Category: Uncategorized

Should South Africa Break Relations With Israel?

By Kenneth Mokgatlhe

South Africa has been an active participant in the Israel-Palestine conflict debate where its activists and academics suggest solutions. There are constantly calls led by Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) to boycott or sanction Israel. South Africa’s government took a difficult decision early in 2019 to downgrade its embassy to a liaison department in Israel to appease the Palestinians.

As South Africans, we acknowledge that all is not well in that region, but we want our government to be an active player in trying to break the impasse between the Israelis and Palestinians. South Africa has always respected the sovereignty of other nations and therefore should resist taking sides but set its sights on striving for meaningful peace for both paries.

Too quick to label Israel with apartheid, that South African abomination and the current Israel-Palestine situation differ significantly. They differ in their divergent histories, people, the time period, collective traumas, international and domestic narratives and security. Rather than being patently partisan, South Africa – if it is to contribute –  should suggest fair, just  and workable solutions to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Mustafa Barghouti, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and a prominent anti-Israel activist,  was recently in South Africa and was interviewed (see article below or link to the article) in which he made several comments accusing Israel of practicing Apartheid and several other untruths.

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Voice For Sanctions. Speaking in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg in September 2019, Mustafa Barghouti called on the South African government to downgrade its embassy in Tel Aviv.

https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/cape-times/20190920/281840055380901

Mustafa Barghouti’s understanding about the history of Apartheid is wrong. Apartheid was unique to South Africa. A political and social system introduced by the white Afrikaner Nationalist government, Apartheid enforced racial discrimination – the word apartheid means “separateness” in the Afrikaans language.

And yet, after 25 years of democracy, blacks only own 4% of private land, and only 8 percent of farmland has been transferred to black hands, well short of a target of 30% that was meant to have been reached in 2014.

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Sow The Seeds. Israel farms out its agricultural knowhow to small-scale farmers and producers in Africa helping break the cycle of hunger and poverty. Seen here is Israeli NGO Fair Planet founder Shoshan Haran introducing Israel’s cutting-edge seed technology. (Photo by /Fair Planet)

Barghouti should know that South Africans were given an inferior education system which only fulfilled the economic interests of the “master” (oppressor), and that this education tragedy still haunts us today, 25 years after democracy. Our people were not only dispossessed of their land, but they were also exploited by the multinational conglomerates which are still taking advantage of us today.

In 1960, South African police massacred 69 peaceful protesters in Sharpeville – mostly shot in the back while fleeing – and this system of state barbarity persisted towards the twilight years of Apartheid. A brutal and pivotal milestone occurred on the June 16, 1976, when police massacred over 100 proteststing schoolchildren who were resisting a new law that forced them to learn Afrikaans in schools. While not undermining the plight of the victims of the Israel-Palestine conflict, we cannot afford to erroneously compare the two tragedies.

Who are we helping and who are we hurting?

Can South Africa really afford to boycott Israel? What is the cost of this position? We have an economy which is dramatically declining and that may result in many companies closing down and ultimately people being retrenched. We always hear economists suggesting that we desperately need abundant foreign investment. Why then, should we obstruct Israeli companies from investing here that will benefit South African workers?

Our foreign policy should be determined by the interests of our own citizens. People want be part of the economy and that can be better achieved when foreign companies invest their expertise and capital in South Africa. This will benefit all our people – empowering them whether as employees or partners. South Africa is a peace-oriented nation  – and should not take sides in complex foreign disputes that could rebound negatively on the welfare of South Africa’s citizens.

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Big And Firm. Israeli NGO Fair Planet is helping Ethiopian tomato farmers improve their crops. “Their tomatoes used to be small and soft. Now they are bigger and firmer with a longer shelf life, and can be marketed to higher-end markets in a wider window of time. This is a life-changing opportunity, a tool to exit the cycle of poverty,” says Fair Planet founder Shoshan Haran. (Photo: courtesy)

Afterall, look at our behaviour with our northern neighbour – Zimbabwe. There, despite the former president, Robert Mugabe killing the very freedoms he originally fought for, South Africa chose not to interfere. It was silent in the face of patent abuse of its people. While the West (UK and USA) imposed economic sanctions against Zimbabwe, South Africa maintained being its most important trade partner. There was no talk of boycotts and sanctions!

When the opposition in Zimbabwe, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) – recently called on Pretoria to intervene in a political impasse, we were reluctant as our politicians made the case that it not in our nature to do so unless both parties wanted us to perform the role of mediator.

We fail to show such sensitivities when it comes to Israel!

Downgrading relations with Israel as advocated by Mr. Mustafa Barghouti will never resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict which dates back over a century. It is misguided for South Africa to believe it has the insights and expertise to play a role by being exclusively partisan.

This is not diplomacy but arrogance.

South Africa is a still a developing country – not powerful as Africa’s former colonial masters  – Britain, France, Italy, Germany and Portugal –  and therefore should be cautious as how it chooses to interfere in global conflicts.

However, no harm done in advocating for peace between people –  – but we should do so fairly.

Debate Not Downgrade

One positive point that Barghouti made in his article is that there should be national debate. However, “debate” is not South Africa dictating to others because it believes it knows best.

We are not a “colonial master” and should not believe we can dictate to others. Our brief should be to see peace triumph.

It is unwise to obstruct relations with a country like Israel that could contribute so much to our people. Engaging Israel will benefit our economy and introduce technological innovations from hi-tech to water management and agriculture. These are all areas that we could benefit from Israel’s cutting-edge expertise.

