MIRAH LANGER
This invitation of friendship was extended by African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) leader Reverend Kenneth Meshoe to potential voters in the Jewish community during a sit-down interview at Balfour Park in Johannesburg.
“The day will come soon when South Africa will be a haven from anti-Semitism for Jews. They need to know that in the ACDP, they have a friend who cares for them.”
He said the connection he felt with the Jewish people stemmed from the Bible and his studies of scripture. “True Christians know that we cannot separate ourselves from the Jews.”
As such, the friendship between the groups was a “permanent one”, he affirmed.
“I can be disappointed by one Jew, but I will never paint the whole nation with the same brush.”
Meshoe described the government’s decision to downgrade the South African embassy in Israel as “foolish”, especially because of Israel’s expertise in various fields that could assist South Africa.
“Israel has the means to help South Africa. For our government to do that [the downgrade] to people who can help! And then [it] embraces Hamas, who can’t do anything. That’s foolishness. How do you embrace a person whose specialty is killing: making suicide bombs, making rockets? You embrace that person, and you reject the person who can help solve your water crisis and many other problems? To me, that’s stupid.”
Meshoe said that his party was not entirely sure about the candour of the Palestinian side in making peace. “The Palestinians, I don’t think that they sincerely want a state; they want all of Israel.”
He believed the Palestinians had an underlying agenda, namely, “The annihilation of Israel is the bottom line; they don’t want it to exist.”
Meshoe said that if the ACDP was in government, it would make sure that this issue was addressed upfront before negotiations between the two sides began.
“My starting point would be for Palestinians to accept in writing the right of Israel to exist. Secondly, [negotiations would also have] to consider historical facts. These prove that Israel lived in the land even before the word ‘Palestine’ was coined. Whatever negotiations take place, that must be considered.”
Negotiations must also ensure that the security of Israel was guaranteed, he said.
Meshoe said his defence of Israel was based on core ethical values. “I would defend any group or tribe that is threatened with annihilation. Whenever anyone is threatened, I will automatically take their side. Because no one has a right to deny a nation, group, or tribe the right to exist. G-d has made all tribes on earth.”
He said that in regard to his political career, his best time had been during the era of former President Nelson Mandela. Meshoe hoped that after the elections, the political landscape would return to this kind of reconciliatory engagement.
“Mr Mandela would call leaders of the opposition parties. He would call me to ask me for my opinion. In those days, we [the ACDP] were the only two members of parliament. He [valued] us. I felt I had something to contribute.”
Meshoe said he believed President Cyril Ramaphosa lacked the requisite qualities needed to build the nation successfully.
“The ruling party can never be rehabilitated, as it is more concerned about the party than the country. Cyril Ramaphosa, who I know very well, has disappointed me terribly.
“I have known him not to have a very strong backbone. He wants to be loved and accepted by everybody, which I think is a negative as a politician. Ramaphosa is brilliant, but he doesn’t have the character to sustain that brilliance.”
Asked what the ACDP hoped the outcome of the elections would be, Meshoe said that he believed the party would get a percentage of the vote that was in the “two digits. Our voice will be stronger.”
He said his dream for South African politics was “to have more g-dly people in politics; people who are healed from the pain of the past, people who have listening capacity.”
