SUZANNE BELLING
“It was a totally hostile environment,” said Rowan Polovin, chairman of the South African Zionist Federation Cape Council, who was on the scene.
SAUJS had set up their tents to promote dialogue. “Then the PSF members entered our tents in an attempt to cause trouble. They all started screaming at each other.”
The arguments became vicious and the campus security – that were very heavy at Wits University during their IAW – were nowhere to be seen, according to Kayla Urdang, who works for SAUJS. “While the students may not have been nervous, I was because of their absence. However, the university insisted they were there.,” said Urdang.
Polovin said the incidents stopped just short of exploding violence. “It became very heated, with PSF members pointing fingers in the SAUJS students’ faces. Thanks G-d no one was hurt,” he said.
The PSF was targeting not only Jews, but those of other races they accused of supporting the killing of Palestinians. One girl, who is not Jewish, was wearing a Magen David and was the target of violent verbal abuse and was believed to have had her necklace pulled off her neck.
But, according to Polovin, SAUJS was the victor of the day, as its members silenced the PSF agitators, who eventually withdrew from the tents “in the silence of defeat”.
Dr C D Goldberg
Mar 31, 2017 at 8:45 am
‘By standing up to one’s enemies, regardless of the consequences and talking truth to power constantly, is what is going to save lives (especially Jewish Lives and the Jewish way of life). And people who stand up and are prepared to debate and fight and protect their right to be who they are and what is true and right are the real heroes of any community. By acting, another holocaust can be prevented or minimized in the future.’
Harold
Mar 31, 2017 at 12:03 pm
‘Those who can afford it should consider sending their kids to Israeli varsities. ‘
BDS_Works
Apr 4, 2017 at 9:33 am
‘Hugh Defeat for the Zionist Lobby in Cape Town during IAW. The #SeeIsraelForYourself was a MASSIVE Failure. IDC Herzliya student Wanana demanded that SAUJS UCT remove some pro israel posters on campus. Finally, SAUJS UCT also pulled out of a debate organised by the UCT PSF with BDS Head Mo Desai on the last night of IAW. #BDSWINS
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