S. African Jews "concerned" over Israeli ban of govt minister.

South Africans protest outside the U.S. embassy to condemn Washington's

support for Israel ahead of a United Nations (UN) world conference against
racism August 16, 2001.. (photo credit:REUTERS)
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South Africas Jewish community expressed its concern on Tuesday regarding
Jerusalems decision to ban the entry of a politician highly critical of Israel into
the country last week. At the same time, the South African boycott movement
expressed its desire to march on the Israeli embassy in Pretoria in order to
expel the ambassador.
In a joint statement, the South African Jewish Board of Deputies and the
Zionist Federation noted their concern regarding the denial of a visa to
Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande, who was slated to attend a
meeting with his Palestinian Authority counterpart in Ramallah.

Nzimande, who accused Israelis of attempting to hide their atrocities by

blocking his visit, subsequently came under harsh criticism by Foreign Minister
Avigdor Liberman, who cited recent violent attacks against foreigners
throughout South Africa.
Both the SAJBD and the SAZF called the diplomatic flap regrettable, arguing
that regular interaction between Israel and South Africa and mutual visits of
political leaders, parliamentarians and government officials, as well as business
people, media, tourists and family visits, are to the benefit of both South Africa
and Israel and foster greater understanding between the two countries.
The Jewish representative bodies also accused their own government of
imposing restrictions on the movement of officials between the two nations,
stating that the practice of discouraging interaction between South African
officials and their Israeli counterparts is contradictory to the way South Africa
has traditionally engaged in conflict resolution, both domestically and in its
foreign policy in general.
Several years ago the South African government issued a directive to
discourage its citizens from visiting Israel.
A number of South African organizations, including the South African
Communist Party, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and the
Congress of South African Trade Unions, held a joint press conference on
Monday to offer what they termed a plan of action to hold Israel accountable
for its right-wing discriminatory policies.
The plan of action, which the BDS movement stated was also supported by the
PA embassy, includes a renewed push to institute a travel ban to Israel, an end
to automatic visas to Israelis, an academic and agricultural boycott and the
expulsion of the Israeli ambassador.
If the South African government does not expel ambassador Arthur Lenk within
ten days our progressive organizations will take it upon ourselves to be at the
Israeli Embassy on the 15th of May to expel the Israeli Ambassador.
Neither Lenk nor the Foreign Ministry replied to requests for comment.

Israel, by banning the minister, has shown itself to be an apartheid state and a
suppressor of academic freedom, the signatories to the plan asserted, blasting
the Israeli lobby for its attempts to isolate such South African political
figures as ANC Deputy Secretary General Jessie Duarte.
Both the state of Israel and South African Jews blasted Duarte last year after
she condemned Israels strikes against Hamas as barbaric attacks on the
defenseless Palestinian people of Gaza that were reminiscent of the atrocities
of Nazi Germany.
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