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Kathrada Foundation slams Chief Rabbi’s ‘threats’
ANT KATZ
“We deplore the loss of all life, be it Palestinian or Jewish,” says the Kathrada Foundation statement, but “we cannot turn a blind eye to the stance taken by the Chief Rabbi”.
Says the Foundation: “The report. of the Deputy Minister(of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Obed Bapela) on the conduct of the Chief Rabbi (of threats of ‘consequences’) is particularly worrisome for the Foundation.”
Read the full statement which appears on the home page of the Foundation’s website, below:
Response by the KATHRADA FOUNDATION to the Chief Rabbi’s statements on the ANC’s position on Palestine:
We are appalled by the one-sided and blinkered response of Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein to ANC Deputy Secretary General Jessie Duarte’s statement on the Gaza attacks.
The ANC’s unequivocal stance in the Palestinian crisis is consistent with the global outpouring of anger and a desire to see an end to the illegal occupation of Palestine.
One would have expected a more sober and calming response from a man of the cloth. The Chief Rabbi’s response, together with that of the myriad Zionist lobby groups in South Africa, deflects from the real issues at stake in this conflict, namely: the rights of the Palestinian people to national self-determination; the occupation by Israel of Palestinian lands; the indiscriminate targeting of civilians – particularly women, children, the aged and the disabled – and the flagrant disregard of international law and international humanitarian law.
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation condemns the attempt to personalise this matter by targeting the ANC’s Deputy Secretary General, and the alleged threats by the “Chief Rabbi” against the Deputy Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Obed Bapela. Deputy Minister Bapela reported at a solidarity rally in Lenasia on Sunday that the Chief Rabbi had called him after the release of the ANC statement and asked him to dissociate himself from the statement and further demanded that it be removed from the website of the ANC. When Deputy Minister Bapela indicated that this would not be done, it was reported that the Chief Rabbi indicated that there would be “consequences” for the ANC.
CHIEF RABBI’S STATEMENT ON SAJR
While we deplore the loss of all life, be it Palestinian or Jewish, we cannot turn a blind eye to the stance taken by the Chief Rabbi.
RIGHT: Chief Rabbi Goldstein addresses Mandela’s memorial service at FNB Stadium in December
The report of the Deputy Minister on the conduct of the Chief Rabbi is particularly worrisome for the Foundation.
The crisis in Palestine will not be hidden away from the South African public through such crude attempts at curbing the expression of views that are not the liking of the Chief Rabbi and others.
Choni
Jul 16, 2014 at 8:39 am
‘I suggest the chief Rabbi stops, or at least suspend, the reciting of the prayer in shuls for the well- being, and spirit of reconciliation for all citizens for the present government.
Obviously God is not \”heeding\” your prayers.
It is akin to Rabbinate in Germany praying for the welfare of the government in the 1930’s’
Choni
Jul 16, 2014 at 8:50 am
‘Have just read a great headline in Arutz Sheva.
400 French Jews (including 180 minors) make Aliyah today (Wed)
Rabbi, the only antidote to the poison of anti-Israel/Semitism is mass Aliyah.’
Chaim Yankelovich
Jul 17, 2014 at 1:14 am
‘How ironic that the by-line of this foundation is \”Deepening non-racialism\” – did it not occur to their spokespeople that Duarte’s comments were completely and utterly steeped in racial overtones against Israel, Zionism and Jewry as a whole. Do we take this from whence it comes or counter it in no uncertain terms? Perhaps see them in court?’
adam levy
Jul 17, 2014 at 10:17 am
‘Your headline should have read: Chief Rabbi attempts to blackmail (or threathen) ANC over Statement.
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EDITOR’S NOTE TO USERS: Adam Levy has proven time and again to be an alias for either an anti-Zionist Jew or a non-Jew and SAJR publishes his anti-Israel comments that don’t break any of SAJR’sCOMMENT GUIDELINE rules and is hence welcome to voice his or her opinion on this website.
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When he/she becomes anti-Semitic or otherwise
\ntransgresses the rules of this website, his
\ncomments are deleted. online.editor@sajr.co.za
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Gary Selikow
Jul 17, 2014 at 10:35 am
‘“If in the past year you didn’t CRY OUT when thousands of protesters were killed and injured by Turkey, Egypt and Libya, when more victims than ever were hanged by Iran, women and children in Afghanistan were bombed, whole communities were massacred in South Sudan, 1800 Palestinians were starved and murdered by Assad in Syria, hundreds in Pakistan were killed by jihadist terror attacks, 10,000 Iraqis were killed by terrorists, villagers were slaughtered in Nigeria, but you ONLY cry out for GAZA, then you are not pro HUMAN RIGHTS, you are only ANTI-ISRAEL.” — Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch, July 15, 2014
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Adam Levy
Jul 19, 2014 at 9:39 pm
‘Ant – i see your censors knife is pretty active again. don’t you take criticism well or you only post right wing views’
Ant Katz
Jul 20, 2014 at 9:30 am
‘Don’t flatter yourself \”Adam\” – your comment was neither critical not censored, it was merely awaiting the disclaimer we have to use so that other users are aware who you aren’t. Any comment you place is referred to me personally for moderation and. as such, sometimes takes a day or two before being published.
ANT KATZ
online.editor@sajr.co.za‘