ANT KATZ

Wendy Kahn, national director of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies, issued the following statement in an attempt to calm the community yesterday (Thursday), after the board had decided to take action against Tony Ehrenreich – see below.

‘Threats against SA Jewry by Tony Ehrenreich’

Kahn’s letter read:

Dear Community Member

RIGHT: Wendy Kahn

Cosatu Western Cape Secretary Tony Ehrenreich stated on his blog yesterday that, “The time has come to say very clearly that if a woman or child is killed in Gaza, then the Jewish Board of Deputies, who are complicit, will feel the wrath of the People of South Africa with the age old biblical teaching of an eye for an eye.

The time has come for the conflict to be waged everywhere the Zionist supporters fund and condone the war killing machine of Israel.”

“We assure the community that this issue is being taken seriously be the SAJBD, with charges being laid and a complaint sent to the SA Human Rights commission.”

Furthermore, a media statement was issued this afternoon which can be seen below,wrote Kahn.

PICTURED LEFT: The offensive post by Cosatus Tony Ehrenreich which the SAJBD says is hate speech and incitement to violence – and they are laying civil and criminal charges.

Kahn was referring to the following statement which had been issued by the Board earlier on Thursday:

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) is in the process of instituting both criminal and civil charges against Tony Ehrenreich, provincial secretary of Cosatu (Western Cape branch), for hate speech and incitement to violence against the elected, representative leadership of the SA Jewish community. This will include laying charges of incitement with the police and lodging a formal complaint with the SA Human Rights Commission.

On August 13, Ehrenreich published a statement on his Facebook page accusing the SAJBD of being “complicit in the murder of the people in Gaza” and calling on the greater South African population to target it for revenge attacks whenever a woman or child in Gaza was killed. In his post, Ehrenreich wrote: 

“The time has come to say very clearly that if a woman or child is killed in Gaza, then the Jewish board of deputies, who are complicit, will feel the wrath of the people of SA with the age old biblical teaching of an eye for an eye. The time has come for the conflict to be waged everywhere the Zionist supporters fund and condone the war killing machine of Israel.”

‘Incitement to violence against Jewish leaders’

“SAJBD Chairman Mary Kluk said that the post was a flagrant violation of South African law prohibiting hate speech and incitement to cause harm”

PICTURED LEFT: Board chairman, Mary Kluk

“Ehrenreich’s inflammatory post incites violence and hatred against the representative body for South African Jewry. What makes it even worse is the fact that he holds a leadership position within Cosatu, South Africa’s largest trade union organisation. It also comes at a time of heightened tension over the Israel-Gaza conflict, thereby enflaming an already volatile situation” she said.

“The latest post by Mr Ehrenreich comes in the wake of a recent statement issued by him in which the SAJBD was warned to cease its ‘Zionist propaganda’ in Cape Town by August 7, or face a osatu-led campaign of strikes and boycotts against its members, supporting companies and organisations. Kluk observed that this too posed an overt challenge to South Africa’s democratic culture.

“It is unprecedented in a democracy for a political lobby to threaten violent reprisals against the SAJBD, or against any individual or group for that matter,” ended the statement.

Zev goes on TV, Tony ducks out

ENCA news had been advertising upcoming interviews they had scheduled with both Tony Ehrenreich at 19:30 Thursday night and Board president, Zev Krengel after 20:00.

PICTURED
RIGHT:
File footage
of Ehrenreich,
   was
displayed
on a screen
behind Krengel

Red-faced anchors had to apologise as Ehrenreich’s phone was switched off and they could not contact him. Krengel, on the other hand, was in studio and did a good job of explaining the Board’s role in the community and denying Ehrenreich’s claims.

See Thursday post: “EYE FOR AN EYE” THREAT TO SA JEWS ON GAZA