Category: International Relations

“IT’S NOT ABOUT THE NUMBERS”

We didn’t create the horrors of October 7 – Gazans did – and we have to ensure they don’t succeed in trying again.

By Forest Rain Marcia

With Jews around the world being attacked for the large loss of Gazan lives in a war started by Gazans invading Israel, torturing, raping, slaughtering, burning entire families alive, I was reminded of the answer Yasser Arafat gave to Israeli reporter Zvi Yechezkeli when asked why he rejected in July 2000, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak’s Camp David peace proposal described “extraordinary concessions” (Michael Kelly, Washington Post, 3/13/02), “far-reaching concessions” (Boston Globe, 12/30/01), “unprecedented concessions” (E.J. Dionne, Washington Post, 12/4/01) and igniting the Second Intifada. It resulted in the deaths of approximately 3,000 Palestinians and 1,000 Israelis, as well as 64 foreign nationals.

“It’s not about the numbers. It’s about justice,” said Yasser Arafat.

So now, I will use his words:

 “It’s not about numbers. It’s about justice.”

Kfar Aza Massacre. Israeli soldiers around the death and destruction caused by Hamas killers in Kibbutz Kfar Azaon October 10, 2023.(Photo: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

“Genocide!” scream the haters of Israel, ignoring the facts. They don’t care that the civilian casualties, while always tragic, are an unfortunate reality of war or that the combatant-to-civilian ratio in Gaza is the lowest in modern warfare (approximately 1:1). Instead, they shout:

 “How many dead will satisfy you? When will the numbers be too high for you and make you demand Israel stop?”

Jews, bombarded by these hateful accusations, often find themselves stunned – at a loss for words.

We didn’t want this war.

Highway of Hell. Never to happen again must be these scenes of people caught in ‘death trap’ vehicles in southern Israel trying to flee from the murderous marauders from Gaza on October 7.

We hoped Gazans would use their beachfront piece of land to build a thriving new Singapore, vibrant and successful.
We don’t like killing. We don’t like destruction.
We are the people who help others improve their lives. We are builders.

As far as we are concerned, the optimal number of dead Gazans or destroyed buildings is ZERO.

But that doesn’t mean we should demand Israel stop the war.
On the contrary.

Israel has a moral obligation to her citizens and to Jews everywhere.
Israelis must be able to sleep in their beds or attend a party without fearing invaders who might swoop in to torture, slaughter, or take hostages.
Jews worldwide must know they won’t be targeted by hostage-takers hoping to blackmail the only Jewish state.

Israel must fulfill the promise: NEVER AGAIN.

We didn’t create the horrors of October 7th – Gazans did.
They took our families and friends hostage and will not give them back.
They attacked us – and repeatedly vow to do it again, and again, until we no longer exist.

We do not love war. We love our families and must protect them.

Our soldiers went to war because they saw their sisters defiled and tossed to the ground like trash.


They saw their parents forced to evacuate their homes to keep the little ones safe from missiles or the next wave of invaders.

They went to war to prevent future children from experiencing what my friend’s granddaughter Liel experienced. A 12-year-old, begging the security forces to rescue her from the house where terrorists were holding her hostage, saying: “I have school tomorrow!” A terrified little girl, murdered with her twin brother, aunt, and other neighbors.

They went to war to prevent future women from being slaughtered like Michal. She went to a party to celebrate with friends and her mother, our friend, had to spend a week searching for her before she was found – and identified by her dental records.

Our soldiers went to war to make it clear – to the attackers and to every person around the world who cheered them on – that we meant it when we said: “NEVER AGAIN”

So, when the haters scream, “How many Gazans must die before you tell Israel to stop?” this is what Jews and all who value freedom must reply:

“It’s not about the numbers. It’s about justice.”

Take, for example, Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, on the border with Egypt. Once a bustling city, Rafah however boasted an extensive infrastructure of terror and smuggling tunnels. Weapons, ammunition and more were smuggled into Gaza through their tunnels.

Hamas Justice. Murdered in Rafah were hostages from top left, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Ori Danino, Eden Yerushalmi; from bottom left, Almog Sarusi, Alexander Lobanov, and Carmel Gat. They were murdered by their Hamas captors in Gaza in August 2024. (Photo: The Hostages Families Forum via AP)

Rafah today is devastated.  This is the Rafah where the leader of Hamas and the architect of the October 7 massacre and attack, Yahya Sinwar was later found and killed by Israeli forces as well where six hostages – Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Ori Danino, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Alexander Lobanov and Carmel Gat were brutally murdered by their Hamas captors in August 2024 – near the building where Sinwar was later killed.

From Release to Rafah. Found and killed in Rafah, Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the architect of the October 7 massacre, is seen here in 2011 after being released from an Israeli prison in a prisoner exchange. (Photo: Adel Hana/AP)

So, while the devastation in Rafah doesn’t bring me joy, it does help me breathe a little easier.

This is what consequences look like. It’s not about the numbers. It’s about justice. It’s about proving that we meant it when we said “NEVER AGAIN”



About the writer:

Forest Rain Marcia is an American-born Israeli who lives in northern Israel. She’s a branding expert and storyteller. Her passion is giving voice to the stories of Israel illuminating its profound events, cherished values, and exemplary role models that transcend borders, casting Israel as an eternal wellspring of inspiration and strength for a global audience.
Forest Rain made Aliyah at the age of thirteen. After her IDF service, she co-developed and co-directed a project to aid victims of terrorism and war. These activities gave her extensive first-hand experience with the emotional and psychological processes of civilians, soldiers, and their families, wounded and/or bereaved and traumatized by terrorism and war (grief, guilt, PTSD, etc). Throughout the years, she has continued to voice the stories, pain, and strength of traumatized Israelis to motivate others to provide support and counter the hate that threatens Jews in Israel, around the world, and Western civilization itself through the understanding that what begins with the Jews never ends with Jews.

Inspiration from Zion: https://inspirationfromzion.com/





While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).

ISRAEL’S SOUNDS OF SIRENS

They resonate, they reverberate, they blare telling a story of where we were in the past but also where we are in the present.

By David E. Kaplan

A stranger who is totally unfamiliar with Israel’s customs and history visiting Israel during these trying times could be excused for asking:

 “Why is there a siren blaring now?”

Holocaust Day. Traffic come to a halt on Yom HaShoah in Israel as sirens sound calling people to observe a moment of silence for those murdered during the Holocaust. Days later, they sound again, this time for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism.

Try explaining we have sirens sounding for the past and for the present. For the past an air raid siren sounded at 10.00 a.m. on April 23 throughout the country on Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) observing two minutes of solemn reflection for the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust during WWII.  Days later, on April 29, the first siren is heard heralding in Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s day of remembrance for its fallen soldiers and victims of terror and again the next morning, a second siren sounds at 11.00am, when most Israelis, wherever they are or whatever they are doing, stop and stand in silence.

‘Stand’ with Israel. With the mournful sound of the siren, Israel comes to a standstill as traffic stops and people stand for two minutes reflecting on the lives lost in uniform and those killed in acts of terrorism.

Then there are the more frequent sirens that have been blaring for some 20 months at all times of the day or night that contrary to the abovementioned sirens where you stand in silence, these sirens you run as fast as you can for cover.

If the former sirens commemorate past deaths, these erratic sirens warn to prevent future deaths as we wait for incoming missiles from Gaza, from Lebanon, from Iran or from Yemen – yes, that could be from the north, from the east, from the south west and from the south. Israel is surrounded by enemies determined to extinguish Jewish sovereignty in the Middle East. The first thing people in apartment blocks ask when they collectively huddle in the bomb shelters is:

“Where is this missile coming from?”

