ANT KATZ

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies’ Gauteng chairman Shaun Zagnoe, tells Executive Mayor Parks Tau that the Gauteng Council of the SAJBD is “perturbed by our mayor partnering with an organisation that has organised campaigns that continue to result in hatred, intimidation and threats against the Jewish citizens of his city.

“We note that you will be hosting a `Palestine Solidarity Week’ and want to voice our distress,” wrote Shaun.

“BDS is creating an environment for Jew-hatred to flourish, says Zagnoev, and the effects of which BDS-SA, the local arm of the US-based NGO Boycott, Divestmment and Sanction (Israel), are themselves unable to control. 

“If the mayor is truly committed to the `social cohesion’ he speaks to in his poster,” says the Board, “we would hope that he would rather address the escalating anti-Semitism and hate that groups like the BDS are responsible for.”

Johannesburg, says the Board, has the highest percentage of Jews in Africa.  

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The full text of the Board’s open letter:

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Dear Mayor Tau,

I write to you in the format of an open letter due to the fact that your Chief of Staff told us that he was refusing to share with you the previous letter we sent March 3, 2015.

We note that you will be hosting a `Palestine Solidarity Week’ this week and want to voice our distress that you have elected to partner in this with BDS SA, a group that has been responsible for creating a climate of hate against Johannesburg and South African Jewry. 

Their campaigns over the past couple of years have resulted in blatant Jew hatred including:

• BDS protest against Wits hosting an Israeli Jazz Quartet resulted in protesters singing Dubula e’Juda (shoot the Jew) which was justified by their co-ordinator Muhammed Desai
• BDS IAW has resulted in Jewish students on campus being called f***ing Jews and f***ing Kikes.This year a SAUJS event with Palestinian peace activist Bassem Eid at the University of Johannesburg was disrupted and the speaker evacuated.
• BDS campaigns against Woolworths resulted in a pig’s head being placed on a kosher shelf
• BDS hosting of Leila Khaled on DUT campus resulted in calls for Jewish students to be deregistered from the university

At a BDS march in Sandton last week against the SA Zionist Federation Exhibition, we saw calls to exterminate Jews, comments such as “You Jews do not belong in SA” and “You think this is Israel, we are going to kill you.”   

This can be viewed HERE.

The SAJBD Gauteng Council is perturbed by our Mayor partnering with an organisation that has organised campaigns that continue to result in hatred, intimidation and threats against the Jewish citizens of his city.  

The BDS is creating an environment for Jew hatred to flourish, the effects of which they themselves are unable to control.  If the Mayor is truly committed to the `social cohesion’ he speaks to in his poster, we would hope that he would rather address the escalating anti-Semitism and hate that groups like the BDS are responsible for.  Johannesburg has the highest percentage of Jews in Africa. 

The Jewish community here established its roots here over 120 years ago, and has and continues to play an important part in the city and the country’s history and future.  We are proud citizens who are committed to being an active thread in the “City of Gold” vibrant fabric. 

Furthermore, the SAJBD again reiterates its support for a Palestinian state existing side by side with the State of Israel with secure borders.  BDS’ displays of hatred against Jews in the City of Johannesburg will in no way further this agenda.

Yours sincerely

Shaun Zagnoev                                                           

Gauteng Chairman, SA Jewish Board of Deputies

• Jewish Report understands from a reliable source that the March 3 letter referred to related to a letter from Zagnoev, which Tau’s Chief of Staff refused to show the mayor with a request that Tau not participate as planned in a BDS Israel Apartheid Week event. The Gauteng Board chaiman had motivated his request and explained why he felt it would be inappropriate and alienate Johannesburg Jewry
• Zagnoev’s open letter appeared on Politicsweb

‘PALESTINE SOLIDARITY WEEK’ CAUGHT JOHANNESBURG JEWRY BY SURPRISE
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