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Cancelled conference: BDS tries to implicate M&G
ANT KATZ
On Monday morning the local arm of the anti-Israel NGO Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions issued a media statement regarding a water conference the Mail & Guardian was due to host, which inferred that M&G cancelled it to protest against the attendance of Israeli Ambassador Arthur Lenk.
The BDS statement also inferred that the organisers and sponsors had pledged to never again include the Ambassador in an event.
BDS-SA said it “welcomes news of the cancellation of an upcoming water conference that was to be hosted by the prominent SA weekly, the Mail & Guardian, which would have had Israeli Ambassador Arthur Lenk as a panellist”.
RIGHT: Israeli Ambassador Arthur Lenk, on the back of whom BDS tried to gain publicity for their cause at the expense of the highly acclaimed Mail & Guardian
But M&G’s CEO, Hoosain Karjieker, had another take on the cancellation. He told SAJR that the conference should never have been cancelled as it had never been approved in the first place. Their procedure is that events and supplements are proposed by a special department and sponsorship is sought.
Only if and when this is secured, he explained, does the M&G plan for the event or supplement. In the case of the water conference in question, “there was not sufficient sponsorship”.
Because it had been at the beginning of the year, explains the CEO, this did, in fact, slip through the cracks and appeared on the list that led to the assumption that it had been approved.
PDF: COMPLETE STATEMENT ISSUED BY BDS ON MONDAY FEB 15
PDF: LETTER SENT TO EDITORS BY ISRAELI EMBASSY ON EB 17
Michael Freeman, the Deputy Head of Mission at the SA Embassy of Israel, told Jewish Report today that he was furious: “For BDS hatred is far more important than helping South African citizens,” he said.
Embassy also furious
“Yet again the lies of the radical BDS hate-movement have hurt the people of South Africa. This time, BDS falsely claimed that the Mail & Guardian group felt compelled to cancel a symposium on water management due to the involvement of the Israeli Ambassador, Freeman told the Jewish Report.
“The Mail & Guardian has confirmed, in writing, that this is not the case, and the BDS haters are yet again caught telling lies and falsehoods.”
LEFT: Deputy Ambassador Michael Freeman
Says Karjieker: “This was conflated around the issue of the Ambassador” which was neither an issue, nor the reason. “It happens from time-to-time that a sponsor isn’t secured and/or a sponsor pulls out and a project doesn’t get off the ground.”
The M&G had no knowledge of the BDS statement until Jewish Report had brought it to their attention, said Karjieker.
He was emphatic that the cancellation was in no way due to the planned attendance of Ambassador Lenk, nor had the M&G ever given consideration to not include the Israeli Ambassador in any future events.
“How can BDS make a pledge like that on our behalf?” he asked.
BDS hadn’t stated it, SAJR explained, only implied it. Having used the M&G and Israeli Ambassador in their subject line and introductory paragraph, readers could have been left with the impression that the “organisers” meant the M&G.
Read the complete balegan
PDF: COMPLETE STATEMENT ISSUED BY BDS ON MONDAY 15 FEBRUARY
PDF: LETTER SENT TO EDITORS BY ISRAELI EMBASSY ON 17 FEBRUARY
nat cheiman
Feb 17, 2016 at 1:02 pm
‘BDS are liars . ‘
mordechai
Feb 18, 2016 at 5:33 am
‘Remember the South African government (via their ruling ANC party) are huge advocates and supporters of the BDS movement ‘
Zmira Cohen
Feb 18, 2016 at 10:21 pm
‘Thank you to the Editor of the JR for immediately reporting on this issue clearly & concisely.
It seems to me that the BDS Movement, amongst other strategies to discredit Israel, is trying to influence public opinion , by sowing confusion , by injecting doubt as to the truth of any statement coming from an Israeli source. And I wonder if in the context of water management , the Embassy should not make it a priority , to publicize exactly what it does do and has achieved , both within the State of Israel , in the disputed areas of Yehuda & Shomron and particularly in Jordan and in certain African states.Agricultural journals , church publications , TV reality documentaries may be some starting points that come to mind .Perhaps the SA Agricultural Colleges , if their institutions are free of bias against Israel , might be willing to accept Israeli experts for short term lecturing stints or for introducing practical methods that could be implemented in S.A., at these educational institutions. Obviously such programmes need funding .If specific attempts at eradicating BDS propaganda are formulated , I believe funding would become available.
‘
Mordechai
Feb 19, 2016 at 1:08 am
‘Dear Editor, it appears that many of my posts, including the recent one noting that the SA government (via their ANC party) are supporters of BDS, are not being published. If this is true it takes vetting and censorship to a new level in that you are not publishing comments critical of the anti Israel SA government. You are in essence protecting a government that is openly and may I say proudly anti the Jewish state of Israel’
Mordechai
Feb 23, 2016 at 12:47 am
‘Dear Editor,Thank you for posting my comments. ‘
Simon Berg
Feb 25, 2016 at 11:06 am
‘Ones anger should rather have been directed at what ever Israeli organization that has chosen to assist South Africa with its water problems. Looking to attain goodwill in this regard is a sign of weakness and a lost cause. The government of Israel should also have a ‘policy’ with regard to using it’s experience to assist SA.I would like to see that Israeli team withdraw.’
nat cheiman
Feb 26, 2016 at 10:46 am
‘Israel wanted to assist but is no longer helping, as I understand the matter.’
Mordechai
Mar 2, 2016 at 2:07 am
‘Simon, I agree with you. Israel should give zero assistance to the Israel hating South Africa’