Feeding the hateful narrative

I was sure that Roedean School apologising for the antisemitism behind its refusal to play tennis with King David High School would make everything right. I believed it would put a full stop at the end of what was an ugly rigmarole concerning the schools, their pupils, parents, educators, and everyone else who felt the need to have their say. 

Apologies are generally significant, and make a real difference if truly meant, or so I have always believed. And in this case, I believed those who wrote the apology and agreed to it really meant it. I don’t know what their personal beliefs are. I imagine most of them don’t believe that antisemitism is acceptable, nor any kind of racism. Perhaps some saw the backlash to their actions and realised that trying to get around any form of racism wouldn’t be good for the school or anyone else. 

I cannot say, but I was thrilled that there was a real apology. 

However, perhaps I was naïve to believe that the apology would be the end of it, because those who hate us and are truly antisemitic were never going to accept an apology as an end to the racist saga. 

Unfortunately, those who ultimately suffer in all of this are school kids on all sides, but our haters are not interested in them. It’s all about the narrative and making Jews – or as they now like to call us by the new derogative, “Zios” – look bad. Their aim, or so it seems, is to ensure that the world lumps us all together as supporting and encouraging genocide. Their idea – the same as that of the Nazis – is to dehumanise us and take away anything that identifies us as individuals in order for people to be able to hate us all. Amazingly, I do not know one single person who supports genocide or wants anyone to be killed for their race or religion. 

In terms of what originally happened between the schools, I have to admit, I don’t for one moment believe that the refusal to play against King David was 100% in the adults’ court. I have teenage and young adult children, and I was once one of those too. I had very strong beliefs, and was never afraid to voice my opinions. In fact, as a teenager, I believed I was invincible. And so, while I do understand that it’s the adults and educators who allow the teenagers to do and say what they want, I wouldn’t be surprised if the teens refused to play. 

Unfortunately, antisemitism has become the popular narrative, and our government has allowed it and, in fact, encouraged it. And so, by taking a stand against King David scholars, the teens probably saw themselves as woke, following the trendy folk, and also supporting their government. 

How sickening is it that hating and demeaning us is trendy! 

So, though the school did the right thing, our haters have not let it go. No, they have continued with the narrative, and even made Roedean look weak and foolish by having apologised. 

They claim that hating Zionists – Jews in any other language – is absolutely acceptable because we are simply bad people in supporting the Jewish State. Said like that, it’s easy to believe them, right? Then, many trot out their favourite Jew-hating Jews to confirm how right they are and how evil we are. 

Only, we live in a country in which racial hatred is outlawed. However, as we have witnessed around the world and during the Holocaust, the more you dehumanise people and make hating them the popular narrative, the easier it is to harm them. 

Australia is a case in point. The Chanukah massacre could have happened only if people believed it was acceptable to kill Jews. Just two days after the 7 October 2023 massacre, there were hoards outside the Sydney Opera House calling for the murder of all Jews. This was just one of the scene-setters that led to the Chanukah massacre. 

Our government has to change its stance to protect the Jews in this country. Or do our leaders no longer believe we are South African, and are happy to make a mockery of the Bill of Rights and Constitution? 

This isn’t about Israel. It’s about South African Jews going to a Jewish school. Anybody who insists it is anything else is lying. Nobody asked what those King David tennis players believed about Israel. Nobody cared to ask. They just blanket refused to play with them because they were pupils at a Jewish school. 

I’m so tired of people making excuses for their hatred and calling it by other names. Most South African Jews are Zionists because we simply believe how essential it is for the Jewish State to survive and thrive. It’s not about the present-day government. Nor is it about the many issues in Israel we may have opinions on. 

I feel like a stuck record saying the same thing over and over because it seems that as many times as Jews explain this, so many simply won’t accept it. They have their own explanations for their hatred. 

I’m so tired of hearing how hating Zionists isn’t hating Jews. It is. Simple. Every single day when we pray, we pray for Jerusalem and to return there. And I take offence with those who aren’t Jewish who believe they know who and what we are and what we believe. 

My point is that the Roedean-King David saga is actually over, but the haters won’t let it go. They will continue to use it to spread their hatred. They will continue to push for it to enhance their ugly narrative about us. 

Here’s the thing: we will not bow down to them! We will not let them take our power! We have nothing to be ashamed of, and will hold our heads high as Jews and Zionists. 

Shabbat shalom! 

Peta Krost 

Editor