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Hot Off The Terrain. A local farmer harvests hot peppers on a Tikkun Olam Ventures pilot site in Butajira, southern Ethiopia, in June 2018. An American Joint Distribution Committee initiative, over 5,000 Ethiopian farmers participate in a $14 million agricultural loan and education program utilising Israeli agriculture technology and improved seeds. (Courtesy JDC)

We must  prioritize our people before anyone or anything else.

There are many countries across the globe that interfere in the affairs of other countries from the USA in Venezuela to Russia’s military  occupation of Crimea in the Ukraine.

Does South Africa take a position in these disputes? No.

One of our biggest trade partners is India, predominantly Hindu, that administers – some would argue treats as a colony –  Kashmir, and which has a longstanding dispute with Muslim Pakistan. Has South Africa taken a position over this conflict that has persisted since 1948 – the same year Israel became independent?

No again.

I am not dismissing Mustafa Barghouti’s struggle but  his appeal for South Africa imposing sanctions against Israel. Why? Because it penalises the citizens of the country doing the imposing. Following Mr. Barghouti will be denying South Africa’s population access to opportunities. We are living in a global village; we are more connected than ever, and politics should not divide people but rather unite them.

 

 

image006 (8).pngKenneth Mokgatlhe holds BA Honours (political science) from the University of Limpopo. He was a spokesperson of the Pan Africanist Congress from 2015 to 2018.  Mokgatlhe has written for Political Analysis South Africa, and is a frequent columnist for South African papers, notably – The Star, Sunday Independent, Sowetan and Cape Times.

Surfs Up

While for this writer, the Israeli coastline may not conjure the majestic swells found off his native South Africa, an increasing sight  in Tel-Aviv’s ever-increasing traffic are surf-boards on the side of a moped as its rider nips through the city traffic to the beach.

By David E. Kaplan

January 2019 kicked off with a swell time off the coast of Netanya in Israel when surfers from 26 countries came to compete in the 2019 Seat Pro Netanya, a QS 3000 event on Kontiki Beach. Following five exciting days of action, Eithan Osborne of California claimed victory in the final bout against Tristan Guilbaud of France.

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Spectacular In The Swell. American surfer Eithan Osborne winning the 2019 SEAT Pro Netanya surfing competition in Israel in January 2019. (Photo by Flash90)

Should he get the call up to the 2020 Olympics, the Californian from Ventura may well be competing for Israel.

Why the switch, Osborne told the Huntington Beach online magazine, Surfline, “Well, the Olympics was one motivation, but I wouldn’t say it was the primary motivation. I have family who live in Israel and being Jewish, I have a special connection. Under the Law of Return, which gives every Jewish person the right to make what we call ‘Aliyah’, I am moving to Israel and becoming a citizen. I am super happy about making that decision. It connects me to my roots and my heritage even more.”

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Coasting Along. One of Tel Aviv’s 13 beaches.

Besides he says “Surfers in Israel are just the same as anywhere. They’re enthusiastic and so stoked on surfing. It’s crazy, and the surf scene is on the rise for sure. They have festivals, movie showings, and bunch of surfs schools.”

So, while the beaches might not have the high waves of South Africa’s famous Cape St. Francis of Jeffries Bay beaches, when the wind is right and the swell up, the allure of the crested curve off Tel Aviv and Herzliya’s beaches invites surfers of all ages. I am one of them.

How did it all begin?

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We Have A Liftoff! A tense moment in the 2019 SEAT Pro Netanya surfing competition, January 18, 2019, where surfers from 26 countries competed. (Photo by Flash90)

What’s Up, Doc?

It all started in 1954 when a young Jewish doctor from California named Dorian Paskowitz, nicknamed ‘Doc’ arrived in Israel bringing with him six balsa-wood longboards, all adorned with the Magen David (Star of David). His mission was to introduce surfing to young Israelis. At Frishman Beach in Tel Aviv, he ran into a local lifeguard, Shamai ‘Topsy’ Kanzapolski, who would eventually establish Israel’s first surf club. “Before bumping into my dad, Doc cruised up and down the coast hoping to find someone who would take responsibility for the project,” Nir Almog, Topsy’s eldest son, told me.

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All In The Family. Shamai ‘Topsy’ Kanzapolski with family on Tel Aviv beach.

“In my dad, he found that person, who, like himself, was passionate about the beach. Abba (dad) was interested at one time in law and even studied it, but for him, the beach and surfing was his life.” It was the same with ‘Doc’, who gave up the practice of medicine to focus on surfing.

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Swell Time. Topsy (right) with Arie a beach lifeguard in the 1960s.

Topsy, who passed away some twenty years ago, passed his passion onto his sons. Nir, who has his own business in Jaffa manufacturing surfboards, continues: “At the time Dorian met my dad, lifeguards only caught waves with the ‘Hasake’ – a flat, wide board that had been designed for close-to-shore fishing by Arabs and later adopted as swift lifesaving equipment for lifeguards. Then Dorian came along with these narrow boards and interest perked. He started giving surfing lessons on his boards and soon the locals who hung out by the lifeguard station started to surf.”

 

Nir, who was a youngster at the time, recalls the waves were different in the early days. “They were high by today’s standards and used to break right on the beach. The reason for this,” explains Nir “was that the beaches were open shores with no piers and the golden sand that came drifting from the Nile helped shape the sea floor. The waves broke in sections, the first being right on the beach, the second some 500m away. To surf in those days, you were considered crazy.”

A Chip off the old board

“My father decided that I, his first born, should learn to surf,” continues Nir, “and so he put me on the board’s nose with him, while the surf was up. He told me to stand up…I did, and that was the moment I caught the bug.”

