Government’s ‘deafening silence’ at murder of Jews

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) has expressed “hurt and dismay” over the “deafening silence” by the department of international relations and cooperation (DIRCO) in response to the “heinous murder of Jews” following a spate of terror attacks in Israel in recent weeks.

The Board appears to have been ghosted by DIRCO as it patiently waits for a response from Minister Naledi Pandor to a letter it sent to her on 11 April following fatal terror attacks on the weekend of 7 April during Passover.

The letter follows DIRCO’s speedy condemnation of events that took place days earlier at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, when Israeli police were forced to quell violence caused by Palestinian rioters inside the mosque. According to police, dozens of masked youths barricaded themselves inside the mosque atop the Temple Mount with fireworks, clubs, and rocks following evening prayers, while locking the doors and placing barricades at the entrances. Police said in a statement that officers tried to convince those inside to leave but were ultimately forced to enter the mosque, where they were attacked with rocks and fireworks. Police added that dozens of suspects were arrested and that “the rioters caused damage to the mosque and desecrated it”.

In a statement, DIRCO said, “South Africa condemns these violent acts by the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian Muslim worshippers.”

Meanwhile, DIRCO has said nothing in response to the violence and terror that erupted following clashes at the mosque.

Lucy Dee, 48, and her daughters, Maia, 20, and Rina, 15, were shot and killed in an ambush by Palestinian terrorists in the West Bank. Later that night, Italian tourist Alessandro Parini, 35, was killed when a terrorist rammed a car into people walking on the promenade at the beach in Tel Aviv, injuring several others. During Passover, missiles from neighbouring countries, car rammings, and shots fired by terrorists at innocent civilians marred yom tov, Shabbat, and other religious holidays.

In its letter to the minister, the Board said, “In this regard, we cannot but note the alacrity with which DIRCO hastened to condemn the events concerning the Al-Aqsa Mosque where seven people were injured. The unmistakable message this has sent is that our government feels no compassion for Jewish victims of terrorism, nor any outrage against those responsible.”

It continued, “In numerous statements over the past year, DIRCO has stressed the importance of even-handedness in dealing with international conflicts. It makes us question your true agenda, therefore, that when it comes to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, your concern and compassion so blatantly applies to one side only. We have no issue with our government’s support for the Palestinians. However, we have no choice but to interpret your selective outrage, where DIRCO cannot bring itself to condemn the murder of these four people, as being motivated by an obsessive hostility on your part towards the Jewish state and its people.”

Sara Gon, the head of strategic engagement at the Institute of Race Relations told the SA Jewish Report that she didn’t believe DIRCO felt any compassion towards Jewish victims.

“DIRCO and the ANC’s [African National Congress’s] support for Palestinians and their leadership is an absolute. Their much-touted support for a negotiated, two-state solution is just a weak attempt at virtue signalling, given their clear bias.

“It’s apparent from DIRCO’s condemnation of Israeli security forces going against the 300-odd ‘worshippers’ who had smuggled fireworks and other materials into Al-Aqsa, that it based its view solely on the brief footage of the security forces acting against these young men. DIRCO is unlikely to have waited to ascertain the facts given its bias.

“I don’t think Naledi Pandor or DIRCO would condemn the deaths of Jewish victims. If they heard about them, little regard would be had of them. Their bias supports the narrative of the groups that lead the Palestinians – Palestinian victims, Israeli aggressors – nothing else.”

In a statement on 14 April, the South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) criticised the government’s response to the Al-Aqsa Mosque events.

“Tragically, DIRCO once again offered South Africans only a skewed version of events, having communicated on the issue in a manner that reversed the cause and effect of the incident. It omitted any mention of the deliberate stoking of violence and tension, as orchestrated by Hamas-affiliated groupings,” the SAZF said. “Shameful. DIRCO ignores the plight of Jewish people in Israel.

“DIRCO should be ashamed of its statement on 5 April 2023. The Israel Defense Forces has put lives on the line to protect Jewish people, and all other Israelis, over Passover this year.

DIRCO’s policy position on the Palestinian issue appears to be led by the narrative offered by Hassan Nasrallah, the chief of the Lebanese terror movement Hezbollah, which claimed that recent world developments were serving “the axis of resistance” against Israel.

“While a growing number of violent terror attacks continues to threaten the survival of the Jewish state today, Israel remains a home to a multicultural society where the rights of all religions, minorities, ethnicities, and beliefs are protected and promoted,” the SAZF said.

It called on DIRCO to “end its hostility towards Israel by adopting a de-hyphenated approach to the conflict between Palestine and Israel, in a manner that correctly reflects the extreme suffering, loss of life, and violence experienced by Jewish people at the hands of Palestinian extremists and Hamas terrorists this year.”

Pandor and DIRCO hadn’t responded to requests for comment by the SA Jewish Report at the time of going to press.