Groups like this say they stand for justice, but they really stand for prejudice.
By JUSTIN AMLERBoycott Israel sign(photo credit: REUTERS)
I grew up in South Africa and spent much of my youth in the sea side city of Cape Town. It’s a beautiful city – some say majestic. There’s a mountain that towers over the city that is as flat as a table – and even has the name of Table Mountain. It is also a very multi-cultural city, with people from all parts of the world who frequent it. There is a Muslim community, a Jewish community, an Indian community, a Chinese community, white and black communities, among others. But there is a dark shadow that falls over the city of late, and it’s not caused by the mountain. It’s caused by the evil stench of anti-Semitism that permeates throughout elements of this fair city and of this beautiful country. A couple of days ago, an organization called COSAS (Congress of South African Students), who are affiliated with the ruling African National Congress, decided it would be a good idea to place a pig’s head in the kosher section of a Woolworths grocery store in the suburb of Sea Point, where I used to live. The aim, according to the perpetrators, was at preventing “people who will not eat pork to pretend that they are eating clean meat, when it is sold by hands dripping with the blood of Palestinian children.” Although the BDS claimed it did not support the action, it was equally quick to justify it by saying it was done with “the good intention of helping the people of Palestine”. So you see the twisted logic of those who say they are against Israel, but have no problem with the Jews, can easily be exposed for what it really is. Bare faced anti-Semitism, disguised as some kind of justified criticism of the State of Israel. All you need to know about the BDS campaign and the various affiliated movements around the world are laid plain in the form of a pig’s head, right next to the kosher brisket and the kosher chicken wings. If their aim was to strike a chord of fear in the South Africa Jewish community, they could well have succeeded. Groups like this say they stand for justice, but they really stand for prejudice. They wave the flag of freedom, but are only covering up their own intolerance. They hide behind the banner of a fair and free society, but in reality preach one of racism and xenophobia.All their actions say more about them than it will ever say about Jews and Israel.
Sadly, with a government in South Africa, aligned with a group such as the one above, it all bodes ill for tolerance in the future of this beautiful country of South Africa. To be a Jew in Israel is not easy. They are faced with the constant threat of violence and attacks. They are faced with war and they are faced with isolation. But sometimes, there are times where to be a Jew outside Israel is even harder. Justin Amler is a South African born, Melbourne based writer who has lived in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia and is currently working in the Information Technology industry. He is an avid contributor to discussions on Israel, writing frequently to local newspapers. He has a keen interest in politics and creative writing.
