TALI FEINBERG
South Africa’s foremost anti-Semitism expert, Professor Milton Shain, said Kriel’s outburst was “an astonishing anti-Jewish tirade, the likes of which we hardly hear today”.
Kriel lives in Pretoria and is relatively well-known in fitness circles. She identifies as Christian. She has about 3 000 followers on Instagram, and was brand ambassador for fitness brand PSN Lifestyle. The company ended the deal after complaints from the public about her anti-Semitic posts.
In a long and often nonsensical tirade, Kriel wrote among other points, “The f*cking Jews are greedy as f*ck, and they will wage war against countries and races based on lies and deception to get what they want. It was the Jews that bombed, raped, sodomised, and burned all people in Germany alive. Hitler is innocent. Our history has been twisted to favour the Jews without question.
“There is a special place in hell for them. After what I’ve just watched, the religion is just as corrupt as the souls they embody. Here is the link on how Europe was raped by the Jews.” She shares a link to an 11-hour “documentary” titled EUROPA: The Last Battle, one of a plethora of conspiracy theory films on the web.
She talks at length about “Jewish Bolshevism” and “the Rothschilds”, Jews striving for a “new world order”, and Jews controlling the media.
David Saks, the associate director of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD), says, “This is one of the more blatant, in-your-face instances of anti-Jewish hate speech that we have seen in this country for some time. It depicts Jews as an intrinsically and irredeemably corrupt, malevolent, and destructive element in human affairs throughout history. Propagating such sentiments in a public forum constitutes, in our view, a clear violation of the Jewish community’s right to dignity and equality, and the board is dealing with it on that basis.”
The SAJBD gave Kriel until close of business on Tuesday, 19 May, to remove the offending material and post an unequivocal apology to the Jewish community, failing which, legal and/or other appropriate action would be taken against her. On Wednesday, 20 May, Saks said, “Unfortunately, Ms Kriel has failed to apologise in the set time. We will be assessing the various legal options available to us to decide on the best way to proceed.”
Kriel told the SA Jewish Report, “I didn’t go look for them [these films], they just happened to pop up on Facebook. Out of curiosity, I had a look.” She elaborated that she had been in a relationship with a Jewish man for three years, and it recently ended. “The family denied their blessing for us to be together based on my ethnic background … because I wasn’t of pure Jewish blood. Nonetheless, for three years, I’ve participated in most Jewish holidays, weddings, and synagogue proceedings, regardless of family issues.
“Keeping in mind that I know the faith well and considered conversion at some stage, I came across the most disturbing information that absolutely infuriated me,” she said. She believes “the Holocaust was a set-up, executed by Hitler’s men, at the cost of millions of Jewish lives. I think most Jews know what happened 90 years ago, and who was actually responsible for World War II and the Holocaust. And I know they don’t want us to talk about it.”
Shain, who is emeritus professor of history at the University of Cape Town, said, “Kriel denies the Holocaust, and consciously turns the victims of Hitler into the perpetrators. Hitler is, indeed, vindicated.” He believes that she has been “digging deeply into the dark web and beyond”. Indeed, her Facebook page was awash with conspiracy theories about COVID-19 as well as other anti-Semitic comments. Her page has since been removed from Facebook.
Shain said Kriel “picks up on twin conspiratorial canards: Jews as ‘Bolsheviks’, responsible for great carnage; and Jews as ‘rapacious capitalists’. Rothschild is the ‘villain’.” These ideas have a long history in South Africa. “Hoggenheimer, a vulgar Semitic financier, dominated South African iconography for the first half of the twentieth century, and Jewish Bolsheviks go back to the 1922 Rand Rebellion.”
When her contract with PSN Lifestyle was cancelled, Kriel chose not to apologise. Instead, she dug her heels in. “No one will bully me into believing that their religion is more superior to mine … I’m Christian, and I will defend and speak up for what happened in the past, contrary to today’s beliefs,” she wrote amongst other points.
PSN Lifestyle wrote on Facebook that it had asked Kriel to remove her ties to the company on social media with immediate effect. When contacted by the SA Jewish Report, it chose not to comment.
Shain believes that Kriel’s posts are “unabashed hate speech”, but Constitutional Law expert, advocate Mark Oppenheimer, warned that this case might not be seen that way by a court of law because the question of what constitutes hate speech is currently before our Constitutional Court. Hate speech may soon only be categorised as such if it constitutes “incitement to cause harm”.
