Overall, community approves of ‘that ad’

SUZANNE BELLLING

There was an accompanying picture, depicting a Hamas terrorist. After a week, the Sunday Times relented and published the ad – minus the photograph – which we did print on the front page of last week’s Jewish Report.

We asked members of the community what they thought of the advertisement and whether it was a correct decision to place it.

Retired businessman Hymie (Perry) Lessick of Glenhazel said the Jewish community was quite right to put in the advertisement.

“They mustn’t be shy to advertise,” he said. “They have a right to do so. It’s affecting the whole community. What have you got to be afraid of?”

The advertisement was definitely the right approach.

Referring to the decision of the newspaper to delay the advert for a week and take out some of the artwork, he said that had the Sunday Times not published it, he would have cancelled his subscription to the newspaper on the spot.

Businessman Bryan Hirsch feels the Jewish community is in a “very bad space right now”.

The Jews needed to get their message across to the whole of South Africa “to understand the role so many Jewish South Africans played in getting rid of apartheid”.

While approving of the ad in the Sunday Times and thinking the SAZF and SAFI had done a good job, it was not enough. “It is no good to have reports in the SA Jewish Report and preaching to the converted. Israel is being portrayed as an apartheid state and we need to do more than just talking to Jews.

“Not everybody reads the Sunday Times, but we have to think more about spreading the word.”

He personally is on a campaign to enlighten people through the media as to the Jews and their role in South Africa and what Hamas represents.

He expressed disappointment that the government leaders of today had hosted Hamas. Like Nelson Mandela, the present leaders needed to know the prominent role of Jews during the Struggle.

“There is too much complacency. We need to do more. Not just talk to Jews, but to reach out to all South Africans.”

Journalist and author Lana Jacobson felt it was good that the Sunday Times published the advertisement, because it “showed the world the truth and the world should know the truth. It is a pity there was only the print [ad] and not the illustration.”

She called on all South Africans to denounce Hamas publicly and wondered if Hamas paid “a big fat fee” to get into South Africa and to receive the welcome it did. She also questioned the Sunday Times’ agenda in removing the picture and delaying publishing of the ad.

Gwen Podbrey, whose father, Joe, was jailed during the Struggle, said although the ad was “well-intended on the part of the community, it is likely to backfire and prove to be a tactical error”.

She did not think the advertisement would make a difference to public opinion. “We need a hell of a lot more than an ad from the Jewish community to make a dent right now in the deeply entrenched prejudices and ignorance of the general South Africa public regarding the Israeli-Palestinian situation.”

Eliyahu Mordechai Kleynhans, who was interviewed in Glenhazel, agreed that the advertisement should have been placed.

“It’s freedom of expression, but the intention was not to incite violence, but to portray the truth of who Hamas is and what their actions are.”

He felt the advert made a difference. It was a move against the selective prejudice against Israel.

“I think a little bit of balance is coming back, portraying where Hamas really is. Some individuals will get the truth about it. The imbalance has prevailed for too long.”

He thought, however, that the ad had lost some impact and dynamics with the removal of the photograph.

Simeon Angel, a web developer, felt the changed advert would not have the same effect.

He wondered how many people took note of it. “It is shouting on deaf ears. The people who would take note of it already know it. I don’t think it’s going to change majority sentiment.”

He believed that to be effective, “you have to do something different. It’s a start. It’s very difficult to reach the masses without doing something aimed at them. You can’t be too controversial. It’s a sensitive topic.”

He felt the paper had its reasons for delaying the publication of the advert, but he did not think the delay made much difference.

“|I feel that if you are directly involved, it might have some effect, but the only people it will really affect are those on each side of the line.”

He said he had not visited the website mentioned in the advert.