By DANIEL BLOCH, Executive Director, Cape SAJBD
It has certainly been a busy month for the Cape SAJBD. We have served two individuals at the Equality Court for hate speech and, hopefully by the time you read this article, another two will have been served. It has taken quite some time for us to get to the Equality Court and it was no easy decision. There were plenty of discussions and debates, looking at the pros and cons and how our actions could impact our community both positively and negatively.
We have always encouraged our community to live as proud Jews, proud South Africans and proud Zionists. We have never prevented anyone from speaking up or speaking out – we have simply requested that everyone be vigilant and mindful of the online platforms they socialise on, their surroundings, and the people they engage with. There are safe spaces where one can have conversations and, unfortunately, there are times when the risk of conveying one’s thoughts, is just not worth it. We always have the community’s best interests at heart and will never steer you in the wrong direction.
For more than a year, despicable individuals have posted the most egregious images, made revolting antisemitic statements, and used Holocaust inversion and classic antisemitic tropes to justify their anti-Israel and anti-Zionist views. They have stood outside our schools, shuls, businesses, community centers and our homes shouting their filth, waving their Hamas flags, and threatening our way of life. So, when is the time to speak up, and who should do it?
Clearly, the time is now and the Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies has the responsibility of representing the Jewish voice and fighting back against the hatred and antisemitism. Now in our 120th year, the Cape Board has been protecting Jewish rights since 1904, and in 2024 we will continue protecting our rights by taking the fight to the Equality Court. Even though the haters and antisemites are in the minority, this does not vindicate them, nor does it validate or justify their right to spread hate and misinformation and incite violence against our community. And that is why we are acting now!
The reality is that the Cape SAJBD, as an organisation and its leadership, is equipped to deal with the hate speech, the targeting and the incitement. This is why we are taking the fight to the antisemites. It is why we are now standing up for our rights as a Jewish community and why we will no longer tolerate the blatant antisemitism plaguing our beautiful community.
The Cape SAJBD stands by two important slogans we believe in wholeheartedly. The first is Words Matter and the second is No Place for Hate. We believe in the power of words and the power of dialogue. We will use our words to challenge the haters and welcome everyone to the table to find solutions where we can all live in an environment free from discrimination and hate. There is no place for hate in our society, and we have seen firsthand that, only through dialogue and engagement, not through hatred, can peace be achieved.
We will continue to speak up. We will not remain silent. The Jewish community has a strong voice, and the Cape SAJBD is that voice that will continue to push back against antisemitism and protect our rights as South African Jews.
Cape SA Jewish Board of Deputies | http://www.capesajbd.org | Instagram | Facebook
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