Israel trip leads to greater objectivity for SA journalists

NICOLA MILTZ

So bad was the backlash for Mahomed, who is Muslim, it created an online hate fest including a wave of anti-Semitic postings, and furore from within her own community.

The reaction to her news clips for joburgtoday.tv led her to question whether it was possible to report on events surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a balanced and fair way. But, in spite of the difficulties she encountered, she remained resolute and adamant about reporting the facts.

Her interest in the Middle-East conflict was sparked by a number of high profile, controversial events. These included the Shashi Naidoo “Gaza is a shit hole” saga, and the controversial recalling of the South African Ambassador to Israel, Sisa Ngombane, following unrest in Gaza.

She decided to pursue a better understanding of the conflict to find out why it was “dividing ordinary Jews and Muslims to such a degree”. It seemed logical to her to cover the Christian solidarity march, organised by the South African Friends of Israel (SAFI), to add to her repertoire of viewpoints on the subject.

“Viewers were not interested in why there was a march… they were upset and angered that I was covering a march hosted by SAFI. I was mocked for my ignorance for being there, and associating with Jews. I was appalled by the hate for Jews. It was a dark time for me personally.”

Mahomed, aka the Soulful Journalist, is best known for her time at eNCA as news anchor and business reporter. She recently started her own media company called Channel M Productions, which according to its Facebook blurb aims to “tell the stories that need to be told, to inspire change, and provide greater insight”.

After being lambasted on social media for covering the march, she reached out to the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) and Boycott, Divestment Sanctions (BDS) to get the various sides to attempt reconciliation.

“BDS refused to engage with me on the topic of a possible conflict-resolution process. I feel that organisations on the frontline who call for change should be willing to engage constructively. I believe they are activists with no clear agenda to impact meaningfully.”

Meanwhile, positive interaction with the SAJBD led to an opportunity to visit Israel on a spiritual, political, and cultural fact-finding mission. Her aim was to engage with ordinary people to “examine life beyond the war on both sides”, as she puts it.

Together with a number of South African journalists, Mahomed toured the region in late November last year, and describes the experience as “transformative”.

One of her highlights was visiting the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Western Wall.

On Facebook, she described her visit to the Old City in Jerusalem as one of the “most peaceful, spiritual encounters I have had since my own pilgrimage to Mecca”.

“The spiritual rapture” of being in Jerusalem, she said, left her with many unanswered questions about the conflict.

Undoubtedly, what stood out for Mahomed was “the general sentiment among Palestinians and Israelis of wanting to move forward and to get on with their lives”.

“There is a narrow perception among South Africans that Israeli Arabs and Jews don’t get along, but this is not the case. Even though there is a conflict going on, they go beyond it by socialising and interacting with one another daily. They all want peace with their neighbours. South Africans judge the situation by what makes headlines.”

Another journalist, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the SA Jewish Report that her visit was “an eye-opener”.

“The trip to Yad Vashem was the most heart-wrenching – learning about the history of the Jewish people, and getting more insight on the Holocaust. What stood out for me was the light that Jews found at the end of the tunnel after so much darkness. And the light is Israel.”

She was intrigued by “how most Palestinian children are taught to hate Jews from the time that they are born. One Palestinian spoke about how he did not understand the kindness that was shown to him by a Jew [who he now considers his second mother], because he was taught that Jews are not good people and they only want to oppress Palestinians.

“There are faults in the Israeli leadership that seem to contribute to the conflict,” she said. “There are Palestinian leaders that want peace with Israel and who support a two-state solution. However, what worries me is the Palestinian leadership that does not recognise the right of Israel to exist. If you want peace with Israel, you have to prepare your people for peace with Israel – and that is not what is happening, especially in Gaza.”

Phumlani M. Majozi, the host of Salaamedia and One Nation FM 88.9 and a News24 columnist, told the SA Jewish Report his trip was “enlightening”.

Before he left, he said, he knew very little about Israel’s history, culture, and demographics. He found it interesting to interact with Ethiopian Jews.

“The political situation is really complex,” he said. “To achieve peace, both countries will have to compromise and make tough decisions. They must work on a resolution with that thinking in mind.”

The visiting journalists were given more than a bird’s-eye view of the region. Among many varied experiences, they met Arab-Israeli and Israeli journalists. They heard explanations about the complexities of the conflict from leading academics. They met a former Gazan resident now living in the West Bank who tries to bring about reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. They toured Ramallah; visited Yasser Arafat’s tomb; met Nidal Foqaha, the Director General of the Palestinian Peace Coalition; and they visited Sderot close to the Gaza border.

Mahomed said she was convinced that “objective leadership” was needed in South Africa if it was to play a meaningful role in the conflict.

“South Africa can have a positive impact, given its relationship with the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, and can bring the sides together. As journalists, we need to question the integrity of the efforts South Africa wants to make around the conflict, and hold the government accountable to the role it could be playing.”