Travellers confronted with anti-Semitic rant at OR Tambo

Attacks on social media and in person have generated “great anxiety and anger” in the South African Jewish community.

This is according to the SA Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD)‚ which highlighted how a man started hurling insults at passengers at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Thursday morning as they were waiting for their luggage after disembarking from a flight from Tel Aviv‚ Israel.

“You people are wicked. Jews are wicked people‚ very wicked people‚” the man said in a video posted on Facebook by passenger Dylan Rendel. 

Rendel said about 15 minutes later two police officers walked off with the man‚ who had accosted the passengers.

“He was saying how he went to Israel and Israel sent him back home. It didn’t even look as if he was being properly detained or put into handcuffs.”

SAJBD chairperson Shaun Zagnoev said anti-Semitic content is common online‚ but is rarely “so virulent and inflammatory” as these latest reports.

“The posts show how easily radical anti-Israel sentiment can spill over into hateful slurs and threats against Jewish people in general.”

Zagnoev claims a mural with a German flag with a swastika in the middle also appeared in Hamilton Street‚ Coronationville‚ Johannesburg‚ on Thursday morning.

The SAJBD believes these are also attacks on South Africa’s democracy.

“We need to condemn politicians who whip up racism and we need to condemn extremist groups who intimidate and harass individuals who are vulnerable and express an opinion that doesn’t agree with theirs.

“The vast majority of South African Jews are overwhelming and proudly South African‚ proudly Jewish‚ and proudly Zionist.”

The SAJBD believes it is no coincidence that there has been a spike in Antisemitism online after model Shashi Naidoo apologised for expressing support for Israel.

In a series of posts made on social media over the weekend‚ Shashi got into a debate with a follower on Instagram‚ which was regarded by some as indicating she was pro-Israeli. 

She apologised for her comments and has since lost several endorsement deals in the outcry that followed.

The SAJBD and SA Zionist Federation criticised the Boycott‚ Divestment‚ Sanctions (BDS) movement earlier this week for their change of heart about Naidoo from the “devil incarnate” to “poster girl” in two days.

“It represents a triumph of censorship over freedom of expression‚ a victory for those who resort to threats‚ insults and intimidation to silence those who express views in support of Israel.”

DJ Black Coffee came under fire in April after performing in Tel Aviv. 

Earlier this month‚ Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba suspended Health MMC Dr Mpho Phalatse after a video circulating on social media showed Phalatse apparently declaring that she and the City of Johannesburg were friends of Israel‚ during an event she attended.

Although Mashaba said the video provided no clear context‚ he decided to suspend Phalatse. The EFF had called for Phalatse’s removal‚ while the ANC reiterated its support for a Free Palestine.

The SA Jewish Board of Deputies asserted in a statement at the time that they were concerned at attempts to silence anyone who did not hold anti-Israel views.

“South Africa has one of the most progressive Constitutions in the world‚ one that guarantees freedom of association and freedom of expression.

"Despite this‚ those who express support for Israel‚ or increasingly those that express differing or dissenting views on a broad range of topics‚ face horrendous intimidation‚ hate speech and attempts at silencing them‚ not just from members of the general public but‚ much more seriously‚ from the political establishment as well.

“This is an unacceptable situation. Ours is a democracy that entitles every one of us to hold and express differing opinions.

"We call on all South Africans to stand up against those who resort to bullying and intimidation to prevent others from exercising that inalienable right.”

-TimesLIVE