Wanting to spend most of his time at the beach, the younger Kanzapolski, who would later change his surname to Almog, began to partner Shaul, the lifeguard who worked with his father at the same beach tower. “Shaul emerged as the best surfer at the time and used to take me out to the second break. The huge waves looked so huge, maybe,” concedes Nir, “because I was so tiny. We used to rip the waves all the way to the beach.”

The techniques in vogue on the longboard were “to Hang 5 or Hang 10, depending on whether you had five or ten toes hanging over the front of the board.”

After a few years “the local gang gained experience but no team yet had been established to represent Israel overseas. Excited for the sport to grow, ‘Doc” Paskowitz returned to Israel bringing more boards that were distributed to local surfers.”

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Special Breed. Topsy’s son Ariel (left) with the legendry Dorian ‘Doc’ Paskowitz

Making boards and history

During the 1960s, says Nir, “A giant storm brought terrible flooding and all the surfboards in Dad’s storehouse on Frishman Beach were badly damaged. In trying to fix one, he cut it down to 1.80m and so the first short board in Israel was born. I was the first to use it.”

With the surfing scene throughout the sixties confined to a small devoted group, “It was not until 1970,” says Nir “that we were joined by surfers from all over the country, many of them with colourful surfboards bought overseas.” The surf scene was about to change, and it was not only the arrival of new, innovated boards that upped the pace of popularity of the sport but also the influence of music from such bands as The Beach Boys who brought out albums under titles like ‘Surfin USA’.

Lyrics like:

“Catch a wave and you’re sitting on top of the world

Don’t be afraid to try the greatest sport around…..”

began to resonate with the new generation of Israelis in the seventies. The new era was all too evident when local surfers Eilam Bale and Ofer Zaramaty were the first Israelis mentioned in ‘Surfer Magazine’.

Shaping Up

In the early 70’s, a young IDF paratrooper and officer called Yair, told Topsy that the army was using a plastic foam called polioritan, produced in Haifa, that was like the material used for making surfboards. Topsy contacted the company and ordered the material “and I went into business with my dad manufacturing boards. It was difficult at first with a lot going to waste. Eventually,” says Nir, “we succeeded in shaping designs that looked like surfboards.”

And so, began a small industry of surfboard production. Most of the boards were used for hire and a new generation of surfers entered the local Israeli surfing scene. Topsy ran the small factory at his new storehouse at the Hilton Beach and between renting ‘Hasakes’, he shaped surfboards for the local youngsters.

Meanwhile, back in the USA, Dorian ‘Doc’ Paskowitz, who had brought the first boards to Israel in 1954, was trailblazing the sport in his home country. The Paskowitz Surf Camp, founded in 1972, became a major feature in southern California. One of the most famous names in surfing history, 86-year-old Paskowitz surfed six to eight-foot waves in Waimea Bay, Hawaii – “albeit on my knees because of an injury – virtually until he died five years ago. Most of ‘Docs’ nine children are steeped in Judaism and spent time in Israel, especially Jonathan, David, Joshua and Abraham, who helped form the Israeli Surfing Association.

“David Paskowitz,” says Offer Zaramati “gave us a few valuable tips. Up until then our style was simple – catching the wave in a straight line – from the peak to the shore, like we did with the ‘Hasake’. David taught us some new tricks which today are the basics of every surfer – “off the lip” and “cutback”.

‘Doc’s son Issy went on to become one of the best longboard surfers in the 1980s, winning his first contest in 1983. Today he runs the Paskowitz Surf Camp as well as Surfers Healing, a non-profit camp that teaches autistic children how to surf. “Israel is such a magic place to me,” expressed Issy in a recent interview. “My father took us there many times and I lived there for a year before I married Danielle,” who is the executive administrator of the Surf Camp. “We have many Israeli surfers that visit us here in San Diego,” says Issy, who also plans to conduct surf camps for autistic children in Israel.

Swell Place

Topsy’s younger son, Orian Kancepolsky runs a surfing camp and surfing center at Atarim Square opposite the Tel Aviv marina. Not surprisingly he calls it ‘Topsea’ – a play on words, named after his father ‘Topsy’.

“My father was such an influence on my life. I started surfing the same time I started walking and while it’s always been my sport, today it’s also my business,” he says.

While the Tel Aviv coast boasts several choice spots, Orian says he surfs mainly at Hilton Beach, “Undoubtedly the best surf in Israel, ask any of the pros.”

Why is that?

“Because it has a natural reef. It’s probably the only beach in Israel where the waves break on the reef and not the sand. This creates a wave that’s hollow, allowing the surfer to ride what we call ‘the tube’.”

Are the waves bigger?

“No, the size is average but it’s the quality of the wave. Also, it caters for all types of surfers. It’s a long wave where the center is excellent for the professionals while either ends, because of the jetties, impedes the pace of the wave and so is ideal for beginners.”

A regular at Hilton Beach is former lifesaver Amir, the son of the late legendary Israeli songwriter and singer Arik Einstein. “I grew up in the area and have been surfing here since the age of twelve”.

In his opinion “it’s the finest surfing beach along the entire coastline of Israel.” He offers the same explanation as Orian that “the reef creates the best swell and hence the best rides.”

“Did your father surf?”

“Nope, but then I don’t sing and play guitar.”

Same Wave’length In Gaza

“At Basle,” Theodore Herzl wrote in 1897, “I founded the Jewish State. If I said this out loud today, I would be answered by universal laughter. If not in 5 years, certainly in 50, everyone will know it.” Well, some 50 years later there would not only be a Jewish state, but young Israelis would start surfing off Tel Aviv beach with the Star of David on Dorian ‘Doc’ Paskowitz’s surfboards. Zionism was quite literally riding the crest of a wave.