Either in clothes or pajamas – depending on what time of day –  the anxious are quickly on their cellphones to come up with the answer!

Sirens not to Stand but to Run. A typical message that appears on your cellphone app indicating in what areas sirens have sounded indicating incoming missiles.

While to the unacquainted visitor from abroad it may be confusing, to the average Israeli it is all part of a routine. Even my under 6-year-old grandchildren understand when it is time to stand and when it is time to run. All associated with violent death, the sirens are either to remind of those killed in the past or they are to prevent being killed in the present.

As I type, I suddenly withdraw my fingers from the keyboard, swivel off my computer chair to hurriedly call my brother living on a moshav in the north of Israel because a siren had gone off in his area warning of an incoming ballistic missile from the Houthis in Yemen – an enemy over 2,211km (1,373 miles) away who nearly two years ago, most Israelis had never even heard of! The breaking news later confirmed the missile attack with this headline:

 “Missile debris falls on kindergarten in northern Israel after interception of Houthi launch.”

Houthis Hounding Kids. Debris from an intercepted missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels landed on a kindergarten in northern Israel on May 1, 2025, piercing the building’s roof and ceiling. Fortunately, no children were present at the time. (Photo: Megiddo Regional Council).

The debris pierced the kindergarten building’s roof and ceiling but thankfully no children were present at the time and no injuries were reported. Yes, survival in Israel can depend on luck but most certainly on sirens.

As there are enemies unhappy with Jews in Israel there are today enemies unhappy with Jews anywhere – in the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Holland, South Africa and Australia. There may not be sirens sounding in these countries, but the warnings are clear – Jews are under threat everywhere. It is the hunting season and Jews are the prey. My daughter’s dancing students who have this year won competitions in Israel qualifying them to compete in competitions in Europe – London and Paris – cannot realistically consider going – too unsafe, particularly for young girls! However, it is not only Israelis, who are today precautionary as when they travel abroad that might switch languages or tone down the volume when they speak Hebrew. Jews generally, are lowering or disguising their religious, ethnic or cultural profile by removing:

–kipot (skullcaps)

–Magen David (Star of David) necklaces

– Menorahs from the front doors of their homes

– when holding community events, only notifying of the venue at the last moment so as to minimize the danger of attacks

– increasing security at synagogues.

Australia, once considered a “Jewish paradise” is no more. Earlier this year, two men with covered faces, dressed in black, came to a house in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs and sprayed the garage with red paint, set the cars parked in the street on fire, and added antisemitic graffiti. Their target was the former home of Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the representative body of the country’s Jewish community and a contributor to Lay of the Land. They erroneously thought Ryvchin still lived there.

In an interview with Globes, Ryvchin related:

“My wife and I woke up early that morning, because we received the security camera recordings from our old neighbor who lives opposite. On the cameras, we saw a car pull up and two men pouring gasoline on the road leading up to the house and setting two cars alight. On one of the cars, they wrote ‘Fuck Israel’ on one side and ‘Jews’ on the other side.”

Their choice of parlance reveals to them as it does to across the world that Israel and Jews are synonymous.

Only a month earlier in Australia, a children’s daycare center next to a Sydney synagogue was set on fire, and in December, a Molotov cocktail was hurled at a synagogue in Melbourne.

Data reveals that the number of antisemitic incidents in the “Jewish paradise” jumped to 2,062 in the twelve months following the October 7 massacre from just 495 in the previous year. There is no shortage of reports from harassment to physical attacks. Two highly publicized incidents that majorly rattled the Jewish community was when a Jewish-owned business in Melbourne was sprayed with the words “Gas the Jews” and then followed when two nurses from a Sydney hospital Ahmad Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, refugees from Afghanistan, related in a conversation on TikTok that when it comes to Israeli patients, Ahmed said “I won’t treat them, I will kill them,” and “I want you to remember my face, so you can understand that you will die the most disgusting death,” with Nadir chiming in with, “You have no idea how many Israeli dogs came to this hospital and I send them to Jahannam (hell).”

What would Wagner have thought of this Opera outside an Opera House? Only 2 days after the October 7 2023 massacre, pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protesters gather on October 9 at the Sydney Opera House, which had been planned to be illuminated in the colors of the Israeli flag following the atrocities of October 7 and chanted “gas the Jews” and “f…the Jews”. (Photo: AP/Rick Rycroft)

The “siren” for Australian Jews should have been when a few days after the October massacre in 2023, a demonstration took place outside the Sydney Opera House, with participants recorded shouting “Where are the Jews” and “Gas the Jews”. While the world was horrified, the Australian government besides condemning the incident, did little to curb the outbreak of Jew hatred that has only grown in momentum and contributed to the global pandemic.

At least in Israel, Jews do not ask as they might do when traveling abroad:

“I wear a kippah. If I were to come, would that be dangerous for me?”

If they have to ask that question, the siren is already sounding.

Rocket Warning Sirens Sound in Tel Aviv | VOANews

EPILOGUE

One writes in Israel as it is happening. As I conclude this article I am compelled to UNEXPECTABLY add an epilogue.

It is 9.40am Sunday 4 May and suddenly I was drawn away again from my computer only to return 15 minutes later from the shelter here in my apartment block in Kfar Saba.

Yes, another SIREN!

My wife WhatsApp’s me that she stopped the car and has run into a supermarket for cover! This is followed by my Lay of the Land co-partner, Rolene Marks living in Modiin, WhatsApping me:

 “WOW! That bang was loud…in the shelter at gym – whole building shook.”

I could understand why as the news breaks on Ynet:

“Houthis target Israel in ballistic missile strike, hit Ben Gurion international airport”

The airport is close to Modiin and it was the fifth missile fired by the Houthis in two days.

Houthi Havoc. Following sirens across all of central Israel, a Houthi missile crashes around access road to Terminal 3 at Ben Gurion Airport, May 4, 2025. Three people were mildly wounded as a result of the blast and the access road to Terminal 3 suffered damage. (Photo: MDA)

Israelis will wait another year for the sirens to sound once more for Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron but in the meantime, we can expect many more sirens ‘screaming’ at us to run for cover.





While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).

SOUTH AFRICA’S CONDUCT IN COURT – SECRECY AND SHENANIGANS

ICJ finds serious procedural violations in South Africa’s submission against Israel that should be acting with integrity and transparency not procedural violations, hearsay ‘evidence’ and secrecy.

By Craig Snoyman

(*First appeared under different title in the SAJR)

Last week, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivered a curious decision – one that the South African legacy media has largely ignored. Instead of holding Israel to filing its answer to South Africa’s case by the original deadline of 28 July 2025, the court granted a massive extension, to 28 January 2026.

On the face of it, this does not appear to be significant. But looking beneath the surface, there are serious implications for South Africa.

Funding the initial application: Why don’t we know where the money came from?

After South Africa instituted its application against Israel, alleging that it was committing genocide, speculation swirled about who was funding the case. After a lengthy silence, the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, stated in Parliament in December 2024 that South Africa was allocating a further R95 million to pursue the costs of the memorial (the founding case) at the ICJ. What remains unstated, and which the legacy media no longer questions, is who financed the initial application for preventative measures, which is distinguishable from the memorial. Credible sources such as the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy suggested that this funding came from Iran, and possibly Qatar as well. While the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said that the government had paid for it, Godongwana was more circumspect, dealing only with the memorial. The problem with this is that two years down the line there are still no financial records showing that any South African ministry either paid for, or budgeted for, the initial application.

