Joburg businesswoman speaks out against genocide at the UN

Young Johannesburg businesswoman and Jewish activist, Danny Mofsowitz, represented world Jewry at the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) 58th session last week, from 5 to 7 March, in Geneva, Switzerland.

Mofsowitz, who is a member of the Jewish diplomatic corps of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), warned that technology offers both challenges and opportunities when it comes to hateful and inflammatory speech. She explained that genocide can potentially be prevented by using the available tools to identify and address early warning signs.

This was Mofsowitz’s initial speech at the session on Wednesday 5 March to an audience including representatives from Iran, Iraq, Cuba, and other countries with serious human rights abuse records. They form part of the 47 member states of the United Nations (UN).

Mofsowitz, who is also the chairperson of the South Africa Jewish Board of Deputies Gauteng Council, was invited to the WJC offices in Geneva to work with its team for the UNHRC session. She delivered another two speeches, one on freedom of religion or belief, and the other on the importance of human rights for people with albinism.

“Other than our traditional allies, of which the United States and Israel were no longer part of the UNHCR, nobody else was representing Jewish issues,” she said. “It was a huge honour to represent world Jewry, especially during these post-7 October 2023 times, when Jews are so under attack.”

Mofsowitz told the audience in her first speech, “Hateful and inflammatory language can now spread rapidly, but there are tools to identify and address early warning signs of genocide”.

The UNHRC is an intergovernmental body within the UN that is responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and for addressing situations of human rights violations and making recommendations. It has the ability to discuss all thematic human rights issues and situations that require its attention throughout the year. This particular session was the first of three in the year, according to Mofsowitz.

The topic of genocide, she told the UNHRC, “is of great importance to the World Jewish Congress. Tragically, we, the Jewish people, have endured genocide, with the Holocaust serving as a haunting reminder of the consequences of unchecked hatred. Its aftermath includes the founding of this organisation, the United Nations, with the promise of, ‘Never again’.”

Certain language patterns served as early warning signs of genocide, Mofsowitz said. “We have sadly learned that what starts as thoughts become words, and words become actions. History has demonstrated that dehumanisation eventually leads to the horrors of genocide,” she told the UNHRC.

She went on to say that the “misapplication of the term ‘genocide’ in colloquial language risks diluting its gravity and undermines efforts to address actual atrocities”.

The WJC welcomed advancements that enabled monitoring of “genocidal intent” and the prevention of genocide through the use of technology, so to eradicate future hatred and intolerance.

“Although much work remains, to remain true to its ideal, the United Nations needs to increase its capacity without diluting the gravity of the term ‘genocide’,” Mofsowitz said.

Later on the same day, Mofsowitz gave a talk on freedom of religion and belief, warning those in the audience about “an alarming surge in religious hatred and discrimination worldwide, including antisemitism”.

She pointed out that this manifested “not only in physical attacks and harassment, but in the online sphere.

“The Jewish community has been disproportionately affected,” Mofsowitz said, “facing threats to personal safety and religious freedom”.

The WJC, Mofsowitz said, works with other international organisations, national governments, and civil society coalitions to develop action plans against antisemitism and “aim for a more comprehensive approach across state policies”.

South Africa, she told an UNHRC audience, had established a cultural, linguistic, and religious rights commission, an independent body that protected each group in the multifaith country and recognised the unique contributions of diverse communities.

She directed her final point to the special rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief, Nazila Ghanea, recommending that UN member states consider when developing strategies the promotion and protection of freedom of religion and belief, with a particular focus on fighting antisemitism.

On Friday, 7 March, Mofsowitz represented the WJC in the interactive dialogue about the human rights of persons with albinism. She explained that the WJC was committed to combating all forms of discrimination and stigmatisation of minorities, including but not limited to one’s religious beliefs, political convictions, sexual orientation, and skin colour.

“As Jews, we unfortunately know only too well the consequences of exclusion and discrimination based on religion, beliefs, or appearance. We cannot accept that in a modern world, people who are viewed as different are still denied the same opportunities as their peers,” she said.

Mofsowitz said the WJC welcomed the provisions for healthcare and social support and the creation of a legal framework to protect against discrimination of those with albinism, “because discrimination is a pressing human rights concern that affects countless lives across the world”.

The WJC advocated for the return of the 59 remaining hostages in Gaza and the security of Jews around the world. Among other important meetings, this international Jewish organisation facilitated a meeting between the families of Israeli hostages Nimrod Cohen, Omri Miran, and Elkana Bohbot with the UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, urging their immediate release.

Mofsowitz said she came away from the 58th session having interacted with many people, and found that many were allied to the Jews. She said she felt very relieved that she could speak freely as a Jew in this arena.