South African Jews call on Israel to urgently secure peace

ANT KATZ

Among the most prominent signatories to the letter were High Court judge and president of the Competition Appeals Court Judge Dennis Davis; professor of constitutional law and director of the South African Institute for Advanced Constitutional, Public, Human Rights and International Law David Bilchitz; renowned senior radiation oncologist and human rights activist Dr Selma Browde; academic and author Professor Hilary Janks, Professor of Sociology Professor Deborah Posel and Professor of Education Yael Shalem. A large percentage of those who put their names to this letter are professors and other academics.

The letter calls on Lenk to alert the Israeli government to their calls for “a concrete commitment to re-start peace negotiations with the Palestinians”; stopping settlement activity; and “a deadline to be set for the end of negotiations at which time a final status agreement will be forthcoming”. 

On July 14 the letter was sent to Lenk – who has since returned to Israel at the end of his tenure – and was written under the auspices of an organisation called SISO – an acronym for “Save Israel. End the Occupation”. This organisation was founded last year by Prof Daniel Bar-Tal, who retired from his post at Tel Aviv University to become a “fulltime peacenik” and try to end the occupation of the West Bank.

Two former Israeli ambassadors to South Africa – Alon Liel and Ilan Baruch – are also part of the organisation. Both have since left government service to press for a negotiated settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The letter states it was signed by South African Jews who are “deeply connected to our Jewish identity” and celebrate the establishment of Israel in 1948. “We also celebrate the attainment – in the aftermath of the Six Day War – of Jewish control over our holiest sites for the first time in nearly 2 000 years,” they wrote.

However, the signatories say they “mourn the fact that the (Six Day) War signalled the beginning of what is now fifty years of military occupation by Israel of the West Bank and Gaza Strip”.

They recognised that Israel “never sought to annex” this territory. They maintain that the position of “continued military occupation” puts Israel in a position of “control” over Palestinians who wish to rule themselves. 

“This has led to violent resistance against Israeli control (often including fundamentally unacceptable forms of terrorism), which in turn has spurred on violent response measures by Israel. In the course of such a conflict, many human rights abuses have occurred on both sides.”

The signatories say they are baffled by the Israeli government’s insistence in building settlements on the “West Bank in direct violation of international law”. They maintain that these “settlements have become flashpoints of conflict and suggested to Palestinians that Israel is not serious about peace with them”. 

They believe the “situation is untenable” and express their deep concern about the direction in which Israel is headed in relation to the “occupied territories and its rule over another people”.

The letter continues: “We write to you now to press the urgency of taking concrete steps… to stop the expansion of the settlements…, to ease the daily lives of Palestinians, to reject all forms of human rights abuse and to make tangible progress towards a negotiated resolution of the conflict that results in both Israelis and Palestinians living within their own sovereign states.”

The letter asks the Israeli government not to “deflect blame”, but rather to “claim responsibility for our own fate” and “take a bold step for peace”.

“For fifty years parents have sent their children to risk their lives for settlements that do not further security, and do not lead to peace. Is it not time to take a risk for an Israel that lives in peace with its Palestinian neighbours? True security can only be attained by forming peace with the neighbours,” according to the letter.

“As South Africans, we are acutely aware of the possibility of a different future… We recognise that excellent leadership averted a disaster in South Africa and resulted in a historic settlement which continues to hold to this day. An important process of reconciliation was also created.”

The letter insists that Israel can learn and benefit from South Africa’s process of transition to a constitutional democracy. 

Davis said he feared “that the very idea of shalom (peace) between those who live in such close proximity will never be attained”.

He told the Jewish Report that he had willingly put his name to the letter, along with  the two former ambassadors he so respected. Davis says he is aware that some will agree with him while others won’t. But, he says: “I’ve faced that down before, and I will again.”

Speaking from Berlin this week, Prof David Bilchitz said: “Our initiative should speak for itself in terms of the words of our letter. The signatories agreed to these terms which connect with what others across the world, in similar letters organised by SISO, are saying.”

Bilchitz says the umbrella organisation is co-ordinating this moderate, reasonable, pro-peace voice. “The letter (to Lenk) is part of an effort of reasonable people who recognise the complexity of the situation, to change the discourse in a manner that is constructive and that envisions a different future for both Israelis and Palestinians.”

Former Ambassador Dr Alon Liel, say: “Israel will reach its own rainbow only alongside a stable and viable Palestinian state.”

 Former Ambassador Ilan Baruch said this week that Israel’s redemption “lies in the two-state solution”.

The Israeli Embassy in South Africa confirmed receipt of this letter and that Ambassador Lenk met with “a delegation from SISO”.