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Chief Rabbi’s ‘G-d bless South Africa’ rather inappropriate
Choni Davidowitz
With the utmost respect to him, I believe there are many Jews who will find this “prayer” inappropriate at this time.
The government of South Africa has shown – and continues to show – strong support for the enemies of Israel. It has hosted and welcomed some of the biggest Jew-killers since Hitler. Since the visit of Yasser Arafat in 1994 and subsequent visits of arch-terrorist Leila Khaled and the leader of Hamas – branded as a terrorist organisation by the UN – the South African government has had cordial ties with these fervent haters of Israel. The government has never condemned the vicious acts of terror against Israeli men, women and children by these killers of Jews.
According to reports in the Jewish Report, a large group of leaders from “Palestine” gathered in South Africa for so-called “unity talks”. A number of high government officials, including the minister of finance, addressed this unity conference.
One can only have nightmarish recollections of a similar conference held in Wannsee, Germany during the Second World War. Then, as now, groups of fervent Jew-haters gathered to plan the destruction of the Jewish people. At that time Arab leader Al Husseini, together with the leaders of Nazi German, planned the elimination of all Jews.
Now South Africa hosted leaders whose primary agenda is the elimination of a Jewish state in the Middle East. I would suggest that the only unity these groups wish to achieve is to unify in their bid to destroy Israel.
In view of the above, as well as other anti-Israel/Jewish sentiments expressed by the South African government, any Jew or gentile with pure emotions would hardly find deep in their hearts the ability to see any merit for “G-d (to) bless South Africa”.
I would ask our Chief Rabbi to wait until we have a government which is far more sympathetic to Israel and its people, as well as a complete rejection of visits by terrorists and their supporters to our shores, before he requests “G-d to bless South Africa”.
Golden Acres, Johannesburg
David B
August 5, 2016 at 3:03 am
‘@ Choni -“prayer” inappropriate at this time. – come on Choni ! How in the world can you expect the Rabbinate of South Africa not to bless South Africa? What ever Government South Africa has and has had n the past -has always been a government for some of the people some of the time – rather than for all the people all the time. It goes without saying that due to South Africa’s historic Governments, there will always be an element of racism which will take many more than just 2+ decades to neutralise.
However now that the scales are currently in the ‘away’ swing from whites generally, we still need hope and blessings to be liberally heaped on South Africa, which will ‘hopefully’ assist the swing back to an equilibrium.
It will take time , but faith and being positive, is all we can hope for in this day and age. ‘
Choni
August 11, 2016 at 4:07 pm
‘DavidB According to your reasoning, the Chief Rabbi of Germany should have proclaimed \”God bless Germany\” in the !930’s.’