Meeting with Mayor Tau could smooth communal relations

VANESSA VALKIN

The Board pointed to Tau’s decision to lead a march at BDS-SA’s Israel Apartheid Week held in early March as well as the City’s partnership with BDS for its newest creation, Palestinian Solidarity Week (PSW), a series of lectures held later in March, including hosting senior aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Fatah’s deputy commissioner for international relations, Dr Husam Zomlot.

Last year Tau was keynote speaker at the opening of Israel Apartheid Week, whose organisers have been vitriolic and vocal in their criticism of Israel and, according to the Board, have led to South African Jewish students being referred to as “F***ing Jews” and “F***ing Kikes”. 

“For us, BDS has degenerated into pure anti-Semitism,” Zev Krengel, president of the Jewish Board, told the Jewish Report.

The Board said it had no issue with Tau’s support of PSW but what had upset the community was that the BDS-SA logo was included in the PSW material.

At the meeting, which was attended by Tau and Krengel as well as the Board’s director, Wendy Kahn, and Gauteng vice-chairmen, Robbie Fihrer and Gigi Wolf, the leaders had an opportunity to express their unhappiness about various other issues as well.

They noted that the mayor, despite being invited to many Jewish events in the city, had not attended any.

“You haven’t come to a single Jewish event and we invite you continuously,” Krengel told him at their meeting.

They also discussed the mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat’s visit to South Africa in March, when the Johannesburg mayor’s office had said Tau was not available to meet with Barkat

“When the mayor of Jerusalem goes to New York, he meets with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, why would Mayor Tau not meet with Nir Barkat?” Krengel asked.

The mayor defended himself, saying his office had tried to set up a meeting with Barkat at a time that worked for Tau but that Barkat had already left South Africa.

While Tau said at the meeting that he and the ANC were pro-Palestine and a two-state solution, the Board said that they, too, were supportive of a two-state solution, but felt that Tau’s support of BDS was not in line with this goal.

“We understand his support of a Palestinian state but it does not have to come at the expense of Israel and at the expense of local Jews,” said Krengel. “BDS might sell themselves as a pro-Palestinian lobby but they are anti-Semitic.”

Jewish Board director, Wendy Kahn, told Jewish Report that not only is BDS anti-Semitic but the group does not support an Israeli state. “We want an Israeli state side by side with a Palestinian state but that’s not what BDS wants.”

The City of Johannesburg passed a resolution in January to twin itself with Ramallah and a large official delegation went to Ramallah. The board expressed their dissatisfaction that Tau passed through Israel but did not make time to meet with any Israeli officials on his way into the West Bank.

The Board said it was hoping there would be much more interaction between the Jewish community and the City of Johannesburg and the Mayor’s office going forward. The meeting ended on a positive note with plans for improved and open communication.

The Mayor’s office could not be reached for comment.