Colourful Charade. South African lawyer Adila Hassim (left), South Africa’s justice minister Ronald Lamola (centre) and ambassador to the Netherlands Vusimuzi Madonsela at the International Court of Justice on Thursday. (Photo: EPA-EFE/Remko de Waal)

Professor John Dugard, the de facto leader of the South African legal team, refused to give a straight answer, merely stating that:

 “…allegations of covert funding are politically charged but legally irrelevant. The ICJ assesses cases on merits, not on financial origins.”

The suspicion that the government is either concealing information from its voting public or misrepresenting the position remains.

While doubts persist about the government and the initial funding, there was never a question about the capability of the South African legal team. This was the “A Team” – South Africa’s best silks and highly qualified and experienced international jurists. But with last week’s ICJ order this, too, needs to be looked at more closely.

The memorial submission: A legal battle shrouded in secrecy

The first substantive step in the case to prove that Israel has violated the Genocide Convention was the submission of a memorial detailing the genocide allegations. This memorial came at the hefty price of tens of millions of rand, and a substantial amount of it was used for investigation and legal fees. South Africa’s memorial amounted to a monumental 750 pages, accompanied by more than 4 000 pages of exhibits and annexes, setting out its evidence against Israel, including accusations of forced displacement, starvation, and mass killing of Palestinians in Gaza.

However, in keeping with ICJ protocol, memorials are not made public, and so South Africa’s memorial content remains locked away from public scrutiny. Israel was obligated to submit its counter-memorial (its defence) by 28 July 2025, approximately six months after the filing of the memorial. That deadline has now taken a dramatic turn.

A stunning ICJ ruling: SA exposed for serious procedural violations

The ICJ, after considering both South Africa’s and Israel’s submissions, ordered that Israel need only file its counter-memorial next year. This postponement to allow Israel to file its response (adding 9 months to the time given to respond), suggests that the ICJ found serious procedural violations in South Africa’s submission.

Vague at The Hague. Distracting attention away from its own abysmal record, (South Africa’s murder rate of 45 per 100,000 (2023/24) is the second highest for countries that publish crime data), it pursues Israel on unsubstantiated charges at The Hague. Seen here is a rather bored South African ambassador to the Netherlands Vusimuzi Madonsela checking his phone during a hearing at the ICJ in The Hague, Netherlands, January 12, 2024. (Patrick Post/AP)

Reliable leaks from “Western diplomats” have elaborated on the court’s order concerning the averment that “the counter-memorial had been significantly impeded because of a range of evidentiary issues that had arisen in connection with the memorial of the Republic of South Africa and in light of which the scope of the case remained unclear”. These leaks have now also been independently verified. In layman’s terms, South Africa is playing evidential hide-and-seek with Israel’s legal team. The diplomatic sources, and as verified by Israeli Professor Eugene Kontorovich and former Israeli Ambassador and an expert in international law, Alan Baker, state that South Africa submitted crucial evidence but concealed it from Israel, and it has submitted numerous unsubstantiated hearsay testimonies stemming from Hamas sources. South Africa’s response implicitly acknowledged that there was fire below the smoke responding that:

 “…the evidentiary issues raised concerned a limited number of documents and could in no way prejudice the respondent in the preparation of its case”.

For the “A Team” to pursue justice dishonestly would betray the very principle of justice itself and South Africa’s image as this benevolent pursuer of human rights. South Africa should be acting with integrity, transparency, and rigorous evidence – not through procedural violations, unreliable hearsay evidence, and secrecy. It should not be left to Israel to make sense of South Africa’s mess.

As any first-year law student would know, in these circumstances, this would be a violation of fundamental legal principles, coupled with an inability to prove that Israel has committed “genocide” as accepted by the Genocide Convention. My law professor once said my essays were neither quantitative nor qualitative. It seems the ICJ has viewed South Africa’s procedural irregularities in a similar vein. Its response has been to give South Africa a virtual harsh slap across the face.

Killing Kids. The massacre in Israel that began the hostilities is irrelevant to South Africa. This photo of children’s toys and personal items lying on the bloodstained floor of a child’s bedroom, following the murderous attack by Hamas gunmen in Kibbutz Beeri on October 7 would probably solicit a yawn from South Africa’s ‘illustrious’ legal team. (Photo: Reuters/Ronen Zvulun)

A fiasco at the ‘expense’ of South Africa

With a government refusing to clarify who financed the initial application, and the “A Team” seemingly committing basic legal errors, South Africa’s financial and legal missteps are costing the nation dearly. At a time when South Africa is feeling international political heat, legal egg on the face is not what is needed now. If the case for genocide lacks the legal foundation and it doesn’t have the evidence, then South Africa must stop throwing millions into a losing battle. Justice demands more than passion. It demands precision. And right now, South Africa may not be offering either.



About the writer:

Craig Snoyman is a practising advocate in South Africa.





While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).

‘PICK n PAY’ PANICS

A modest Passover products display at a South African Pick n Pay leads to antisemitic rage and the Johannesburg supermarket’s surrender.

By Tim Flack

Let’s not sugar-coat this.

I’m not Jewish. Never claimed to be. But I’ll be damned if I stand by while open antisemitism gets paraded as activism in the middle of a grocery store. What happened at Pick n Pay Norwood on 11 April wasn’t protest. It was targeted harassment, and anyone with two brain cells to rub together knows it.

Propping up Jew-Hatred. When Pick n Pay took down its props indicating where the kosher-for-Pesach section was in the Norwood Mall before the festival, the Jewish community was shocked and angry, questioning how this could happen at a store with one of the biggest and most loyal kosher customer bases.

This wasn’t about foreign policy or the Gaza war. It wasn’t about challenging so-called Israeli aggression. It was about matzah and kosher grape juice. That’s it. A display of basic Passover products in the kosher section of a supermarket was turned into a battlefield by a group of attention-seekers who think yelling “genocide” into an iPhone makes them freedom fighters.

The kosher section featured traditional food items used during Passover, alongside symbols of Jewish identity, the colour blue, known as tekhelet, and the Star of David. That was enough to send the mob into a meltdown. Why? Because in their minds, even existing as a Jew is now a provocation.

Let’s set the record straight.

The Star of David is not a Zionist logo. It’s a Jewish symbol. Full stop. It predates the modern State of Israel by centuries. It’s etched into synagogues, stitched into prayer shawls, and engraved on gravestones around the world. Calling it controversial because it appeared next to matzah on a shelf is not political critique. Its antisemitism dressed up as moral outrage.

Uproar to Uprooting. Staging a protest inside the Norwood store on 11 April, the BDS Movement and its cohorts objected to the inclusion of what they called “Israeli imagery,” specifically a national flag and the Star of David, and demanded their removal resulting in the store removing the ‘offensive’ signs.

Pick n Pay stocks Halaal food (allowed under Islamic law) year-round. It runs specials during Ramadan. It marks Diwali – the Hindu ‘Festival of Lights’. It hangs tinsel and puts up Christmas trees in December. Nobody complains. Nobody stages a protest in the bakery aisle over hot cross buns. But when Jewish South Africans get a small, modest display for Passover, out come the hashtags and the rage. The double standard is blinding.

Norwood has a long-standing Jewish community. These products are local staples. It’s not some Zionist plot to destabilise South Africa. It’s people buying the food their families have eaten for millennia during one of the holiest times of the year.

And let’s not ignore the obvious. If this were any other religious group, the outrage would be instant. Imagine someone tearing down a Ramadan display and accusing Muslims of terrorism. They’d be charged with hate speech before they made it out the parking lot. But when it happens to Jews? It’s uploaded to Instagram with a filter and a “Free Palestine” slogan.

There is a clear line between political dissent and religious discrimination. That line was bulldozed at Pick n Pay Norwood. BDS and its affiliates don’t care about nuance, coexistence, or real solutions. They care about vilifying Jews under the false flag of human rights.

