While South African officials at the International Court of Justice in The Hague accuse Israel of committing "genocide" against Palestinians, support for Israel and its right to self-defense remains strong within the South African Jewish community.
Read more:
This week, a Jewish National Fund (JNF) delegation from South Africa visited Israel, meeting with survivors of the October 7 massacre and those impacted by the attack on the Nova music festival and kibbutzim near Gaza.
3 View gallery
South African Jewish community delegation meets with October 7 survivors
(Photo: KKL-JNF)
"We've brought with us here today to Israel hundreds of beanies that have been knitted by the bobes (Yiddish for grandmothers) of the South African Jewish community for the soldiers, as an act of support and solidarity," shares JNF South Africa Chairman and a member of the delegation Michael Kransdorff.
"Coming on this trip has been so important for our community that despite what the government says and despite what's happening and despite the pressures on us to toe the government's line on Israel, we firmly stand up, we hold our heads up high and we say that we as South African Jews support Israel. That's part of our identity; we won't be cowered. We will continue to stand steadfast with Israel and show support and solidarity with Israel."
Kransdorff expresses the community's disappointment. "The South African Jewish community feels disappointed by the government's refusal to recognize the evil of Hamas and what took place on October 7," he said.
"It took weeks for them to condemn the single biggest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust and rather than use their influence with Hamas and the Iranian regime to bring home the hostages, and to end the conflict, they have chosen to side with Hamas and the Iranian regime, and attack Israel in its defensive war to protect its home front and return the hostages.
"We as the Jewish community are deeply disappointed with the government and think that it missed a major opportunity to play a positive role in the world, in the spirit of Mandela. But rather chosen to support Hamas and side with terror," he adds.
"The Jewish community stands firmly behind Israel. We are one of the most Zionist communities in the world and since October 7, we've wanted to do anything we can to show support."
The visiting delegation comprises representatives from the Jewish National Fund (JNF) of Israel, the Zionist Federation of South Africa, the Deputy Council of South African Jews and other key figures in the country's Jewish community.
At a ceremony, the delegation heard from Aviva Siegal, a Kibbutz Kfar Aza resident abducted to Gaza on October 7 and released after 51 days; her husband, Keith Siegal, is still being held hostage.
3 View gallery
Freed hostage Aviva Siegal speaks before visiting delegation of South African Jews
(Photo: KKL-JNF)
"Aviva Siegal was a very important hostage for the South African Jewish community because she was born in South Africa, and we deeply identified with her and tried to do everything we could do from our side to demand her release," shared Kransdorff.
"It was incredible to meet her, to hear her horrendous experience in Gaza. It dispels any myth that people may have about Hamas having any sense of morality. The way she was treated; the conditions in which she was kept are a war crime. We are going to go back to South Africa and make that clear that it was a war crime. We will do everything we can to continue to advocate for her husband Keith to be released and the other 133 hostages.
"For the 51 days she was in captivity she was constantly on the minds of the South African Jewish community. We think about the hostages all the time as you do in Israel. We've done Shabbos tables for them; every Friday we hand out challot (challah bread) with pictures of the hostages in kosher bakeries; we made special bangles to remember the hostages that everybody's wearing; distributing the necklaces from Israel for the hostages; and we're constantly thinking about the hostages and praying for their release.
"A big part of the conversation with Aviva was also about what we can do to help as South African Jews to try and put pressure on the South African government to talk to Hamas and demand the release of the hostages. And I think that all the people in the group have come back with the sense that that needs to be our focus - to try and do more to help the hostages."
First published: 17:14, 02.22.24