Daniel Bloch | 30 May 2025 | First published on politicsweb.co.za (Opinion) and published here with permission.
Daniel Bloch says there is no place for hate in our society; false narratives and violent rhetoric must be challenged
We all know the old English proverb: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Traditionally, it was meant to remind us that physical harm is worse than verbal abuse. However, in today’s reality—fuelled by online platforms, misinformation, and social media amplification—words have become weapons. They can destroy lives, spark violence, and incite hate.
There are countless examples throughout history where hateful rhetoric laid the groundwork for tragedy. The Holocaust, one of the darkest chapters in human history, did not begin with gas chambers or ghettos—it began with words. Lies. Misinformation. Public campaigns designed to dehumanize Jews and normalize discrimination. Before the Nazis launched pogroms, they launched propaganda.
Today, we are seeing alarming echoes of this pattern. We’ve seen how unchecked misinformation can radicalize individuals and lead to real-world consequences: synagogue shootings, bomb threats, antisemitic assaults, and more. These incidents are often fuelled by false claims and inflammatory rhetoric disguised as “free speech.”
Just last week in Washington, D.C., a young couple was murdered in cold blood outside the Jewish Museum. The killer allegedly shouted “Free Palestine” while firing his weapon. He didn’t know who the victims were, only that they were Jewish. Reports suggest he had consumed anti-Israel content from extremist social media groups—likely filled with misinformation about the war in Gaza, Israel, and Jews. The facts didn’t matter. Hate did.
Here in Cape Town, we are taking legal action in the Equality Court against several individuals for hate speech, antisemitism, and incitement to violence. Two of these individuals are Thomas Torr and Mehmet Vefa Dag.
Torr has already been found guilty of hate speech, yet continues to publish disturbing, vile content. His posts include classic antisemitic tropes, violent threats, and dehumanizing language. Among the many examples too grotesque to repeat in full, he has said things like:
“I hate Jews, because they are weird violent retarded freaks, and the world would benefit from their extermination.”
“These Jews need to die.”
“Daniel Bloch is transforming into a pig-person because he rapes children.”
Importantly, Torr’s hate is not limited to the Jewish community. He has also threatened the judge who presided over his case—someone who is not Jewish—calling for his death and claiming he would “die at my hands.”
Mehmet Vefa Dag, a local political figure, has turned social media into a platform for dangerous conspiracy theories. He accuses individuals—many of whom are not even Jewish—of being part of a Zionist or Jewish “takeover” of Cape Town. His posts are littered with baseless accusations of rape and criminal activity. He has claimed there are “millions of Jews” secretly controlling the city, when official figures show there are only about 13,000 Jews living in Cape Town. Among his posts:
“South Africa will not be prosperous unless we cleanse South Africa from the Jews.”
“Raise your hand if you are sick and tired of Jews terrorizing the planet,” accompanied by an image of Adolf Hitler giving a Nazi salute.
Make no mistake: while bullets and bombs may deliver the final blow, the damage begins with words.
In December 2024, an explosive device was thrown into the offices of the Jewish Community Centre in Cape Town. This was confirmed by SAPS, the Mayor of Cape Town, and the Hawks, who are still investigating. While thankfully no one was injured, the incident was a chilling reminder of how words can inspire violence. The perpetrators were likely influenced by radicalized online content—lies that led them to commit an act of terrorism.
Most disturbingly, some media outlets and organizations have attempted to minimize or even justify this violence. In a recent article on IOL, Yusuf Chikte, spokesperson for the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, labelled the December 2024 bombing as a “false flag bomb scare.” This is not just reckless; it’s a deliberate attempt to rewrite truth and delegitimize real trauma experienced by Cape Town’s Jewish community.
Chikte went further, accusing Jewish community leaders of being “Zionist atrocity propagandists,” responsible for “apartheid-style racist supremacy.” These claims are not only false but amount to defamation and a dangerous incitement to hate.
Individuals like Dag and Chikte—who spread baseless “genocide” narratives and an extreme anti-Zionist rhetoric—may not realize that their vitriol is spilling over, stoking fear and hostility against entirely unrelated communities.
Over the past year and a half, the Christian Community has been subjected to hatred. Whilst the Muslim community has, of late, been the victim of Islamophobic attacks – most recently a local Cape Town Mosque received a Whats App bomb-threat. What is driving this surge of hatred and are the anti-Israel protests contributing to this rise in hatred within South Africa?
We must ask: who will be held accountable if a lone wolf, believing these lies, commits another act of violence? Who is responsible when social media platforms allow hate to flourish unchecked? When news outlets quote conspiracy theories without scrutiny?
While freedom of expression is an essential right, it should not be abused to call for genocide, hate speech, or incitement to violence. Our Constitution is a shield for democracy—not a sword for hate.
There is no place for hate in our society. False narratives and violent rhetoric must be challenged—through the courts, through civil society, and through responsible journalism. Violence begets violence, and we must choose a different path.
The solution lies not in slogans or slander, but in calm, respectful dialogue, based on truth, empathy, and mutual humanity. Only then can we work toward real peace.
Daniel Bloch is Executive Director, Cape SAJBD
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