SUZANNE BELLING
“Their apology added in other religions and atheists and they are still continuing their anti-Israel activities, unequivocally targeting Israel. Their call came after Leila Khaled addressed DUT. We do not accept it – the Jewish community and the students in particular, found their call horrendous and we will continue our campaign,” said Natan Pollack, national chairman of SAUJS.
On Friday afternoon last week, before Shabbat the Jewish students in South Africa sent out a global call for support for the practice and exercise of their Judaism. The call went viral and “people were overwhelming eager to be involved”.
Last Sunday SAUJS had a massive sign-up from Bnei Akiva, Netzer, Deisi (a Christian Zionist movement), the World Union of Jewish Students, Habonim Dror, Betar and the National Union of Israeli Students.
Their pictures were displayed on Facebook, with the hashtag DUT SRC Disgrace, where supporters placed messages such as: “DUT SRC has learnt nothing from apartheid”, “South Africans are proud to be Jewish”, “South Africans have a right to freedom speech” and “We won’t tolerate anti-Semitism”.
The campaign has received support from students in Johannesburg, Melbourne, Sydney, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Paris, Belgium, the Ukraine, Austria and London.
“South Africa prides itself on a democratic society, encompassing all religious, races, ethnicities and political standpoints – the rainbow nation. South African universities encourage both rights to freedom of speech and freedom of association. This is in line with our national constitution,” Pollack said inter alia in a statement.
“To discriminate against a person because of their religious beliefs or political standpoint will not be tolerated by a nation that has fought so hard to uphold these ideals. The recent demands of the DUT SRC has humiliated the freedoms of students. Moreover, it is and explicit violation of human rights guaranteed to all who live in South Africa.”
Denis Solomons
Feb 18, 2015 at 10:19 am
‘Our class graduated in Nov 1978 !
There were 6 cum laudes .
Roy Baynes was the gold medallist of the class.
Phillip Pincus is the only remaining Cumlaude in the country .
He practices at Milpark as a general physician.
The other cum laudes were Harry Glauber ; Seth Love ; Jonathan Zwi and Phillipa Kenneally ( the only female in the group ! )
Long live the Wits Medical Graduates !92VTZ’
Mordechai
Feb 19, 2015 at 3:53 am
‘I suggest that the students sign be changed to read : \”Proud to be Zionist, NOT proud to be South African\”‘
Angelique
Feb 19, 2015 at 5:27 am
‘I’m not Jewish and I support Israel and the right for the Jewish community in our country to be here and to continue to contribute to our society as they have.
Our government needs to decide if they really want to embrace this \”Rainbow Nation equality\” ideology, because thus far it has not been a reality.’
Harry Friedland
Feb 19, 2015 at 3:45 pm
‘My daughter started her accounting career as a student at Wits. She is a physically small person and although she can argue the hind leg off a donkey, she was physically bullied by black Wits students to the point where she decided to study through UNISA instead.
She completed her studies in Jerusalem and now practices as an accountant in Israel.
The overall level of overt racism on some of our university campuses (whether it be anti semitism or otherwise) does not bode well for us.
For Jews, the phenomenon of education has been a value on its own, exceeding its practical application, for close on thirty centuries: \”A Jew need not own more property than he can hold in one hand while jumping over a fence\” – the lesson of twenty centuries of diaspora alone – the adage espouses that value.
The drive to acquire that education is so strong in our people that if we can’t get it here, then we will go to wherever we can get it. And we are most likely to stay and apply it where we get it – and that is the place which will reap the benefit of it.
If it would help to use this as a warning to Africa, then we should use it – but the trouble with Africa is that here people seem to revel in their ignorance. More’s the pity.’
Harold
Feb 20, 2015 at 12:14 am
‘Hi Dennis mazaltov on the 6 Cum Laudes .
\n
\nIt is however not germane to this horrid situation.’
nat cheiman
Feb 21, 2015 at 5:49 am
‘The comments from [Removed, insulting -ED] at DUT (SRC) should not be taken seriously. After all, they are only there because [Removed, insulting -ED] . They are also not [Removed, just plain rude -ED]. Some other idiot has paid for them. They and whatever qualifications they may obtain there are worthless because of themselves .’
Russell Fig
Mar 2, 2015 at 6:47 pm
‘ I will remind those of you who are black South Africans that the Jews in South Africa have done alot to help you and played a leading role in ending Apartheid. Why is it that so many of you blacks are so ungratful?
I am a White Jew originaly from South Africa living over here in America and my fautgher chose to leave and brought the whole family over here bercause he though there woud be trouble because of the governments Apartheid policies at that time. ‘