that we are not seeking to change your poisonous views, we only wanted you to know that finally justice will prevail. It is now official, may I plead with all of you, as you have accepted we are enemies of each other, you stand for apartheid, we stand for justice, to please keep away and no more shall I need your communication or anything ever from you. Beyond this level, it would mean something else.

Comments

[Castor Troye]

"With these words, I dearly apologise to all friends of justice and comrades who were angry at me for even wasting precious time with enemies of justice, agents of apartheid and friends of Hitler, instead of attending to more urgent things with people of justice and freedom from occupation."

It seems as though Bongani truely is "convinced no amount of being reasonable will resolve the real problem" or judging by his comments, he has no reasonable thought process. His correspodence is littered with puppet-lines that he leanrt from his new "bosses" in the PSC.

Even though, he is being spoon-fed lines on what to say and talking like Julius Malema without thinking about the consequences, this does not absolve him from responsibility.

I hope the next communication he gets from the "Zionists", or Jews as I am starting to get confused who he is referring to, will be a summons to appear in the High Court.

[JoeTalin]

Wow. What an imbecile. Wow.
I hope that someone emails this comment to you Bongani. And that someone else explains to you the what an imbecile is.

[Gill]

I hope Bongani listens to the enlightened mature and deeply sincere message delievered by Avrom Krengel on the day COSATU and friends decided that they'd pay an unpleasant visit to a predominantly Jewish area.
(see YouTube)
If he did - he would have noted that as a South African Jewish community leader, he did not urge hatred towards another group, he did not ask the community to burn another community's flag, and he did not call for a counter attack on their neighbourhoods.
What he did do was to stand proud and remind us all of the fact that this is the new South Africa and there is no place for the likes of those who are intolerant of one another.
I can only say this.
I am so proud to be a South African Jew.

[Dee]

Wow Steve, you are the model of restraint. I am spitting mad after reading this exchange. I can't believe you managed to keep your temper and attempt to debate this fool logically.

He does sound just like Malema - an arrogant, ignorant man who resorts to the basest form of ad-hominem attack when his "argument" falls apart.

[zkharya]

Thanks for tracking this, Steve.

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1009220944]

Thank you.
I will make use of this material. In my uni's student newspaper.

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