Johannesburg | Wednesday
WATER Affairs Minister Ronnie Kasrils was uninformed about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and was using his Jewish background to give credibility to the ANC’s pro-Palestinian stance, the SA Jewish Board of Deputies said on Wednesday.
SAJBD chairman Russell Gaddin said in a statement he was not prepared to debate the issues with Kasrils in the media, and would instead seek a meeting with the minister, whom the board regarded as a friend.
Gaddin was reacting to Kasrils’ statement in the National Assembly on Tuesday, in which the minister urged South Africans of Jewish descent to support justice for Palestine.
In his speech, Kasrils said the government did not dispute that sectors of the Palestinian people resorted to terror ”and we condemn indiscriminate killings of civilians from whatever quarter”.
”Yet this is not the root cause of the on-going violence. The fundamental cause of the conflict is Israel’s occupation of Palestine, and the suppression of the Palestinian struggle for national self-determination.”
Gaddin said the SAJBD joined Jews all over the world, including in the State of Israel, in seeking a peaceful resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
However, it was not Israel that was committing acts of terror, Gaddin said.
”Contrary to claims of ‘excessive force’ being levelled at the Israelis, all Israeli actions had to be seen either as defensive, or as responses to previous attacks by the Palestinians.”
Gaddin also criticised Parliament for spending ”hours” on debating an issue that had no direct relevance to the country and over which the South African government had little influence.
”The Jewish Board of Deputies, on behalf of the South African Jewish community, reiterates its unswerving support for the State of Israel,” Gaddin said in a statement.
Meanwhile, deputy foreign minister Aziz Pahad said on Wednesday he had read a three-page letter from Gaddin written to MPs and would definitely seek a meeting with the SAJBD.
Pahad is on record as saying he believes the letter was ”a bit over the top”.
”We are not alone in criticising the practices of Israel at present. The criticism should not be seen as anti-Jewish or anti-Semitic.”
Pahad has repeatedly said the South African government recognises the right of the state of Israel to exist, but also champions the cause of Palestinian self-determination. – Sapa