It’s time we called this what it is: an attack on Jewish life in South Africa.

What lies in ‘store’? The knee-jerk reaction of the Pick n Pay store taking down the Pesach décor apparently began when SA actor, writer, and radio and television personality, Eric Miyeni posted on social media that he would never shop at Pick n Pay again because of its Pesach display featuring Magen Davids and blue and white ribbons. Miyeni’s post went viral stirring an antisemitic rage against the “symbols of Judaism” but felt “vindicated” when the decorations were removed.

WHICH WAY PICK n PAY?

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies is right to demand an apology. Not because they want extra privileges, but because they want equal treatment. Jewish families should be able to shop in peace without being shouted at by strangers armed with smartphones and slogans.

Pick n Pay has a decision to make. Either it stands for all South Africans or it allows bigotry to masquerade as political activism. There is no middle ground here.

Apologise. Clarify your position. Reinforce that your stores are places of inclusion, not platforms for intimidation.

Because once you legitimise this kind of behaviour, it doesn’t stop with one community. Today it was the Jews. Tomorrow, it could be anyone.



About the writer:

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image-32.png

Tim Flack is the CEO and Head of Comms and Public Relations and founder of Flack Partners PR, a boutique public relations firm in Cape Town, South Africa. Tim specialises in providing tailored communication strategies for businesses in the political, safety and security, and small business fields.






While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO)

THE UN’S LATEST BLOOD LIBEL

Obsessively anti-Israel, UNHRC absurdly accuses Israel of fresh “genocide” by obstructing Palestinian births.

By Rolene Marks

I sometimes think that the United Nation exists just to demonize Israel. The UN never pass up an opportunity to indulge their inner Goebbels and engage in their favourite pastime – targeting and demonizing Israel. We have seen this in just about every major division from the General Assembly to the Human Rights Council.  The UN is rotten from the head of the fish – Secretary General Antonio Guterres to the people managing social media who can barely mention any crime committed against Israelis. The US Deputy Ambassador, Robert Wood, who recently retired after nearly 40 years in the Foreign Service, including most recently as deputy U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in the Biden administration, knows firsthand that Washington’s next envoy to the global body will have to swim upstream to curb Jew-hatred.

“One of the first things that the next permanent representative will need to focus on is ridding that building of antisemitism, because the entire building is hemorrhaging with it,” Wood told the Jewish News Syndicate in an interview.

No agency is more evident of that than the UN Human Rights Council. In June 2007, the UNHRC established Agenda Item VII, enshrining its discrimination against Israel by requiring the Jewish state be singled out at every meeting – the only country-specific permanent item on the Council’s agenda.

 In the wake of the atrocities of 7 October, the UNHRC have yet to condemn the worst attack against Jews since the Holocaust. On 27 October 2023, the council passed a resolution:

“Calling for an immediate and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities, the General Assembly today demanded the unhindered provision of essential aid to civilians throughout the Gaza Strip, as the body continued its emergency session on the situation in the Middle East.  The Assembly also failed to unequivocally reject and condemn the terrorist attacks by Hamas that took place in Israel starting on 7 October.” (Source: press.un.org)

According to a press release from Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 5 April 2024:

“The resolution adopted today, the UN condemns Israel for the war in Gaza but makes no mention of Hamas or its crimes on October 7th. The resolution equates the hostages/ with detainees suspected of terrorist activity. It also opposes Israel’s right to defend itself. Furthermore, the resolution provides legitimacy for Palestinian ‘resistance’ to the ‘occupation,’ calls for an arms embargo on Israel, and blatantly disregards the supply of weapons to Hamas by Iran and its allies.

Following the adoption of the resolution, Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and International Organizations in Geneva, Ambassador Meirav Eilon Shahar, left the hall in protest.”

A reminder that the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Rights which clearly states “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

Universal – except for the Jewish state. The UNHRC has also systematically ignored the crimes against humanity of sexual violence committed against Israeli women, girls and men on 7 October and thereafter in captivity. Despite taking several months to acknowledge these crimes, Pramila Patten, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, led an official visit to Israel from 29 January to 14 February to gather, analyse and verify reports of sexual violence related to the 7 October attack.

Seeing for Herself. “Things happened here that I have never seen before. The world outside cannot understand the magnitude of the event,” expressed UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones, Pramila Patten (third left) visiting Kibbutz Be’eri and the location where the Nova party was held. She watched a 47-minute film documenting Hamas atrocities and engaged with witnesses and ZAKA members, expressing horror at what she saw and heard. (Photo: Yiffit Iliaguiav, MFA)
 

“What I witnessed in Israel were scenes of unspeakable violence perpetrated with shocking brutality,” Ms. Patten recalled. Detailing her methodology, she said that her team met with families of hostages and members of communities displaced from several kibbutzim.  It conducted confidential interviews with 34 individuals, including survivors and witnesses of the 7 October attacks, released hostages, first responders and health and service providers.  It visited four attack sites – as well as the morgue to which the bodies of victims were transferred – and reviewed over 5,000 photographic images and some 50 hours of footage of the attacks. “It was a catalogue of the most extreme and inhumane forms of killing, torture and other horrors,” including sexual violence, she stated.  The team also found convincing information that sexual violence had been committed against hostages.

Patten reported her conclusion to the UN Security Council that there were reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence  –  including rape and gang-rape  –  occurred across multiple locations in Israel and the Gaza periphery during the attacks on 7 October 2023.

These crimes, committed in the most depraved and sadistic manner have been roundly ignored and even justified by feminist organisations.  I highly recommend everyone reading this very difficult but meticulously researched report on the atrocities of 7 October led by respected historian, Lord Roberts: https://www.7octparliamentarycommission.co.uk/

The UNHRC’s persistent targeting of the world’s only Jewish state for opprobrium has resulted in both the US and Israel withdrawing from it.

Last month (March 2025),  in what can only be described as a modern-day blood libel, the UNHRC released their commission report accusing Israel of carrying out “genocidal acts” against Palestinians by systematically destroying women’s healthcare facilities during the conflict in Gaza, and used sexual violence as a war strategy.

See no Evil. The Geneva-based UNHRC is yet to condemn the October 7 massacre – the worst attack against Jews since the Holocaust.

Some of the ludicrous allegations include:

“Israeli authorities have destroyed in part the reproductive capacity of the Palestinians in Gaza as a group, including by imposing measures intended to prevent births, one of the categories of genocidal acts in the Rome Statute and the Genocide Convention,” said the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry.

Those actions, in addition to a surge in maternity deaths due to restricted access to medical supplies, amounted to the crime against humanity of extermination, the commission said.

The report also accused Israel’s security forces of using forced public stripping and sexual assault as part of their standard operating procedures to punish Palestinians following the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel in October 2023. Stripping prisoners is not an uncommon practice – especially when these terror organisations employ suicide bombing as a tactic.

Israel rejected the accusations. “The IDF (Israeli Defense Force) has concrete directives … and policies which unequivocally prohibit such misconduct”, the permanent mission to the UN in Geneva responded in a statement, adding that its review processes are in line with international standards.

Hamas spokesperson, Hazem Qassem told the AFP news agency that the report “shows that Israel has committed genocide in the Palestinian Authority territories since the October 7 attack.” He said, “it confirms what happened on the ground: the violation of humanitarian and legal principles.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned the report calling it a modern-day “blood libel.” In its statement, the ministry said, “This is one of the worst cases of blood libel the world has ever seen (and the world has seen many). It blames the victims for the crimes committed against them. Hamas is the organization that committed horrific sexual crimes against Israelis. This is indeed a sick document that only an antisemitic organization like the UN could have produced.”

