Jewish lives matter

Six people were brutally slaughtered by terrorists in Jerusalem this week, and more than 20 were wounded. I’m pointing this out here though the story is on our front page because, somehow, South African media missed this news.

It was simply ignored by most local media. I have no doubt ours is the only media house where this made the front page.

Two terrorists opened fire into a crowded passenger bus. And those passengers who survived were shocked beyond belief and are likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder for a long time. Most of us cannot imagine the horror of being on a bus when something so horrifying happens. It’s fortunately beyond where our minds can naturally stretch.

But somehow, because this happened in Israel to Jews, it’s ignored by most people. Somehow, for many, this is acceptable behaviour because it was Jews who were targeted, and in Israel. And Jews are said to be behind what many insist is a genocide in Gaza. So, according to the warped thinking, that means we deserve this. How sickening! What has happened to people’s humanity?

It has become the status quo that if Jewish lives are harmed, nobody but Jews seem to care. Only, terrorism is not acceptable for anyone, anywhere. Murdering anyone is not acceptable, again, for anyone anywhere. It doesn’t matter who they are. Every innocent life matters – here, in Israel, and in Gaza.

It just so happens that this edition of the SA Jewish Report is dated 11 September. Does that date bring back memories? On this day, 24 years ago, terrorists forced planes to fly into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, and another to fly into the Pentagon in Washington DC. Almost 3 000 innocent people were killed in these terrorist suicide attacks by Al-Qaeda.

Al-Qaeda and Hamas are both recognised as terrorist organisations, and while they may despise each other and have different strategies, they both want to obliterate Israel first before continuing their holy war. So, anyone who thinks that terrorist organisations like Hamas are for defending and helping Palestinians, have not only missed the point, they are simply wrong.

However, this attitude towards Jews and attacks on Jews fits into the worldwide growing antisemitism that our haters love to deny. And that means seeing Hamas as a legitimate Palestinian freedom fighting organisation, which is the furthest thing from the truth.

A perfect example of this type of antisemitism was used against outstanding stand-up comedian Nik Rabinowitz.

Rabinowitz doesn’t get involved in politics, not here or anywhere. That’s not his shtick! He is a comedian and happens to be Jewish. I make a point of going to watch him whenever I can because I think he is hilarious. He has no holy cows! However, I have never heard him even mention Israel, or any views about it.

But a group of parents at Rondebosch Boys’ High School complained that they didn’t want this “pro-Zionist” to perform at their school and then held a protest outside the school when the school went ahead with his show.

Bizarrely, these protesters couldn’t find anything he might have said, written, or joked about that was “Zionist”, so they picked on a video he made on “semigration” from Johannesburg to Cape Town, that happened to be shared by the South African Zionist Federation, as proof that he was tainted with Zionism. Really? So if someone who holds views I haven’t even considered shares my posts, that makes me one of them? Really? How does that work? And they claimed that once upon a time, he had performed in Israel.

Well, blow me down, if we had to rule out every single comedian, actor, or muso who may have performed in Israel at some time in their lives, we would be ruling out a helluva lot of people. Does performing in Israel mean you are a Zionist? I wouldn’t think so, but then these protesters looked really hard to find something against Rabinowitz. They were damn well determined to paint him not as a Zionist exactly, but as being “pro-Zionist”, whatever that means.

Truth be told, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that this has nothing to do with Zionism, Israel, Gaza, or even genocide, and everything to do with out-and-out antisemitism.

Amazingly, though, being a Zionist, which most of us in this community are, has recently become a crime in the eyes of way too many people.

I know I have written about this time and again, but being a Zionist means simply the belief in the Jewish state and Jews’ right to self-determination in their historic homeland. It does not mean that they necessarily support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It does not mean they support what the government of the day does. Much like any people, some may support them, and others may be vehemently against them. In Israel today, there is a large percentage of the population that certainly doesn’t support Netanyahu and co, but they are still Zionists. While they may not approve of what the government does and are openly critical of it, they still want Israel to survive.

However, those who hate us Jews because we are Zionists don’t ask how we feel about the government or what is happening in Gaza. Nope, we are all tarred with their antisemitic brush that intersperses the word “Zionist” with “Jew”. Same, same in their heads! Same, same also in the heads of those who wanted to stop Rabinowitz.

The only Jewish people who are apparently acceptable to our haters are those who condemn Israel and us for supporting the Jewish state. They, for now, are lauded and put on a pedestal because they have turned against their brethren. Now, I understand that it may well be better for careers to lambast Israel and fellow Jews, but it’s so shortsighted.

I have heard it often now that if you keep quiet as a Jew and don’t proclaim your absolute fury about Israel, you, too, are seen as a Zionist – or simply a Jew – and will face the wrath of our haters.

It doesn’t take much to look around the world and see that when it comes to antisemitism, those who turn on their own are still seen as Jews when push comes to shove. Only, by the time that happens, they will already have alienated their own families and community, and there will be no-one standing next to them when those they stood with turn against them.

This is a tough world we Jews are living in, but there’s no doubt that we need to stand together and support one another at this time.

Shabbat shalom!

Peta Krost

Editor