By Daniel Bloch, Executive Director, Cape SAJBD
Before taking this job as Executive Director, I was not aware just how much hatred there is in the world. Don’t get me wrong… I am not naïve at all as I do read articles, follow social media and watch the news. However, it is only when you are smack bang at the coal face that you realise just how many hate-filled individuals there are in the world. And it’s scary!
In almost three years at the Board, I have witnessed first-hand, more hatred, antisemitism, incitement to violence and aggression than in the first forty-two years of my life. Statements like “Death to Zionists” and “one Zionist one bullet” pale in comparison to the various pro-Hitler and pro-Nazi comments, as well as the statements made by political leaders in parliament stating they will not allow a Jewish state in Cape Town.
People are continuously asking me how I manage to cope with things – Am I not affected by all the hatred and discrimination? – and how can I remain so calm in the face of such barbarity? The answer is a simple one: faith. I have faith that no matter how bad things may get and no matter how much hatred is spewed at our community, hate won’t win and we will be triumphant. Again, some of you may think of me as delusional and possibly ask to share whatever I am smoking. However, there is method to my madness.
The haters in South Africa and around the world are a minority. In South Africa, our community has never been more united and we are surrounded by friends from different religious and ethnic communities – all supporting both Israel and the Jews. Despite the plethora of misinformation and lies circulated by the anti-Israel movements, we are able to quash things by providing credible and reliable information to stop BDS in their tracks. The numbers coming out to protest are small in comparison with how many so-called anti-Israel supporters there are. South Africans have seen the anti-Israel movements for what they are and even our government’s own anti-Israel stance and tactic of deflecting from our country’s own problems is not fooling anyone.
Why do the anti-Israel movements spend every waking moment forming little protests and gathering to read poems for Palestine? Why, wherever they go, do they need to shout as loudly as possible and disrupt everyone and everything? And why do they always use such hate-filled words like “death”, “kill”, “bullet” and “destroy”? It’s called ‘bullying’ – and why do bullies do what they do? Bullies often use threats, insults, or exclusion to intimidate and harm others. Such behavior may stem from insecurity, a need for control, a sense of powerlessness, or enjoyment.
South Africa is not listening to the anti-Israel bullies and not supporting their misguided cause. This infuriates them even further. What angers them even more is that the pro-Israel supporters gather to sing songs and pray for peace, not only for Israel, but for the Palestinians too. It’s said that ‘Truth hurts’, which is why the anti-Israel movements cannot allow any positive pro-Israel messaging to get out to the public as this would expose their own lies and their hatred.
We will continue to push back. We will continue to fight the hatred in the country and defend our rights as Jews and Zionists. These hate-filled organisations are simply another bump in the road and, like the Greeks, the Romans, the Nazis and the rest, the Hamas supporters of hate and death will follow suit. As the famous quote goes, “Good will triumph over evil.”
Executive Director of the Cape SAJBD, Daniel Bloch, spoke on Chai FM about why we as a community should stay in Cape Town whilst still remaining vigilant in the current environment. Listen here.
Cape SA Jewish Board of Deputies website: www.capesajbd.org, Instagram, and Facebook page.
• Published in the April 2024 issue – Click here to start reading.
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