Netanyahu calls on South African Jews to tell BDS ‘the truth’

PETA KROST MAUNDER

“Who is BDS defending? They are attacking the only democracy in the Middle East in the service of annihilationist ideologies and people who support terrorism,” he told the SA Jewish Report at a press conference in the Knesset in Jerusalem on 28 November.

He was addressing an international Jewish Media Summit that took place from Sunday to Wednesday this week.

Netanyahu was responding to a question from the SA Jewish Report about the fact that it was situated in BDS “ground zero”, where Israel is lambasted all the time by BDS supporters. He was asked how Israel would help South African Jews in countering this.

“You shouldn’t defend Israel, you should attack and delegitimise the delegitimised,” he said. However, in terms of the South African government’s support of BDS, he said, “We will speak to your government too.

“It might be the last government in Africa that doesn’t recognise that the world has changed. Even the Arab governments are coming to Israel. They no longer view Israel as their enemy. They view Israel as their indispensable ally in the battle against militant Islamists,” he told the international Jewish media.

“Maybe some vestiges in Africa will realise what other African leaders have realised – that the future belongs to our camp.”

Netanyahu went on to repeat that, in no uncertain terms, BDS are “liars and slanderers who support terrorism and radicalism” and that South African Jews should be diplomatic, but tell them what is what.