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Surfing in Gaza. Palestinian colours adorn this surfboard off the coast of Gaza.

A little over another half century later, Doc would again find the need to bring surfboards to this neck of the coast. Except this time not for Israelis but for Palestinians!

In August 2007, he delivered twelve surfboards to Gaza after watching a television program in the United States which showed Gazans using broken surf boards because they were unable to buy new ones.

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Common Ground On The Water. At the Gaza Surf Club, a group of young Palestinians together with older Israelis are defying stereotypes and finding common ground through surfing. Many of the boards used were originally donated by Israelis who believe that surfing transcends national and religious barriers. (MOHAMMED ABED/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

Paskowitz launched the “Surfing for Peace” project together with the “One Voice” organization which aimed to help Israelis and Palestinians promote peace. “Surfers are ambassadors of health and well-being and they are also men of peace,” Paskowitz said.

Palestinian surfer Ahmad Abu Hussaili and others managed to meet Paskowitz, his son David, and other delegation members inside the Erez Crossing terminal building, where they had a chance to thank them for the boards. The Paskowitzes emerged from the meeting at the main civilian crossing point between the two territories bare-chested, after also presenting their T-shirts to the Gazan surfers. One Voice’s Gaza representative, Moffak Alami, said surfing was “a way to build bridges between people who speak the same language.”

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New Wave. Swell off Gaza’s coast augers well for the growth of surfing.

After all, however dire the situation, in the words of The Beach Boys,

“Catch a wave and you’re sitting on top of the world”

 

 

 

*Title picture: Roni Eshel (Courtesy)

AN OPEN LETTER TO UCT ON INVITING DR. STEVEN SALAITA TO DELIVER THE ANNUAL TB DAVIE MEMORIAL LECTURE THIS PAST AUGUST

By Stephen Schulman

To: Professor Mamakgethi Phakeng

Vice Chancellor

University of Cape Town

24th August 2019

 

Dear Professor Phakeng,

As an alumnus of the university, I received the latest Alumni News that contained a most informative article on pages 38 & 39 titled:

“The Development of Academic Freedom at UCT. Where does Flemming Rose Fit In?”

The article not only analyses and explains the function of the annual T.B. Davie Memorial Lecture but also goes to great lengths in extolling its centricity in the promotion of the core values that constitute the bedrock of UCT. The lecture “is meant as a platform for critically analyzing academic freedom”.

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Champion Of Academic Freedom. TB Davie led the University of Cape Town (UCT) during the politically turbulent post World War II years, from 1948 until his death in 1955. He courageously championed the cause of academic freedom and university autonomy, defining academic freedom as the university’s right to determine who shall be taught, who shall teach, what shall be taught and how it should be taught, without regard to any criterion except academic merit. His legacy continues in the memorial lecture series named after him.

These cherished values led to the dis-invitation of Flemming Rose, the Danish journalist from giving the 2016 T.B. Davie lecture after his newspaper had published cartoons of the prophet Muhammed eleven years previously. The then V.C., Dr. Price on behalf of the university’s management outlined three main reasons for this decision:

….”the risk that Rose’s lecture would provoke conflict on campus, the security risks of presenting the lecture,” and last but not least the disingenuous argument “that in the 2016 climate,” the lecture “might retard rather than advance academic freedom on campus.”

In the aftermath of this decision, the university, in September of the same year, convened a debate with a representative panel of its professors presenting their views to underline and strengthen UCT’s academic credo.

To quote Prof. Sandra Klopper: “Respect and tolerance for cultural, religious, political and other differences and acknowledgement of the values of diversity in society were part of the UCT statement of values.” She goes on to qualify: “Espousing an idea that is intolerant that causes harm through the advocacy of views that are demonstrably offensive, is in my view, not consistent with the idea of academic freedom.”

Prof. Imraam Coovadia, a member of the university’s panel in justifying the decision, voiced his opinion that ….”this is not a speaker who’s going to enlighten us intellectually” as well as his fear of resultant campus mob violence, assaulting of office bearers and wanton property destruction – well founded in the wake of the wholesale rioting, burning of churches and murdering of innocent Christians by Moslem mobs after the publishing of the cartoons!  Assoc. Prof. Adam Haupt, another panel member: “We’re arguing about someone we already know is racist and is a provocateur in the worst possible way…”

Nevertheless, in spite of its trumpeted statement of values, the university decided to invite Dr. Steven Salaita who gave the 2019 T.B. Davie Memorial Lecture on the 7th August.

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Dr Steven Salaita says UCT exercised academic freedom in its proposal to boycott Israeli institutions.

Dr. Salaita is a 3rd rate academic who on account of his views has been discredited and declared persona non grata by the American academia. His work is dominated by a singular obsession with and virulent hatred of Israel.  He has an enmity and hostility towards anyone who disagrees with him and freely and publicly insults and abuses those who dare to think otherwise.

Here are some of his tweets:

  • “You may be too refined to say it, but I’m not: I wish all the fucking West Bank settlers would go missing.”
  • “Let’s cut to the chase: If you’re defending #Israel right now you’re an awful human being.”
  • “This is not a conflict between Israel and Hamas. It’s a struggle by an indigenous people against colonial power.”
  • “The logic of ‘antisemitism’ deployed by Zionists, if applied in principle, would make pretty much everybody not a sociopath ‘antisemitic’.
  • “If it’s ‘antisemitic’ to deplore colonisation, land theft, and child murder, then what choice does any person of conscience have?”
  • “Zionists: transforming antisemitism from something horrible into something honourable since 1948.”
  • “I repeat: if you’re defending Israel right now, then ‘hopelessly brainwashed’ is your best prognosis.”
  • “At this point, if Netanyahu appeared on TV with a necklace made from the teeth of Palestinian children, would anybody be surprised?”

