Antisemites and Jews see red over Markovitz’s EFF comments

When a white Jewish student in the red garb of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) spouted extremist rhetoric outside Brackenfell High School on 20 November, South Africans sat up and took notice.

Jack Markovitz’ inflammatory statements, economic status, family history, and most of all his Jewishness resulted in a deluge of antisemitism on social media, as well as pain and anger in the Jewish community and beyond.

In one fell swoop, Markovitz called Nelson Mandela “a sell-out”, the Democratic Alliance (DA) “a white supremacist party”, the residents of Brackenfell “poor whites”, and called for the “transfer of generational wealth and land to the disenfranchised people of this country”.

As the grandson of the late Leon Markovitz, a former mayor of Cape Town, Western Cape finance minister, DA fundraiser, and community stalwart, Markovitz emphasised that he was “trying to rectify the situation here today”.

The 21-year-old said protests must be taken to wealthy areas, and called for a possibly violent confrontation with white people. He accused “every single white neighbourhood in this country” of “yearning for apartheid”. He said he saw racist attitudes at his “private school with mostly white kids”. Alumni of a local Jewish school say he was a scholar there. He is reportedly studying at the University of Cape Town.

The reaction to his comments was explosive, with thousands saying he should be the first to hand over his family’s wealth. Many said that his father was Neil Markovitz, the owner of the prestigious Newmark Hotels, and suggested these be offered to the masses. But a close friend of the family, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Neil isn’t Jack’s father.

Thousands of abusive and antisemitic comments flooded social media. “No surprise that he’s a Jew, they’ve always supported terrorists”; “He is part of the new world order trying to control the world”; “Jewish youth voting for the SA Holocaust 2021”; and “Zionistiesejood [Zionist Jew], friend of Soros” (implying that Markovitz is linked to billionaire George Soros, who is accused by antisemites of controlling the world) were just some of the venomous responses.

Now, a South African from the other end of the political spectrum, Anthony Hall of the “All South African Lives Matter” group, says he has “decided that Jack Markovitz must be taught the lesson of his life. Next week in the Western Cape High Court, I will institute civil proceedings again him and the EFF for calling the people of Brackenfell ‘poor whites’. It’s derogatory, libellous, offensive, and vindictive.”

Hall called on Brackenfell residents to come forward to give affidavits, “to ensure that he [Markovitz] pays for what he did, and retracts that statement in a full-page advert in the Cape Times and the Argus”.

Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) chairperson Tzvi Brivik lamented Markovitz’ comments as well as the way South Africans responded to them. “Twitter became flooded with vitriolic and racist comments, for which the primary motivation wasn’t what the young man said, but rather the fact that he bears a Jewish name.

“His Jewish origin is irrelevant to the conversation about a high school in Brackenfell. Instead, racists, antisemites, and conspiracy theorists of every stripe used the video as a green light to propagate a host of abhorrent smears, not just against the youth leader himself, but against Jews in general.

“While any issue may be debated, the manner in which the debate takes place is of concern to the SAJBD. We have just launched a #WordsMatter campaign locally, challenging our community to become practitioners of careful thoughtful and deliberate speech, engaged listening, and meaningful interactions in spite of and because of our different views and experiences. We cannot allow a debate to degenerate into hateful speech that harms our community, regardless of the opinion espoused by this young man. No matter the provocation, this kind of rhetoric is callous, hateful, and deeply dangerous. There is simply #NoPlaceForHate.”

DA MP Michael Cardo, speaking in his personal capacity, told the SA Jewish Report that “Jack Markovitz’ description of the DA as a white supremacist party is farcical. In part it reflects just how much the term has been stripped of any meaning by third-rate thinkers peddling fourth-rate ideas to students in the name of transformation.

“The great irony is that Jack Markovitz, who is infinitely more privileged than the vast majority of white South Africans, breezed into a predominantly working-class suburb and proceeded to hold forth on generational wealth while all his own class prejudices and bigotry were on full display.

“The EFF is a proto-fascist party led by a racist demagogue and a coterie of corrupt hangers-on. If Jack Markovitz thinks that Nelson Mandela was a sell-out, that the EFF is a vehicle for social justice, and the DA is a vehicle for white supremacy, then their worldview has been totally upended. They are ignorant of history and dangerously deluded.” Cardo condemns the antisemitism that Markovitz has been subjected to on social media.

Many members of the Jewish community expressed pain, and anger at Markovitz’ rhetoric, emphasising that he doesn’t represent them. Theo Kriel, who converted to Judaism and now lives in Israel, made a video for his Afrikaans friends who asked him if Markovitz’ views represented those of the Jewish community, “seeing I am the only Jew they know”.

Speaking in Afrikaans, he said he has lived in Brackenfell in the past. “The people there are salt of the earth. I can tell you 100% that Jack Markovitz doesn’t represent the views of the Jewish community. On the contrary, 90%, if not more, want nothing to do with him. I can tell you that religious Jews don’t support these radical views. The Jewish community supports the Afrikaans community,” he said amongst other points.

Commenting on Kriel’s video, one person wrote, “I knew the late Leon Markovitz. He was a man who changed the skyline of Cape Town. These men worked hard and preserved wealth for their families. They also had social responsibility. I always marvelled at the plaques I saw around Cape Town. As a Jewish volunteer paramedic, I would enter care homes, hospices, day hospitals, and schools. Everywhere I went, I would see donation plaques from Markovitz and other captains of industry who grew Cape Town and cared deeply about its people. Jack isn’t only defaming their legacy, but also destroying the practical logistics they built that every resident in Cape Town benefits from.”

A small number of people offered their support. “Read the comments and weep. Hang your heads in shame, you judgemental folk. Why belittle and insult someone standing up for their beliefs? And dismiss him as if you know him?” wrote Caryn Gootkin on Facebook.

“I salute you Jack Markovitz. Not because I am an EFF supporter [I’m not], but because you have the courage to stand up and own your privilege despite what you know will be a hideous backlash,” she added. “We need more Jacks in South Africa. While I may not agree with everything you said, your general message was spot on. When will white South Africans wake up and see what’s really going on in our country? Put their privilege aside, and seek to understand the pain of black South Africans? Wake up!”

In spite of multiple requests for interviews, Markovitz and his extended family refused to comment.