SAZF concerned for Jewish students’ safety at UCT

TALI FEINBERG

Polovin says Jewish students have received little support from UCT’s leadership, despite attacks on their religion and identity, and vandalism targeting them during IAW. “They’ve done little to show how they will protect our students and their rights to freedom of speech and identity. UCT continually appeases the other side and does not align with its own code of conduct.

“The authorities have not protected the SA Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) as a minority group and their right to identify as Jews and Zionists. We are concerned for the future of Jews at UCT.”

Despite this, Jewish students on campus are positive and proactive. “We’ve had a large number of students from all walks of life visit our stand on plaza,” says an upbeat Jesse Soicher of SAUJS.

While Jewish students have seen their installations and an Israeli flag vandalised, they are feeling calm and in control of the situation, says Soicher.

Last week, ahead of the vicious and intolerant narrative of IAW, SAUJS ran a campus-wide campaign called #RESPECT, to educate people about discrimination against minorities on campus. It included a large installation, which was vandalised numerous times, including when the letters were changed around to read the word #SPECTRE.

“The word ‘spectre’ is clearly anti-Semitic, implying that Israel and Jews are inherently sinister or evil,” says Soicher. “We also found that our posters had been defaced, removed or hidden by other posters that appeared to belong to another society, the Palestine Solidarity Forum (PSF).

“Vandalism of this nature does not only amount to discrimination on the grounds of religion, but also infringes on the right to expression. This proves that UCT is not a safe space for minority groups.”

In addition, as IAW started on Monday, an Israeli flag covered in hate speech was hoisted between two pillars of Jameson Hall. “They had no permission to do this,” says Julie Berman, director of the SAZF Cape Council. “It was illegal and was quickly removed. The flag was stolen from last year’s Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations at the Baxter Theatre. Since we had proof that it was our flag – as our markings were still on it – we called the police because we had a case number from last year.”

On the flag was spray-painted the words ‘Blood on your hands – Apartheid Israel’. This, says Polovin, “is clearly anti-Semitic, desecrating a symbol of the Jewish prayer shawl and the Jewish state. It is clear that the PSF condones this kind of illegal theft and malicious damage to property.

“The PSF has taken over most of Jameson Plaza with a display saying stating that Israel doesn’t have the right to exist and calling for its destruction.”