 In addition to his filthy gutter mouth – unbecoming for any self-respecting person, let alone an academic – he resorts to the classic anti-Semitic tropes of demonization that would do Julius Streicher proud! His tweets bear eloquent testimony to his obsession – no need for elucidation!

In keeping with his bias, his doctoral thesis tried to prove the pathetically ridiculous fallacy that Zionism was inspired by and has links to the colonization of North America and therefore is a colonial racist entity committing cultural and racial genocide. His work is riddled with bias and multiple unsubstantiated falsehoods as are the books that he has written.

In all fairness to him, I read the transcript of his address and bravely ploughed through a convoluted, obtuse text riddled with both sniveling self-pity and spewing venom, the majority of which is devoted to axe-grinding, settling scores with his opponents and resorting to the well-worn trope that there was a Zionist (read: Jewish) conspiracy behind his being evicted from American academia.

Then, oozing cheap sentimentality, in an obvious attempt to garner sympathy, there is a long, totally irrelevant and maudlin digression about his son’s baseball game with a reminder of his paternal love and concern. In a first for this long history of lectures, he promotes the brand of sports drink that his son buys. Does Salaita get royalties from the manufacturer?

In my student days, I attended the T.B. Davie Memorial lectures and heard many distinguished speakers on academic freedom, but never have I read such an amalgam of unadulterated drivel, pseudo academic bilge and unabashed anti-Semitism.

 Is this the dignified and respected academic that UCT sees fit to invite to deliver a prestigious annual lecture?

Is this the lecturer that the council has deemed fit to follow in the footsteps of such distinguished personages such as Bobby Kennedy and Barack Obama?

Is this person with his foul mouth, his hatred and anti-Semitism, his complete intolerance of any views that do not correspond to his own, with his antiSemitic tropes such as the demonization of Israel’s prime minister, spouting the usual well-worn clichés suitable to address the convocation?

Is this not a person who conforms to being “….someone we already know is racist and is a provocateur in the worst possible way…”

Is this a person who embodies and promotes: “Respect and tolerance for cultural, religious, political and other differences and acknowledgement of the values of diversity in society were part of the UCT statement of values”?

Is this the person with behaviour and views so antithetical to the declared academic ideals of UCT that the university accords honor?

The university, understandably, does not wish to offend the sensibilities and beliefs of its Moslem students. However, when it comes to its Jewish students, all these lofty principles fly out of the window and Israel bashing and anti – Semitic statements become the order of the day. It pains me to say that the actions of this institution carry the rank stench of hypocrisy.

Has my alma mater sunk so low as to dredge the dregs of academia? Or, is it simply because they found someone suitable to echo their own beliefs?

Dear Professor Phakeng, I am appalled and disgusted by the actions of UCT. I am ashamed to say that I am a graduate of this once proud university.

Stephen Schulman

Ramat Hasharon. Israel

 

 

About the writer:

Stephen Schulman is a graduate of the South African Jewish socialist youth movement Habonim, who immigrated to Israel in 1969 and retired in 2012 after over 40 years of English teaching. He was for many years a senior examiner for the English matriculation and co-authored two English textbooks for the upper grades in high school. Now happily retired, he spends his time between his family, his hobbies and reading to try to catch up on his ignorance

The Israel Brief- 27-30 May 2019

 

The Israel Brief – 27 May 2019 – Fires! Game of Thrones Israel style? Rivlin defiant in Berlin in his kippa.

 

 

 

The Israel Brief – 28 May 2019 – Is Israel heading to the polls again? Abbas says Bahrain confab can go to hell and portraits of Holocaust survivors defaced in Vienna.

 

 

 

The Israel Brief – 29 May 2019 -Knesset goings on. Australia and TLV stock exchange exciting announcement. German kippa controversy.

 

 

 

The Israel Brief – 30 May 2019 – Back to elections! Hizbollah tunnel revealed. Trilateral committee for Middle East?

My dearest Israel

By Andi Saitowitz

My dearest Israel,

Happy Birthday!

Let me start by wishing that you be blessed with good health, peace and prosperity. May you continue to enjoy abundant energy, vitality and growth.

May you be blessed with strength.

The kind of strength that enables you to stay strong in your values and principles and integrity. May your physical strength and might protect and defend you through danger, strife and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. May your emotional strength continue to drive your passion, chutzpah and keep you real, unpredictable, awesome and authentic. May your spiritual strength guard and protect you always and allow you the resilience and fortitude to keep the faith in often terribly turbulent trials.

May your unparalleled creativity and innovation pioneer new paths that continue to bring advancement, brilliance and unprecedented masterpieces into the universe benefiting the entire planet.

May you always have the capacity to welcome new and old friends from all over the world and embrace everyone, with love and kindness.

May your goodness continue to be a tremendous source of inspiration near and far and may you always share your gifts by making a meaningful difference and contribution to everyone who you touch with your magic.

May your light shine bright.

May your size keep you humble.

May your enemies turn into friends.

May your natural beauty bring you so much delight and pleasure and joy.

And may your miraculous being in existence always be a message of never-ending hope, optimism and the promise of a better and brighter tomorrow to all the world.

Your life isn’t always easy, I know.

