Comedian under attack ‘purely for being Jewish’

Jewish stand-up comedian Nik Rabinowitz was shocked to see himself on the front page of his weekend newspaper, lambasted for views he has never expressed, under the headline, “Parents blast ‘pro-Zionist’ comedian.”

“It’s crude and unfair to ascribe a political view to someone who happens to be Jewish,” said Milton Shain, emeritus professor of historical studies at the University of Cape Town and an expert on antisemitism.

Daniel Bloch, the executive director of the Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies (Cape SAJBD), said, “Yet again, we see how anti-Israel activists are targeting a member of the Jewish community for failing to conform to their agenda.

“Mr Rabinowitz is being singled out for his alleged ‘silence’ on the war between Israel and Hamas – a clear demonstration that, in the eyes of these activists, unless you endorse their narrative, you are cast as the enemy,” said Bloch. “This isn’t new. We have repeatedly seen organisations scrutinise Jews to determine whether they are ‘pro-Israel’ or ‘Zionists’. Such behaviour is antisemitic, discriminatory, and cannot be tolerated.”

Rabinowitz was targeted in a front-page article in the Weekend Argus, which told of a small group of parents who protested his performance at a Rondebosch Boys’ High School fundraiser because he was “pro-Zionist”, even though Rabinowitz has never said anything about his views on Israel.

A small group of parents approached the headmaster of Rondebosch Boys’ High and objected to his presence at the comedy evening fundraiser hosted by the school’s rowing club because of what they insisted was a Zionist stance, even though the closest Rabinowitz has come to any views on Israel is simply being Jewish.

The parents pointed to the fact that Rabinowitz appeared on the Facebook page of the South African Zionist Federation (SAZF). However, in the video reposted by the SAZF Cape Council in October 2022, Rabinowitz is talking about “semigration”, and why people should visit the Move Down to Cape Town expo. The parents also objected to his performance because they claimed he had once performed in Israel.

Rondebosch Boys’ High said that after the parents came to them with their complaints, the school did its own research into these claims, and found no evidence for Rabinowitz supporting genocide or Israel as he has never publicly supported the Israel Defense Forces or the government of Israel.

So, despite the parents’ protest, the event went ahead as planned on 30 August. Parents and the organisation Mothers4Gaza, associated with Gift of the Givers, staged a demonstration outside the school during the show.

Protesters held posters showing starving children stating, “Israel is doing this,” with many others holding signs stating, “Stop the Genocide!” Other signs read, “No haha for a Holocaust”; “While U laugh children starve”; and “Genocide is no joke … Old Clown.”

An Instagram post covering the protest claimed that the demonstrators were concerned about Rabinowitz’s previous performances in Israel and his silence on the matter, which they interpreted as a form of support.

The caption said, “Today, as Israel carries out mass killings, starvation, and displacement of Palestinians, his silence on these war crimes is deafening. We ask directly: does he condemn Israel’s genocide, or does his silence mean consent? Artists have a platform and a responsibility. You cannot profit from our stages and audiences while ignoring the cries of children buried under rubble.”

Said independent political commentator Sara Gon, “By protesting Rabinowitz, the protesters are essentially saying that being Jewish and part of the Jewish community makes Rabinowitz complicit in whatever they allege. It’s a fundamentally racist thing to do.

“Rabinowitz isn’t responsible for what’s happening in the conflict. What if one were to hold a member of the Chinese community responsible for the oppression of the Uyghurs by China; or the dreadful civil war in the Sudan, where an Arab militia is possibly committing a genocide on black Sudanese. It would be considered untenable. Rabinowitz’s appearance doesn’t justify applying a different set of principles,” she said.

Although Rabinowitz isn’t pursuing legal action at this point, Bloch said, “Our Constitution guarantees every South African, including Mr Rabinowitz, the right to practice their religion freely, without hatred, harassment, or discrimination. He should not have to “prove” or justify his Jewish identity to be respected. Nor should his ability to work in the profession he loves be undermined by ideological bullying.

“Nik Rabinowitz is being told to take a political stance or disassociate himself from a particular ideology,” said Shain. “Was any Muslim comedian held accountable for the actions of Bin Laden after 9/11? Are Chinese performers asked to state their position on the persecution of the Uyghurs? Such inconsistency can be explained only by simple Jew-hatred. In the actions of the Rondebosch anti-Rabinowitz lobby – seemingly a tiny minority – one is reminded of the McCarthyist era. It’s awful. My fear is that it won’t go away in a hurry. Rabinowitz is being held responsible for something totally beyond his reach.”

Said Gon, “The protests were against Nik Rabinowitz simply because he is Jewish. The claim that the protest was for humanitarian reasons makes no sense. None of the broader issues have been proven. The provision of vast amounts of humanitarian aid into Gaza alone disproves the claims. It’s a war that everyone wants ended, except Hamas. Hamas holds the fate of the Gazan people in its hands.”