Revolting Revelations. “It really feels like Hamas learned how to weaponise women’s bodies from ISIS in Iraq, from cases in Bosnia,” said Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy a legal expert at the Davis Institute of International Relations at Hebrew University. “It brings me chills just to know the details that they knew about what to do to women: cut their organs, mutilate their genitals, rape. It’s horrifying to know this.”

In a press release on Wednesday, 2 April 2025, Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, issued the following statement:

“Today’s UNHRC report and resolution represent the highest form of victim-blaming and the lowest form of moral clarity. In the harrowing words of Amit Soussana, a released hostage who endured sexual abuse at the hands of barbaric Hamas terrorists, and who just this week was honoured and decorated by the US Administration for her bravery: “In captivity I had no control over my body, no control over my life. I resisted as best as I could.”

While inquiries by prominent institutions such as the UK Houses of Parliament, and even the UN itself, prove unequivocally the systematic and premeditated nature of the sexual violence and crimes committed by Hamas, the UN so called Human Rights Council seeks to accuse Israel of gender-based attacks. Instead of condemning brutal terrorism, it vilifies those defending innocent lives.

The UNHRC has long abandoned moral integrity, but even by its standards, this is a new low – whitewashing Hamas atrocities while ignoring Israeli pain and agony is not ‘justice,’ it’s an insult to truth and decency. It’s an insult to humanity.”

Sexually Abused. “We see women of all ages… We see the bruises, we learn about the cuts and tears, and we know they have been sexually abused,” Captain Maayan told the BBC

The UNHRC’s bilious and relentless focus on Israel at the expense of other conflicts in the world is proof that the UN body is not only redundant and untrustworthy, but by ignoring sexual crimes against Israelis while perpetuating a blood libel has failed current and future victims of sexual assault. The UNHRC has engaged in grotesque victim blaming and is effectively acting as the diplomatic arm of Hams. This is not a human rights council – it is a sham. Perhaps the time has come for many more countries to follow the US and Israel and exit.





While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).

MAXIMUM PRESSURE NOT ONLY PROTECTS AMERICA – IT EMPOWERS IRANIANS

A plea by a survivor of the Iranian regime to the US to apply maximum pressure.

By Iranian American Marziyeh Amirizadeh

As an Iranian-born Christian who survived the brutality of Iran’s Evin Prison, I’ve witnessed and suffered the Islamic regime’s cruelty firsthand: their lies, their oppression, their unrelenting hatred for, and repression of any freedom. When I hear about the United States negotiating with Iran’s Islamic leaders, my heart aches for both my homeland and my adopted country, America. Negotiation with this regime is not just futile – it is dangerous. Those who champion an “America First” approach, yet shy away from maximum pressure on Iran are mistaken, either avoiding or ignorant of the truth that the regime’s very survival threatens us all. The only solution for Iran, for America, and for the world is a regime change – a new Iran, free from misogynist Islamic extremism, that will align with the values of liberty and peace for which America stands and should be supporting.

Insights from the Inside. Footage from Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison leaked out in 2021. The writer was imprisoned here in the women’s section where she was tortured and her cell mate and best friend was executed.

Negotiating with Iran’s Islamic regime is like bargaining with a scorpion. Death is inevitable. For over four decades, the Islamic Republic has proven it cannot be trusted. They brainwash children to chant “Death to America” while smiling at and deceiving diplomats. They are the largest global funder of terrorism through its tentacles such as Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and more, all while pretending to want peace. They violate every international agreement, from the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal to basic human rights treaties, with impunity.

Inciting Hate. The US can expect no genuine compromise from an Iran that holds conferences entitled “Long Live Death to America” as it did here on 3 November 2015, at Teheran University. 

I have seen their deception up close. In 2009, I was arrested because of my Christian faith. They tortured me and my cellmates, and executed my best friend. The U.S. cannot afford to repeat the mistake of tried negotiations that only strengthens the regime’s hand, giving them time to advance their nuclear ambitions, oppress their people, and destabilize the Middle East. Let the world not be deceived: for the ayatollahs, negotiation is a tactic to reach their goal of a nuclear weapon. And to be clear, if they achieve a nuclear weapon, they will use it.

Some argue that diplomacy saves American lives and resources, avoiding costly conflicts. But this ignores reality. Appeasement emboldens Iran. When the U.S. eased sanctions, Iran didn’t moderate – it funneled billions into Syria’s war, Yemen’s chaos, and terrorist proxies targeting America and its allies. The regime’s ballistic missile program grew, threatening Israel, global shipping, and beyond. Negotiation doesn’t de-escalate; it escalates, tying America’s hands while Iran grows stronger. A stronger Iran means a greater threat to U.S. security – whether through terrorism, cyberattacks, or, God forbid, a nuclear weapon. Protecting American interests means recognizing that a regime built on anti-Americanism can never be a partner.

I understand the “America First” instinct to avoid foreign entanglements. Many who wave this banner argue that maximum pressure – crippling sanctions, military deterrence, and diplomatic isolation – drains U.S. resources or risks war. But they’re wrong. Maximum pressure isn’t reckless; it’s strategic. It’s essential. It’s the only language the regime understands. When President Trump withdrew from the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal and imposed harsh sanctions, Iran’s economy buckled. Protests erupted across the country – not just for bread, but for freedom. The regime’s grip weakened, exposing its fragility.

Iran’s Proxy. The slogan on the flag of the Houthis in Yemen reads, “Allah is the greatest. Death to America. Death to Israel. A curse upon the Jews. Victory to Islam“.

Today, with the Islamic regime’s air defenses crippled, it’s critical to finish the job, for America’s interests and for the world. Maximum pressure doesn’t just protect America; it empowers Iranians to demand change. To abandon it now, as some ‘America First’ voices suggest, snatches hope from the Iranian people, and security from the U.S. and the world.  

Regime change is not a fantasy, it’s a necessity. The Islamic Republic is not Iran. It’s a cancer on a nation of 85 million people who yearn for dignity and democracy. I’ve met countless Iranians, from taxi drivers to students, who despise the mullahs. The 2022 uprising, sparked by Mahsa Amini’s murder, showed the world their courage. Women burned hijabs; men faced bullets. They weren’t begging for reform -they were demanding change. Supporting their fight isn’t meddling; it’s justice.

Terrorizing the region to terrorizing its own People. Demonstrators march during a protest for Mahsa Amini who died in custody of Iran’s morality police, in front of the Los Angeles City Hall, Los Angeles, California, Oct. 1, 2022 (Photo: Apu Gomes/AFP)
 

For Iran, regime change means a chance to rebuild, to restore a proud civilization hijacked by Islamic extremism. Some fear a regime change will lead to chaos, pointing to Iraq or Libya. But Iran is different. It has a rich history, a strong national identity, and a population educated, ready, and begging for self-governance. The U.S. doesn’t need to invade – it needs to amplify Iranian voices. Sanctions can starve the regime’s coffers. Cyber tools can disrupt their propaganda. Diplomatic support can legitimize the opposition. And yes, the U.S. must empower and partner with its allies to do so, foremost Israel which is in the ayatollah’s crosshairs. America must lead by isolating the regime, not legitimizing it with negotiation.

Iranians dream of a free Iran where one can worship as they wish, where women walk unveiled without threats of arrest and torture, where children aren’t indoctrinated to hate. But Iranians are fearful that the negotiations will betray them, again, as was done by Presidents Obama and Biden. If it’s true that negotiations will only limit Iranian uranium enrichment rather than eliminating every element of the Iranian nuclear program, and leave the regime in place not just to continue to lie and take advantage of western naiveté, but to rebuild and continue to oppress them, it will be a disastrous failure. The pursuit of a democratic Iran would be an essential partner against extremism, a market for trade and a beacon of stability but requires courage, not compromise. Negotiation prolongs the regime’s life, and threatens Iranians and the world.

