Anti Israel lobby shocked at Wits anti-Semitism

ANT KATZ

ABOVE: This video is a compilation of anti-Semitic incidents at Wits last week that was made by the SA Friends of Israel group. 

While there is much said about how anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitism, there were clear acts of anti-Semitism on the Wits campus perpetrated by supporters of Palestinian Solidarity Committee (PSC) and other anti-Israel groups during Israel Apartheid Week.

So much so that even hardened anti-Israel activists were shocked enough to take to social media and react to what they called “outrageous” acts and “atrocities”.

In one incident, a BDS supporter did the goosestep (traditionally associated with the Nazis) with his finger under his nose like a Hitler moustache. When someone called him an “idiot” for what he was doing, he responded unrepentantly: “And you are a wanker…” This was filmed and went viral on the Internet.

Another incident – also caught on video – shows someone saying: “It makes people want to kill Jews, because Jews don’t behave when they are visiting in other people’s countries!” When the crowd is asked: “Who said that?” a student quite brazenly waves her hand to indicate it was her.

There were other outrageous incidents as well. And there was extremely aggressive behaviour on the part of the BDS supporters, which could also be construed by some as anti-Semitism. “They vandalised our stuff at every opportunity,” said Cayla Urdang of SAUJS.

Last Thursday, says Liat Ilouze, one of SAUJS’ keynote speakers, Israeli Arab Yahya Mahamed, was addressing the crowd at the piazza at lunchtime when PSC supporters cut the power cable to the public address system to try and supress his speech.

But it didn’t work, as the students who were listening to him, simply moved closer and he spoke louder.

This failed attempt to stifle Mahamed, Urdang says, so infuriated Rashad Dadoo, as he led the PCS members that he wanted to attack Mahamed and had to be restrained by some of his colleagues.

A pro-Palestinian supporter Vashna Jagarnath, read about the goosestepping incident and wrote on Facebook: “This is outrageous. I am not sharing it because it is too disgusting.” Another pro-Palestinian supporter wrote: “The progressive forces in South Africa really need to understand that BDS-SA is a major liability to the Palestine solidarity project both here and internationally.

“The repeated anti-Semitic acts during and around their campaigns are both disgusting in themselves and… a gift to the Zionist forces.”

Another pro-Palestinian supporter, Tariq Ramadan, commented on the social medium: “While criticism of Israel is legitimate and justifiable, it cannot be an excuse – in any way, shape or form – for anti-Semitism.”

Wrote another: “My own view is that there have been such frequent instances of gross anti-Semitism (and over such a long period, and across the country) at or proximate to BDS events in South Africa, that they shouldn’t be seen as aberrations.”

Another posted the following: “I echo these concerns as someone who has been involved over the past 10 years in efforts to promote freedom for Palestinians from Israeli occupation and violence… Last year I spoke at Wits’ Israel Apartheid Week. Spotlighting, the racist hate group that filmed the Nazi goosestepper at Wits, has depicted me as part of the ‘axis of hate’ for my efforts.

“So the comments I make come from a place of solidarity…  Importantly, Wits Palestine Solidarity Committee issued a good statement in response, which had the integrity to point out that this goosestepping Hitler impression was far from the only anti-Semitic thing during Israel Apartheid Week 2017.”