You are often abused, criticized, ridiculed and attacked. You are the center of so many fights and I feel your aching pains. I see your scars, wounds and broken bones. I can’t imagine how many sleepless nights you endure and how much suffering you overcome. And above all, you sacrifice so much every single day to defend your right to just be. So we can be here together with you.

You are the only home my children know.

On your special day, I want to let you know that my love and appreciation for you is unconditional always.

May all your birthday dreams and wishes come true.

May Hashem shower His greatest blessings over you always.

I feel so deeply privileged, thankful and blessed to share this time with you.

Andi

Happy Birthday Israel2

 

About the writer:

andi_saitowitz_netball.jpgA certified Life Coach from the esteemed Adler Institute as well as a member of the International Coaching Federation and a Global Lumina Practitioner,  Andi Saitowitz has an Honors Degree in Organizational Psychology from Bar Ilan University and a MA in Organizational Communication, Research and Practice from the University of South Africa. Fifteen years’ experience in international fundraising and donor relations in the non-profit sector, Andi is also the author of the ‘Rise and Shine Personal Development Journal’ available worldwide in English and Hebrew. She is currently completing her Master Practitioner Qualification in NLP. Andi fulfilled her Zionist dream and lives with her husband and three children in Ra’anana, Israel.

Massacres in Sri Lanka

Four Hotels Full of Foreigners; Three Churches Full of Christians – a setup for mass murder

 

By David E. Kaplan

From fallen masonry in Paris to fallen lives in Sri Lanka it has been a devastating week.

While an electric fault may explain the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris blaze, few were quick to speculate who exactly was behind the mass murder in Sri Lanka that so far has taken 260 lives and inflicted 500 seriously injured.

While predictably some of the initial ‘Security Sherlocks’ were expressing “these attacks cannot be predicted”, “the facts don’t reveal why it happened” or “by whom,’ there was a palpable reluctance – notably from world leaders – to publicly identity the category of the victims!

Yes, they would say “foreigners” – a safe and nebulous depiction and unlikely to solicit a rebuke – but hesitant to go beyond a whisper that they were mostly Christians.

There was no such verbal hesitancy from Israel’s state President, Reuven Rivlin, who got it spot-on expressing on Twitter:

 “We are all children of God; an attack on one religion is an attack on us all.”

In other words, whether the victims are Jews in Pittsburg or Muslims in Christchurch, Rivlin was identifying and publicly proclaiming that the victims in Sri Lanka were Christians.

The targeting of crowded churches on Easter Sunday hardly necessitated the detective talents of a Hercule Poirot to draw the necessary conclusions.

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Sunday Bloody Sunday. An icon of Jesus looks down upon the remains of the seating in St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo, north of Colombo, where earlier sat parishioners celebrating Easter Sunday.

Christians In The Crosshairs

Given that three of the blasts occurred at churches and were timed for Easter services, at least a major part of the attack was aimed at the country’s 1.5 million Christians. The almost simultaneous blasts left no time to warn other churchgoers.

Reuters cited the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka – representing more than 200 churches – as having recorded 86 incidents of discrimination, threats, and violence against Christians last year.

The signs were evident – and were either ignored or hardly taken seriously.

Staying in the Far East, nearly 1000 churches in Indonesia, have been closed since 2006 when the nation passed a “Religious Harmony” law which requires churches to obtain several signatures from Muslims before they can obtain a permit. Nearly 85 percent of Indonesia’s 255 million population are Muslims. Only seven percent are Christians. Not surprising, many churches failed to garner the requisite signatures and were promptly shut down. Even the few that obtained the necessary endorsement have since been torched by radical Islamist groups.

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Blood, Sweat and Tears. People run for safety near St Anthony’s Church. (Reuters)

Does anyone even remember or was even aware when these Christian churches were deliberately set ablaze?

And why?

Because to talk of Christians being persecuted, logically leads one to address who is persecuting them – and we are staring at the three proverbial monkeys: “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”.

Reticence is not a remedy!

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Under Attack. Christians are increasingly persecuted in Indonesia as seen here by these burnt motorcycles on Sunday, May 13, 2018 following a number of attacks on churches in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia. AP

Facing The Facts

The Middle East is even more threatening to Christians, which led the head of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, to write last year in The Sunday Telegraph that millions of Middle East Christians are on the verge of “imminent extinction.”

He lamented that “In the birthplace of our faith, the community faces extinction,” calling it, “the worst situation since the Mongol invasions of the 13th century.”

In the early 20th century, Christians made up to 20% of the population in the Middle East; that figure has now dwindled to around 5%. It’s easy to understand why and see that Israel – despite lies to the contrary – has nothing to do with this exodus.

Before the ‘Arab Spring’, Christians in Syria were businessmen, engineers, lawyers and pharmacists, now there are leaving the country in their droves. In Iraq, 300,000 Christians have fled persecution since the downfall of Saddam Hussein and in Egypt, Christians face harassment leading them to emigrate in record numbers.

Egypt’s Christians or  Copts as they are known, are facing “unprecedented levels of persecution and suppression,” according to The Open Doors 2018 World Watch List Report.

In 2017, more than 200 Copts were driven out of their homes and 128 were killed because of their faith.

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Nasty Along The Nile. 2018 was a bad year for Egyptian Copts, many of whom were driven out of their homes and killed because of their faith.

Should we be surprised if what happened in Sri Lanka this week, will happen next week in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia or even Turkey, where President Tayyip Erdogan is stirring up Christian fear of Muslims by announcing his plan to change the status of  Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia -a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and once the foremost cathedral in Christendom for 900 years –  from a museum to a mosque!

