Record participation in Gauteng council conference

The first-ever online South African Jewish Board of Deputies regional conference went ahead without any serious hitches on Sunday, 16 August, with speaker Dr Edith Eger drawing attendance well in excess of 14 000 to the second part of the event

Prior to that, delegates learned more about the work the Board does, including in the media, to combat antisemitism and safeguard Jewish religious rights, and had the opportunity to engage with the outgoing Gauteng council executive in a lively Q & A session.

The conference was also an opportunity for us to present a detailed overview of the work that has been and continues to be done in terms of dealing with COVID-19, on behalf of our own community and further afield in terms of assisting fellow South Africans who have been especially badly affected. For those unable to attend on the night, full conference proceedings can be accessed on our Facebook page.

In the course of the conference, the new Gauteng council was announced. I congratulate those elected to represent our Gauteng community over the next two years, particularly those who will be serving on the board for the first time, and wish them all success in their term of office.

Historic Israel-UAE agreement

In the wake of so much sobering news regarding our COVID-19-stricken, controversy-ridden planet, the announcement that the United Arab Emirates had become the third Middle Eastern state after Egypt and Jordan to formally normalise its relationship with Israel came as a welcome boost. The historic agreement represents a further significant advance in Israel’s acceptance by its neighbours as an established component of the group of states making up the Middle East, as opposed to being treated as an unwelcome intruder whose very existence should be opposed. It further helps to advance the cause of peace in this troubled part of the world.

Significantly, four Middle Eastern countries – Egypt, Jordan, Oman, and Bahrain – were among the nations which welcomed the agreement, and hopefully more will follow. Regrettably, our own country not only failed to follow suit, but was among those states that expressed opposition to it. In its response to the department of international relations and cooperation’s statement, the Board roundly deplored this inexplicable departure from South Africa’s normal approach when it comes to conflict resolution around the world. By rejecting rather than welcoming a promising breakthrough, the government has again placed itself on the wrong side of developments in that part of the world and again missed an historic opportunity to play a constructive role in pursuit of peace in the greater Middle East region.

• Listen to Charisse Zeifert on Jewish Board Talk, 101.9 ChaiFM, every Friday from 12:00 to 13:00.