“This is clearly anti-Semitic speech that advocates hatred, but there is no clear incitement to cause harm,” Oppenheimer said.
However, the Community Security Organisation’s (CSO’s) Jevon Greenblatt said, “The CSO is working with the SAJBD to investigate this case. It’s concerning in light of rising global levels of anti-Semitism, which have been exacerbated by the coronavirus crisis.
“What’s different about this case is that this isn’t a fringe extremist but an ordinary South African with a substantial online following. Although her world view is dangerous and unacceptable, we are particularly concerned about how her words and views, expressed in a public forum, could motivate others to go out and commit acts of violence. Just one such act is one too many. History shows that words eventually turn into actions. We are monitoring this closely.”
steve marks
May 21, 2020 at 9:49 am
‘What a dreadful woman
I responded to her post and her associates mentioned on her profile. ‘
Anthony Suskin
May 21, 2020 at 10:23 am
‘What a brain dead bimbo !’
Diane Hall
May 21, 2020 at 10:40 am
‘
I think that the Jewish Board of Deputies should instigate criminal action against this woman even though the question of what constitutes hate speech is still before the Constitutional Court. This woman should not be allowed to get away with this and there should be unpleasant consequences for her.
‘
Sybille
May 21, 2020 at 11:07 am
‘She is obviously bitter and twisted because her x boyfriends did not approve of her , I wonder why ??????’
Dave Hofmann
May 21, 2020 at 11:29 am
‘this woman is nothing but a scumbag who knows not what she’s talking about. She is self centred and idolised. I only hope she’ll see the light of day one day’
richard sandler
May 21, 2020 at 4:11 pm
‘Nothing much to say about this "person" except…that the roaches are continuing to come out of the woodwork.’
Linda
May 22, 2020 at 8:01 am
‘Maybe you could tell her to uncover herself more if she wants publicity. I believe that it is best just to send her laughing faces to show her how stupid you think she is. By making a big deal of this story, you are playing into her hands and giving her too much publicity, which is what her aim is. ‘
allan slotar
May 22, 2020 at 8:20 am
‘This woman is not alone there are many people who lack the ability to know the difference between truth and lies and fact and fiction.
She needs to give an abundance of info to help her come to the truth it wont be easy as her personality problem is a big disadvantage
They easily can be indoctrinated because of their inability to be able to reason.’
Brian and Anne Nelson
May 22, 2020 at 1:41 pm
‘As Biblical Believers the above is absolutely repugnant to everything The Holy Bible teaches.
It is shameful in the extreme that someone can call themselves "a Christian" and speak thus.
May The Grace and Mercy of our Almighty G-d bring Simone to deep repentance.
We owe a very deep gratitude to all that The Jewish People have given us, and it is very disturbing to read this article.
Christianity is based on Hebraisism and, therefore we should always show kindness to The Jewish People.
The Holy Scriptures were and are first and foremost from The Jewish People.
Shabbat Shalom shelwa in HaShem,
Brian and Anne
‘
Chandre
May 22, 2020 at 6:38 pm
‘Her page is still on facebook, and she’s still sharing idiotic stuff.’
Sonja
May 28, 2020 at 1:43 pm
‘She is a trouble making witch and needs to learn a lesson.’
Bruce Hall
Jun 11, 2020 at 4:51 pm
‘This woman is obviously demented & no Christian would associate with her views. Any Christian knows that the Jewish people are God’s chosen race and will not be going to hell. ‘
Mia
Jun 11, 2020 at 4:59 pm
‘Apart from her shocking vilification of Jews, Kriel is also tainting Chistians by calling herself one. No real Christian is filled with such spiteful hate for our Jewish brothers.’
Rabbi Hyphenberg
Jun 14, 2020 at 6:06 pm
‘Oy vey! They goyim know! Shut it down! ‘
Kenon
Jun 19, 2020 at 3:31 pm
‘Looking for ATTENTION!!!
Probably got no boyfriend to make her feel special so she is saying crap like this for us to give her attention.
She will reap what she sow!!’
Rolf A.
Jun 19, 2020 at 7:19 pm
‘This woman had the opportunity to apologise and she didn’t. Now she must be prosecuted. ‘
Trevor
Jun 20, 2020 at 10:06 am
‘ Beyond stupid
Satanic!! ‘
aly
Jun 21, 2020 at 11:26 pm
‘She’s awful. She’ll see this in a couple of years and cringe at herself but it will be way too late bc her reputation is ruined and she deserves it. She’s a truly horrible person.’