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Facing Extinction. Iraq’s Christians are suffering ‘systematic violence’ intended to uproot and eradicate them leading the international Catholic news weekly, “The Tablet”, to headline on the 18th October, 2018, “Christianity in Iraq is ‘one wave of persecution’ from extinction.”

Exploiting Murder

Looking at this tragedy from Israel, one could not escape the hypocrisy of the Palestinian leadership with President Mahmoud Abbas condemning from Ramallah the terror in Sri Lanka while rewarding monthly Palestinian terror against Jews.

Calling the tragedy in Sri Lanka “criminal and gruesome”, Abbas falsely called on the world to combat terror together:

“Terrorism is spreading as an epidemic across the world. I call on the countries of the world to cooperate to eradicate terrorism and not to tolerate with racist groups that incite violence and hatred.”

[WAFA, official PA news agency (English edition), April 21, 2019]

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Appeals Ignored. There is huge disappointment of the near ZERO support of Western Christians for their coreligionists in Pakistan.

Abbas’ call to combat terror abroad, stands in stark contrast to his repeated vows at home to continue his financial support for imprisoned terrorists and the families of dead terrorists.

Abbas reiterates endlessly that the PA will support these terrorists even if the PA has only “one penny left”, and has demonstrated his will to do so by cutting salaries of public employees rather than salaries to the terrorists.

It should horrify the civilized world that the killings in Sri Lanka that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas describes as “criminal and gruesome”, when it comes to killing Jews, he rewards.

A world that tolerates this hypocrisy today invites further terror tomorrow.

 

While Easter celebrates the ressurection from the dead, this Easter in Sri Lanka will be remembered for mourning the dead.

The Arab Voice

A selection of opinions and analysis from the Arab media

To enable readers across the world to freely make up their minds based on accurate and broad-based coverage on the Middle East, LOTL provides a platform to what Arab journalists – in their own words – are writing about the region.

 

Palestinians: The Other Peace Deal

by Khaled Abu Toameh  •  March 21, 2019 at 5:00 am

Hamas is now accusing the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Fatah of exploiting the economic crisis in the Gaza Strip to call on Palestinians to overthrow the Hamas regime. Fatah, for its part, is accusing the “dark forces” of Hamas of acting on orders from outside parties to establish a separate Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip.

The US administration says it will publish its long-awaited plan for peace in the Middle East, known as the “Deal of the Century,” after the general elections in Israel on April 9. Perhaps it would be a good idea if the US administration came up with a plan to make peace between Palestinians and Palestinians before attempting to make peace between the Palestinians and Israel.

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Two Faced. Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas’s and head of Fatah party (left) and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh agree “disagree on many things, but when it comes to repressing and violating the human rights of their people, Hamas and Fatah have proven that they are comrades-in-arms.”

What is clear, meanwhile, is that the Fatah and Hamas leaders are more interested in warring with each other than improving the living conditions of their people. The two groups have already rejected the upcoming “Deal of the Century”: for now, that is the only deal they seem ready to make.

Hamas and Fatah, the two major Palestinian parties ruling the Gaza Strip and West Bank respectively, have been at war with each other for the past 12 years. They disagree on many things, but when it comes to repressing and violating the human rights of their people, Hamas and Fatah have proven that they are comrades-in-arms.

In the past week, Fatah has been launching scathing attacks on Hamas for using excessive force to suppress Palestinians protesting economic hardship in the Gaza Strip. Fatah says that hundreds of Palestinians, including political activists and journalists, have been arrested or severely beaten by Hamas security forces.

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Hard Times. A protest in the Gaza Strip over the cost of living on March 15, 2019. (Screen capture: Twitter)

The charges against Hamas are not baseless. Photos of wounded Palestinians have surfaced on social media. Some had black eyes and bruises over different parts of their bodies, while others appeared to have had their legs and arms broken by Hamas security officers.

Read more: Palestinians: The Other Peace Deal

Khaled Abu Toameh an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem, is a

Shillman Journalism Fellow at Gatestone Institute.

Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on Twitter

 

What Happened To The Yazidis Is A Shame On All Of Us

“They are not taken into serious consideration by the international community,” writes Abdul Basit Sidama in Al-Arab,UK, March 10

Cecilia Oden, a veteran Swedish journalist, has focused her media and research efforts on the Middle East, where she lives almost permanently, moving between many capitals and places there. It was a few days ago in Qamishli and the Hull camp, where she interviewed a wide host of Yazidi girls and women who were victims of a sadistic torture campaign at the hands of the Islamic State (ISIS). Many of those Oden spoke with recounted their stories in painful details. One woman witnessed her father and husband slaughtered in front of her and her young children. She then began to recount the details of her journey of suffering with slavery and sexual exploitation, and the cruelty she was subjected to. Sadly, this is not the only story. There are hundreds of accounts just like this one.

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Teenage girls who escaped from ISIS tell horrifying stories of unimaginable suffering.

These stories once again call into attention the horrendous crimes perpetuated by the ISIS, not only physically but also psychological. It destroyed a legitimate Syrian revolution that sought to bring down a regime of tyranny and create a democratic and pluralistic state that guaranteed all Syrians—without exception—freedom, justice and a decent life. The tragedy of the Yazidis is painful. Its horrific details evoke all the anger and reveal the savage side of the human being who is stripped of all values, while hiding behind the veil of religion. The Yazidi community is a peaceful society by nature, devoted to the affairs of its daily life without interference in the affairs of others. Their suffering continues to unfold. Their territory is still occupied by various militias. The Yazidis continue to live in the most difficult conditions, in camps that are not suitable for daily living. Most sadly, they are not taken into serious consideration by the international community. Nobody is fighting for their right to return to their homes and to pursue their normal life in a peaceful manner as they have always done. This is a shame on all of us.