Menacing Message. The Jewish Star of David, the Swastika and the US flag are integrated in public imagery at this protest in Teheran. (Photo: Majid Saeedi / Getty Images).
 

The economy is crumbling, and the Supreme Leader is old and ill. The time is now to end the evil ayatollah’s regime, restore Iran to its people, and keep America and the world safe.

I’ve seen the cost of tyranny in Evin Prison. America needs to stand with Iran’s people, not their oppressors. End the illusion of diplomacy. Embrace the power of pressure. Together, we can topple a regime and build a future where Iran and America thrive as friends, not enemies.



About the writer:

Marziyeh Amirizadeh is an Iranian American who immigrated to the US after being sentenced to death in Iran for the crime of converting to Christianity.   She endured months of mental and physical hardships and intense interrogation. She is author of two books (the latest, ‘A Love Journey with God’), public speaker, and activist for religious freedom. She has shared her inspiring story throughout the United States and around the world, to bring awareness about the ongoing human rights violations and persecution of women and religious minorities in Iran.

http://www.MarzisJourney.com.






While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).

THE REICHSTAG, WWII AND GAZA

A lesson that the world has forgotten

By Neville Berman

The present war in Gaza has to be the final war between Hamas and Israel. The people in Gaza need to understand what the Germans understood in 1945. Hamas has to be treated in the same way that Nazi Germany was treated after the end of the Second World War. Unfortunately, there are governments and institutions that are determined to ensure that this will not happen. What they want is a ceasefire that will allow Hamas to remain in control of Gaza, and to be able to rearm in order to attack Israel again in the future. No one is demanding unconditional surrender. This war is the first war in history where the country that was attacked, is accused of:

– using disproportionate force in defending itself

– of committing crimes against humanity, and even

– the crime of genocide.

All the horrendous crimes committed by Hamas are being ignored.   

Gaza’s “stormtroopers”. Hamas gunmen stand in formation ahead of a hostage release in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Feb. 8, 2025. Is this what the world would accept to continue governing Gaza? (Photo: AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Let us look at what happened with Nazi Germany and see if some lessons can be learnt that allowed Europe to return to peaceful coexistence and prosperity.  

In 1933, the Nazi Party blamed a fire in the Reichstag building on the communists. They used this as an excuse to institute emergency powers that were used to crush all opposition and to take total control of Germany. In September 1939 the most devastating war in history started. Over 60 million people would be killed before it was over.   

By 1945 Germany was a completely different country to what it was in 1939. Approximately 10% of the German population had been killed during the war. Hundreds of thousands of German soldiers were prisoners in Russia. Allied bombing and the advancing Russian army had reduced parts of every major town and city in Germany into piles of rubble. Over a hundred thousand German women were raped by Russian soldiers. Hundreds of thousands of German people were homeless. People were looking in garbage cans for scraps of food. Nazi Germany was facing its final days. Faced with the rapidly advancing Russian army, Hitler committed suicide. Everyone in Germany understood that Germany had been totally defeated. The only option was to agree to “unconditional surrender” – an objective of the war advanced by US President, Franklin D. Roosevelt at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943.

Devastation and Destruction. Some 80 per cent of historic buildings in Germany were flattened by Allied bombing during World War II.

The Nazi Party dream of a thousand-year Reich had ended. In order to escape justice, hundreds of Nazis were trying to flee to South America.  

Having signed unconditional surrender, the Allies were now in a position to decide the future of Germany. All Allied prisoners of war were immediately released. In consideration of the position of Russian forces in Germany, Germany was divided into East and West Germany. After the revelations of the mass murder of 6 million Jews, it was decided that the Nazi leadership responsible for the unprecedented crimes of the Holocaust would face trials at Nuremberg. They would be tried for the newly created crime of committing “crimes against humanity”. None of them claimed that the Holocaust did not happen, resorting instead to the defence that they “were following orders.” Of crucial importance was the American decision to finance the rebuilding of West Germany in what was called the Marshall Plan. The Nazi Party and the denial of the holocaust were outlawed under German law promoted by the new German government.   

No Compromising with Evil. Field-Marshal Wilhelm Keitel signing the unconditional surrender document of the German Wehrmacht, 8 May 1945 ending WWII in Europe.

In 1949 the capital of West Germany was moved provisionally to Bonn. Forty years later the fall of the Berlin Wall signalled the end of the division of Germany. There was a strong feeling that it was time to move the capital of a united Germany back to Berlin.

An architectural competition was held to determine which firm would be chosen to rebuild the old Reichstag building that was designated to become the seat of the German parliament. In a hugely symbolic and brave decision, the British architectural firm of Norman Foster was chosen to redesign the Reichstag building. The project would take 4 years and was completed in 1999. The end result is a masterpiece of design, symbolism and attention to detail.

The Reichstag building is impressive in every aspect. Natural lighting is used to the maximum with a circular glass domed ceiling in the main parliamentary chamber, and large glass windows throughout the building. On entering the Reichstag, the first thing that one notices is a wall that contains names of Russian soldiers who stormed the Reichstag in May 1945. Dozens of Russian names, and the date that they were there, has been preserved for posterity. It is a permanent warning that there are severe consequences for initiating war. It is hard to conceive of any other parliament building, anywhere in the world, that contains such a powerful message.

Let there be Light. Built at the end of the war-ravaged 20th century, which Germany had a lot to answer for, the new Reichstag building symbolizes the refurbishing of a tarnished image – not of the original parliament building itself, but of German national identity. Completed in 1999 in a united Germany, the huge circular glass dome invites light on a legislature once characterized by a dark and troubled history. (© German Bundestag/Neuhauser)

The German eagle has a long history as the symbol of Germany. Norman Foster wanted something different. He designed a huge new silver eagle with a puffed-up chest and open wingspan that he decided to display directly above and behind the speaker’s podium in the main parliamentary chamber. The new eagle symbolizes a new prosperous future for a united Germany. 

Behind the speaker’s podium is a large room that features a racing boat attached to the ceiling. The boat is similar to those used in the annual Oxford Cambridge boat race. At first glance the boat looks totally out of place. What on earth was Norman Foster thinking of when he placed a racing boat in the ceiling? The answer was provided by the guide. The speed and direction of the boat is determined by all the rowers pulling together in the same direction. It is a masterful demonstration of what parliamentarians should be doing.

Members of the public can look down on the main parliamentary chamber by walking along a circular walkway in the domed roof of the building. The symbolism is that the people are above the elected officials seated below. It is a powerful symbol of what democracy is all about. The job of the politicians is to serve the people

It is apparent that the world has forgotten the lessons of what brought about a totally different Germany after 1945. Instead of demanding unconditional surrender and the immediate release of all the hostages, followed by international trials for Hamas leaders for promoting hatred and crimes against humanity, the world wants to reward Hamas by rebuilding Gaza and to create a Palestinian State whose main aim is the destruction of Israel.

Flats Flattened. Overall, it is estimated that up to 70% of buildings in Germany had been made uninhabitable due to Allied bombings, and in some areas, it was worse. In 1939, Germany had some 16 million flats, but by the end of the war, 2.5 million had been destroyed, and another 4 million were uninhabitable, according to Der Spiegel.

It is also completely apparent that Israeli politicians have absolutely no idea of the concept of rowing together. What a shame that the lessons of the past have been totally forgotten by those that should know better.  



