Israel must support embattled SA Jewry, says Jewish Agency chair

JORDAN MOSHE

So said Isaac Herzog, the chairperson of the executive of the Jewish Agency, and the former leader of Israel’s opposition Labour Party. Herzog was keynote speaker at the 49th annual conference of the South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) last Saturday night.

Herzog’s own family has had a close connection to South Africa over time. “From my maternal side, my great grandfather was a pioneer who came to the dry swamps in Hadera, but during a huge famine at the beginning of the 20th century, he left his family for South Africa with his brother to participate in the Boer War by opening a bakery. They collected money, and returned to Israel,” Herzog said.

Herzog’s mother was born in Egypt, and when Rommel approached during the course of World War II, she and her family came to Johannesburg for two years. “She studied at Wits [the University of the Witwatersrand] where she was the only woman in her class,” said Herzog. “South Africa gave them shelter, as it did to many Jews.

Additionally, Herzog’s late grandfather and the former chief rabbi of Israel, Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog, travelled via South Africa, and met the Jewish community on his way back to Israel after meeting then American President Theodore Roosevelt. His late father visited the country with Ben-Gurion in the 1960s and again in the 1970s, as did his uncle as director general of the prime minister’s office. Herzog even claims South African-born diplomat Abba Eban as an uncle, mentioning the important role he played in the community here.

“I feel at home here representing these generations, who had their own strong connection to the Jewish community of South Africa,” he said.

Moving on to the broader connections between Israel and South Africa, Herzog said that Israel’s security was no longer only a domestic challenge, but an international one.

“A coalition led by Iran against Israel on one side, and an alignment of states against Iran on the other is the new reality in the Middle East. The United States, Russia, Turkey, and other foreign countries are entering the game as well. This has an impact on the entire world, and it’s therefore important that the case for Israel is strong everywhere.”

This reality has an impact on the broader Jewish population beyond Israel. Said Herzog, “The challenges are intertwined. The situation in Israel is part of a bigger picture, which is that of the greater Jewish people. For the first time in years, Jewish people are being targeted and killed for being Jewish. In addition, there are internal problems along with the external: questions about Israel’s policies, questions about the identity of a Jew, issues concerning Zionism, problems caused by anti-Semitism and its language of ignorance and hate. Jewish communities today are faced with dozens of new situations.”

The reality is no different in South Africa, he said, where the Jewish community is often at the frontier of many of these problems because of our geopolitical reality.

“You face the same problems as other communities, and these are in addition to your own local concerns. Your community leadership and the SAZF do incredible work. You also have incredible young leaders here. Despite all your challenges, you continue to overcome.

“Many of your expatriates are leaders all over the world. One of the greatest leaders of our era, whose picture I see every day in my office, was Mendel Kaplan. Your community has contributed substantially to the well-being of Jews, and has strengthened Israel in every sphere of life. You are one of the stones in the wall of Israel.”

However, South African Jewry can’t do it alone, Herzog said. “You need your allies and partners. Israel must extend its hand to your community. We are here to develop projects with your community. I’m happy to lead a delegation here, and together with the head of our mission here, Liat Amar, shlichim and other emissaries, we are adamant in our desire to strengthen and empower this community.”

He stressed the need for new partnerships, projects, and innovative ideas, saying that together, Israel and the community of South Africa could meet the challenges of the day.

“We must discuss how we will improve the political and strategic relationship between Israel and South Africa as well as the standing of the Jewish community here. We need to enable and sustain Jews to practice their Judaism and Zionism with pride and without fear throughout the country.”