Juju and SA Jewry agree to disagree

NICOLA MILTZ

During the initial, awkward handshaking introductions at the Braamfontein head office of the EFF, two members present – the one a white Jewish woman, the other a black man – locked eyes. In that brief moment, they were transported 30 years back to their heady student days. The two had brushed shoulders in the holding cells of the Hillbrow Police Station following their arrest during a peaceful protest march – over police brutality on the University of the Witwatersrand campus – which had turned ugly.

So when Karen Milner, the deputy chairperson of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD), and Dali Mpofu, the EFF’s national chairperson, introduced themselves, it was the perfect moment for Milner to express her long-held gratitude to the man who once offered her anguished parents comfort all those years ago as they waited for their daughter to be released from police custody.

“He told my distressed parents that he would look out for me as he was being led down into the cells. My mother will never forget his kindness, it was a true testament to his character. He was, after all, in a far worse predicament than I was, being a black man in apartheid SA,” said Milner this week, following her interaction with Mpofu, who also “remembered that day”, recounting the story to EFF leader Julius Malema.

So touched was Malema by the story, he insisted on the pair posing for a photograph before the formal meeting took place.

This was the ultimate ice-breaker for the historic introductory meeting, initiated by the SAJBD, between South African Jewish communal leadership and top-ranking members of the country’s third-largest political party.

Wendy Kahn, national director of the board, described the meeting as “warm and respectful”.

“Both parties shared their views on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in a very respectful way. There was certainly difference of opinion as to how we should engage with the conflict, but there was no animosity or unpleasantness. To quote Julius Malema at the end of the meeting: ‘We can disagree; that doesn’t mean we are enemies.’.

While there were areas of disagreement, these discussions were open, frank and respectful,” she said.

The EFF tweeted that a meeting had taken place and posted two photographs of those present. This prompted a barrage of tweets by EFF members and members of the public, criticising the party for engaging with the Jewish community. It did, however, receive 524 “likes” along with a post accusing the EFF of being “sell-outs” and “hypocrites”.

The EFF then posted another tweet, as if to justify its actions and allay its members’ concerns, stating that it “agreed to disagree on the Palestinian question. The EFF stands with the people of Palestine & will never betray their struggles, and that is the categorical message we communicated to the SAJBD. #Free Palestine” This received 753 “likes”.

Comments on social media, not necessarily by EFF members, expressed fury that the EFF would even consider meeting with the SAJBD. Some were vicious in their criticism.

A tweet by Lucas said: “EFF was angry @MmusiMaimane went to Israel but they themselves meet SAJBD. Zol smoking hypocrites.”

Muhammad Sheik tweeted: “The EFF have lost all credibility in my eyes. What a bunch of sell-outs. So it’s a case of ‘he who pays the piper calls the tune.’”

Riaz Khan tweeted: “Lets hope eff were not bought out by Zionist apartheid lobby.”

Fighter Romanov said: “Tell them to tell their BOSSES to free Palestinians.”

Fransisco said: “The moment u associated urself with that group u kissed my vote and say goodbye.”

Zama Mahlase: “What? EFF meeting with agents of the Apartheid Israeli Govt. I now wish 2 see @EFFSouth Africa Foreign policy. Not unless the meeting was to raise the plight of the defenceless women and kids of Palestine who are being persecuted by the oppressive regime of Israel.”

Ahmed Jazbhay said: “Disappointed that @EFFSouth Africa has chosen to meet SA’s representatives of the world’s last remaining apartheid outpost. @SAJBD endorse Israel’s colonisation, genocide, epistemicide and apartheid practices.”

The EFF issued this terse press statement on the matter: “Several issues were discussed, including, but not limited to, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The EFF unequivocally put its non-negotiable position on the condemnation of Israel as an apartheid state and our support for the Palestinian people.

“The EFF further raised the treatment and deportation of Africans by the Israel government. We further took issue with their silence on H&M’s referral to Africans in a derogatory manner, whilst they put up a protest against Zara clothing outlet on an anti-Semitic clothing label line.”

As if speaking directly to its members, the party said it “always meets organisations… even if we disagree with them. Upon request, we gave them an ear.”

Kahn admitted to being a “bit perplexed” by the dry statement “as it did not reflect the positive spirit of the meeting. Unfortunately, our discussions on issues of importance to us as South Africans were also not mentioned.”

She added that the meeting “focused on issues of importance to all South Africans, including providing education for all our citizens, addressing the crises in the healthcare sector and the importance of addressing the land issue. We also discussed the Palestinian-Israeli issues. Both parties shared their thoughts and beliefs on all of these areas and while there were certainly differences, there were also commonalities such as the shared values of education and the importance of this to uplifting a society.”

Ben Swartz of the SA Zionist Federation, who was at the meeting, said: “The fact of the matter is that both sides managed to successfully and respectfully sit around a table and discuss their common hopes, and at the same time to forcefully present their points of disagreement.

“For me this is positive and creates a mature approach by both sides to engage on difficult issues that affect us all. I hope that such engagements can continue.”