About the writer:

Accountant Neville Berman had an illustrious sporting career in South Africa, being twice awarded the South African State Presidents Award for Sport and was a three times winner of the South African Maccabi Sportsman of the Year Award.  In 1978 he immigrated to the USA  to coach the United States men’s field hockey team, whereafter, in 1981 he immigrated to Israel where he practiced as an accountant and then for 20 years was the Admin Manager at the American International School in Even Yehuda, Israel.  He is married with two children and one granddaughter.





While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO)

AN UNEXPECTED FIFTH SON

A first encounter at a Passover seder left this Capetonian enriched by the experience.

By Tim Flack

This year, I found myself at a Passover Seder table for the first time in my life. I hadn’t planned on it. A kind friend asked if I had ever been to one – not being Jewish – and when I said no, she quietly arranged for me to attend the annual Seder at the Gardens Shul.

I knew that the Gardens Shul – also known as the Great Synagogue – had been established in 1841, making it the oldest Jewish congregation in South Africa.

The Garden Shul in Cape Town, South Africa with Table Mountain to the right.
 

I went alone, and to be honest, I was nervous. I had never been to a synagogue before. I went through the necessary security checks and felt completely out of place. I’m a big guy in a white kippah sruga (knitted yarmulke/skullcap) and a star of David on it, (I picked this kippah because I’m an unashamed Zionist, but that’s another story) with a yellow ribbon pinned to my shirt and a full Japanese tattoo sleeve. I knew I stood out.

I made my way up the stairs to the Seder Hall and sat at the first table I saw with open seats. There were two couples sitting there, around my age, and they welcomed me warmly. Just as I sat down, my blood sugar dropped sharply. I’m diabetic, so I explained what was happening. Someone quickly handed me grape juice and some water, and I managed to stabilize. That small act of kindness set the tone for the entire evening.

The Seder was led by Rabbi Osher, and I listened and took part in a tradition that has been observed for more than 3,000 years. I was quietly taking it all in and trying my best to follow, we had gotten to the 4 sons, someone leaned over during the reading and said something that stopped me in my tracks. They said, “You’re the Fifth Son.” I didn’t know what that meant entirely, I do now.

Inside the Gardens Shul, Cape Town.

If you know the Passover Haggadah, you’ll know it speaks of four sons. The wise, the wicked, the simple, and the one who does not know how to ask. But there is also a powerful teaching from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. He spoke of a Fifth Son, the one who is not at the table at all.

He may be disconnected, unaffiliated, uncertain if he belongs, or unaware there’s even a place for him. The Rebbe taught that it is not enough to engage with those already present. That there is a responsibility to reach out to those who are absent, to find the Fifth Son and bring him in, regardless of background or circumstance. It is an act of inclusion, of compassion, and of spiritual responsibility.

That night, I was that son. Not because I was missing, but because someone made sure I was invited. It truly was special.

Preparing the tables for a Passover seder at the Gardens Shul.

Rabbi Osher and his wife introduced themselves to me and were incredibly welcoming. So was everyone else I met. There was no suspicion. No hesitation. Just warmth and generosity. I came in quietly, and I left quietly, but I will never forget being welcomed into something so meaningful and sacred.

To the couples that allowed me to sit with them, thank you for making me feel like I belonged. To the Gardens Shul community, thank you for allowing me to be part of such an important tradition.

I may have slipped in and out of the room quietly. But I will always stand with the Jewish people. Your story, your values, and your courage have left a mark on me.

You have a friend in me. Always.



*Feature picture: The Garden Shul in Cape Town, South Africa with Table Mountain to the right.





About the writer:

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Tim Flack is the CEO and Head of Comms and Public Relations and founder of Flack Partners PR, a boutique public relations firm in Cape Town, South Africa. Tim specialises in providing tailored communication strategies for businesses in the political, safety and security, and small business fields.






While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO)

SOUTH AFRICA TRYING TO MAKE IT A CRIME TO VISIT ISRAEL

The true crime would be the fragility of a democracy that fails to allow its people to make up their own mind.

By Kenneth Mokgatlhe wa Kgwadi

As a Black South African who has spent almost a year studying in Israel’s Ben Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), I can surely decide for myself what is true and what is not. I know when a lie is being perpetuated to fulfil a political goal, especially in my home country of South Africa. It is for this reason that I applaud everyone who visits Israel to see for themselves what is happening.

Seeing is Believing. Seeing for themselves life in a country currently involved in a defensive war, are South African parliamentary members,  Ashley Sauls and Millicent Mathopa posing outside a building in Tel Aviv. They were part of a 9-member parliamentary fact-finding mission to Israel. (Photo: Facebook)

So why the big hullabaloo over a group of South African members of parliament that included members of the DA (Democratic Alliance) and the PA (Patriotic Alliance) both of whom are in the governing coalition with the ANC as well as the ACDP (African Christian Democratic Party), who visited Israel recently on a fact-finding mission? It is being portrayed in some quarters – notably the EFF(Economic Freedom Fighters) –  as nothing less than:

 “…a betrayal of South Africans and Palestinians.”

What nonsense.

The Israel-hate being fueled in South Africa is now so obsessive, with the EFF even demanding these well-meaning lawmakers,  who can be accused of nothing more than having enquiring independent minds, to have “their diplomatic privileges suspended pending investigation.”

Seeing Red. The EFF, founded and presently led by Julius Melema (above) is not backing down on their calls for an investigation into the recent fact-finding mission by Members of Parliament from the DA, Patriotic Alliance (PA), and African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) to Israel, describing it as “disgraceful and treasonous”.

What is unfolding in South Africa vis-à-vis the manipulation of attitudes towards Israel reminds me of the disturbing line of Joseph Goebbels that “Propaganda works best when those who are being manipulated are confident that they are acting on their free will.” It does not augur well that there are people who demand that others should be barred from taking trips to Israel for either fact-finding missions, leisure or business. The hatred  – and it is hatred – being orchestrated in South Africa against Israel or the Jewish people is undermining rational thought. Why vilify people who want to see with their own eyes the claims made against Israel by its enemies? Why should we expect people to believe stories they are told by those who have never been to the Middle East region and seen the situation for themselves? 

In any conflict situation, where propaganda is used as a tool to shape public perception of a dispute, it becomes important for lawmakers, researchers, journalists, academics, and other opinion makers to embark on fact-finding missions in order to objectively formulate their own opinions. There was no wrongdoing on the part of South Africa’s MPs who decided to visit Israel/Palestine to see and hear for themselves; to expose themselves to the reality – facts on the ground. Not only should we not vilify but we should encourage many others to follow this path of personal visits – to see and ask all the questions they want. Let them see for themselves whether there are other perspectives that are maybe contrary to the anti-Israel narrative aggressively projected by the ruling ANC party.

Not all Hostile. In contrast to the antagonistic position that the SA government has taken against Israel since the October 7 war began, a DiploAct delegation from South Africa of Christian, traditional, and political leaders (seen here at Ben Gurion Airport) visited Israel in 2024. Said visiting radio personality Bafana Modise: “We are horrified by the events of October 7,” and expressed disappointment in his government that had approached other conflicts “with reconciliation, but on this issue, they acted hostile.”

It’s no secret that we are living in an age of mis-and disinformation peddled to advance political causes. One of the mass media methodologies, referred to as “framing”, exposes how the media can shape how audiences understand and interpret events. We see this explicitly in the Israel-Palestine conflict whereby the international media takes sides and then escalates tensions by identifying the “victim” while isolating the “bad guy”.  Biased and imbalanced, the reportage and commentary, inflames and exacerbates tensions. This explains the hullabaloo created by Israel-bashers in South Africa over the recent visit to Israel of the South African MPs. These accusers are maliciously calling for the Honorable Members to be treated like criminals who they believe offended South Africa by visiting Israel. How is this even possible? 

It is important to remember that in South Africa’s last national election in 2024, the ANC for the first time lost its majority and that the current government is made up of more than 10 political parties with different policies as well as varying perspectives when it comes to the Israel-Palestine impasse. Unlike the ANC, these parties are not fixated on a one-sided antagonistic hate towards Israel, and we should allow, enable and encourage a diversity of ideas to thrive in adherence to the principals of our democracy. The ANC cannot and does not have powers to tell other parties what political beliefs to uphold – they are independent parties.

“Political earthquake” – IRR polling shows DA above ANC for the first time

It is time for fellow South Africans to realise that the ANC’s hostility towards Israel does not represent the majority of our people’s views. It remains government policy for only so long as the ANC remains in power, and that may well change heading into the next election cycle as indicated by latest polling. The shameful reaction in some quarters to the MP fact-finding mission to Israel, is contrary to the principles of a mature and secure democracy. Do not treat the people like empty vessels to be told what to think and believe. We are quite capable to arrive at our own judgements and the fact-finding mission to Israel was no more and no less than representatives of our leadership to be exposed to the complex political landscape of the Israel Palestine conflict.  Is South Africa’s democracy so fragile to understand this?

I hope not.



*Feature picture: Members of the multi-party South African delegation – including those sitting in the governing coalition – meet with Israel’s President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem while on a fact-finding mission to Israel. (Photo: South African Friends of Israel).







About the writer:

Kenneth Mokgatlhe wa Kgwadi is an independent writer, political analyst and researcher. He is doing his MA in African Studies at the Israeli-based Ben Gurion University of the Negev.








*Feature picture: Members of the multi-party South African delegation – including those sitting in the governing coalition – meet with Israel’s President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem while on a fact-finding mission to Israel. (Photo: South African Friends of Israel)





While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).

POOR DECISION-MAKING HARMS SOUTH AFRICA’S POOR

An obsession with undermining Israel is undermining the very wellbeing of South Africa’s people

By Kenneth Moeng Mokgatlhe

In a rapidly changing world, South Africa’s foreign policy has failed to prioritize its national interest. This is in contrast to most other countries, including such allies as China, Russia, and India, which use their foreign policies to serve their interests, not those of other countries.

The late US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, who is reputed to have largely shaped his country’s foreign policy, once said:

 “The test of policy is how it ends, not how it begins. Foreign policy is the art of establishing priorities. Demonisation is not a policy; it is an alibi for the absence of one. The test is not absolute satisfaction but balanced dissatisfaction.”

Kissinger further argued that “a country that demands moral perfection in its foreign policy will achieve neither perfection nor security.”

It seems that it has not yet dawned on South Africa’s foreign affairs minister, Ronald Lamola, that the US has taken a hard stance against South Africa for its position on the Israel-Palestine question. It was a given that there would be  – with the new US administration – political, economic, and social implications for South Africa’s decision to launch a lawfare campaign against the State of Israel. It is, however, myopic on the ANC’s part to have expected to have it both ways, that is, to maintain their relationships with the East and the West while aggressively harassing Israel, which aligns with the latter. 

Aiming to Displease. President Ramaphosa’s policies against Israel (seen here with the iconic Palestinian keffiyeh) has according to the writer, mostly harmed South Africa. The latest Trump tariffs are the latest example.

There is no doubt that the South African government fails to see its poor people – those who are without water, housing, roads, food, and other vital facilities – when they decide on the direction of the country’s foreign policy. It is not Lamola, Cyril Ramaphosa, or other rich politicians from the ANC who are going to suffer the economic and political consequences of South Africa’s actions against the national interest of the US. Rather, it is South Africa’s poor who are already paying the price. For example, the withdrawal of various US funding programmes to South Africa has already started to impede HIV/TB research projects, which is expected to undo all the gains that have been made over the years.

At Loggerheads. Trump has also threatened to cut aid to South Africa in response to the country’s land expropriation policies, which Trump claims involve land confiscation.

In its bid to advance its foreign policy, the SA government failed to conduct a risk analysis of the implications its actions might have on NGOs that rely heavily on US funding. The withdrawal of this funding could ultimately lead to NGOs shutting down or downscaling, which in turn means putting more strain on the public sector as the many beneficiaries of these organisations could be left without essential services. It would also see an increase in unemployment rates. 

“Charity begins at home” should be a stance which guides our foreign policy. It is incomprehensible that South Africa would want to assume the position of being hailed as a saviour and hero within the international community while its people are at risk of dying of poverty, hunger and a lack of sufficient medications for those suffering from chronic conditions. 

Akin to the sentiments that Kissinger would later articulate, US president John F. Kennedy said,
“Domestic policy can only defeat us; foreign policy can kill us”. What South Africa is currently doing – meddling – in the Middle East region can only worsen the state of the declining economy because of poor decision making. That powerful Arab countries in the Middle East and Africa have been careful about what they say and what they do should have signaled to South Africa not to have dragged Israel into the International Court of Justice (ICJ). So, while Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan endeavor to play an active role alongside the US to find a long-lasting solution to the decades-long conflict between Israel and Palestine, South Africa saw fit to play the spoiler.

Clearly, South Africa like Iran, is not interested in finding a solution to the Israel-Palestine impasse. Its ill-considered direction was so evident when it decided to terminate all diplomatic and political channels with Israel. South Africa now has access only to Hamas and Iran, which shows how they are not committed to bringing an end to this conflict. 

Trump’s Tariffs. A truck loaded with a container at a depo, in Johannesburg, South Africa may well be on the decrease as the new 30% tariffs set to be imposed on South Africa by the Trump administration  will threaten 35,000 jobs in the country’s citrus-growing sector and the economies of entire towns, said a farmers group earlier in the week. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

The ANC’s leadership has a lot to learn from Qatar, a small country in the Middle East region, on how they have come to be respected as peacemakers and good negotiators in the international arena. In 2020, Qatar was able to convince the US to withdraw from Afghanistan with the extremist Taliban group. Qatar negotiated the release of the Americans held in Iran, Afghanistan, and Venezuela. They also helped to bring Ukrainian children to their parents after they were taken to Russia.

Through agreement with the US, Qatar allowed Hamas to have offices in Doha, and they maintain a relationship and communication channels with the Israeli government that helps to bring these two warring parties to the table whenever there is a need. Alongside other players, Qatar helped broker a ceasefire and hostage deal in 2023 between Israel and Hamas. There was another ceasefire and hostage deal in 2025 in which Qatar was centrally involved. Qatar plays this essential role by not siding with anyone but rather striving towards peace and stability in the Middle East; the returns beneficial to all in the region.

Trump Punishes South Africa With 31% Tariff Placing R250 Billion Worth Of Exports In Jeopardy.

It doesn’t end there. Qatar facilitated the brokering of peace between Sudan and Chad and Eritrea and Djibouti and helped to reach a peace deal in Darfur in 2011. At present, it is mediating peace between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

If South Africa wants to gain an international reputation as peacemakers and negotiators, there are, therefore, valuable lessons to be learnt from Qatar.

The ICJ court case will not improve the lives of ordinary South Africans, whose plight has been so neglected over the 30-year rule of the ANC. It is not only a waste of time but also money, and is aimed at appeasing Iran, who is behind the ICJ case and is implacable enemy of Israel. As China, Russia and India are doing, the SA government needs to take an inward approach,  where we focus on improving the lives of our people and building our economy from what it is to what it should be.



About the writer:

Kenneth Moeng Mokgatlhe is a political writer and researcher based at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.








While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).