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Yazidi women were subjected to abduction and systematic rape by ISIS fighters. (Credit Reuters)

Abdul Basit Sidama

 

Palestinians: “No Place for the Zionist Entity in Palestine”

by Bassam Tawil, February 26, 2019 at 5:00 am

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13796/palestinians-zionist-entity

Hamas and Islamic Jihad should be given credit for their clarity and honesty regarding their ambitions. The two groups are clearly saying that their ultimate goal is to see Israel removed from the region and replaced with an Islamic state. As far as they are concerned, the conflict with Israel is not about a settlement, a checkpoint or even Jerusalem. Instead, it is about the presence of Jews in what they regard as their own state and homeland.

What will happen the day after a Palestinian state is established?

The answer, according to Hamas and Islamic Jihad (and other Palestinians) is that they will use it to continue the “armed struggle” until the liberation of the supposedly occupied cities of Tel Aviv, Nazareth, Tiberias, Haifa and Ashdod. Under these current circumstances, a Palestinian state will pose an immediate existential danger to Israel.

The Islamic Jihad threat to turn Israeli cities into “hell” by firing missiles at them needs to be taken seriously by those who are working on the upcoming US peace plan. Any land that is given to Abbas and his Palestinian Authority in the West Bank will be used in the future by Hamas and Islamic Jihad as a base for launching rockets and missiles at Israeli cities. Then, the terror groups will not need accurate, long-range rockets to achieve their plan to destroy Israel’s population centers: they will be sitting right across the street from them.

A Palestinian terror group says that its engineers have developed “accurate and destructive” missiles that can reach the “occupied” cities of Tel Aviv, Netanya and Jerusalem. Abu Hamza, spokesman for the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Iranian-funded Islamic Jihad organization in the Gaza Strip, threatened that his group’s “rocket unit” would turn Israeli cities into “hell.”

“There is no place for the Zionist enemy on the land of Palestine,” Abu Hamza said. “Either they leave this blessed land, or they will be dealt one painful strike after the other.”

Islamic Jihad is the second-largest Palestinian terror group in the Gaza Strip, after Hamas. Neither group recognizes Israel’s right to exist. Both say they are committed to the “armed struggle until the liberation of all Palestine, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River.”

The leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad see Israel as one big settlement to be uprooted from the Middle East.

For them, there is no difference between a Jewish settlement in the West Bank and any other city inside Israel. As far as they are concerned, Tel Aviv, Ashdod, Haifa and Nazareth are all “occupied” cities. Palestinian weather forecast bulletins often publish names of cities inside Israel on a map that does not mention the word Israel.

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Spewing Hate. Palestinian presenter Raji Al-Hams (R) listens to Hamas official Salah al-Bardweel at the studio of Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV in Gaza City, October 27, 2015 (credit Reuters)

The Palestinian leaders say that the conflict with Israel will end only when Israel is annihilated.

“We won’t give upon one inch of the land of Palestine,” said Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. “We will continue to fight until all the refugees return to their homes” — meaning areas in Israel within the “green line” 1949 armistice borders.

In 2017, Hamas published a document of “General Principles and Policies,” in which it claimed that it was ready to accept a Palestinian state on the pre-1967 lines (West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem) — but without Hamas recognizing Israel’s right to exist or Hamas “giving up all of Palestine.”

In other words, Hamas is saying that it would not oppose the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem; it would use these territories as a launching pad to “liberate the rest of Palestine.”

The Hamas document clearly states that “no part of the land of Palestine shall be compromised or conceded, irrespective of the causes, the circumstances, and the pressures, and no matter how long the occupation lasts.” It affirms that Hamas “rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea.” The document also states that Hamas will never recognize the “Zionist entity” or relinquish any Palestinian rights.

Although Hamas says in the document that it is ready, for now, to accept a Palestinian state alongside Israel, it nevertheless considers “Palestine, which extends from the River Jordan in the east to the Mediterranean in the west, and from Ras Al-Naqurah in the north to Umm Al-Rashrash [Eilat] in the south, an integral territorial unit. It is the land and the home of the Palestinian people.”

The Hamas document has been misinterpreted by some Westerners as a sign of moderation and pragmatism on the part of the terrorist group. Reuters, for example, claimed in a May 1, 2017 dispatch that Hamas has “dropped its long-standing call for Israel’s destruction.”

This claim is completely false. Reuters, like several other Western media outlets, ignored those parts of the Hamas document that mentions the need to eliminate Israel. Here are other parts of the document that reveal Hamas‘s true intentions:

“The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas is a Palestinian national liberation resistance movement. Its goal is to liberate Palestine and confront the Zionist project. Palestine is an Arab Islamic land. It is a blessed sacred land that has a special place in the heart of every Arab and every Muslim. There shall be no recognition of the legitimacy of the Zionist entity. Whatever has befallen the land of Palestine in terms of occupation, settlement building, Judaization or changes to its features or falsification of facts is illegitimate. Rights never lapse.”

Worse, some Westerners have gone so far as describing the document as the “new Hamas charter.” Again, that claim is false.

The Hamas charter, which was published in 1988, continues to exist; it has never been changed or amended. This charter states :

“… the land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Muslim generations until Judgement Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up. Neither a single Arab country nor all Arab countries, neither any king or president, nor all the kings and presidents, neither any organization nor all of them, be they Palestinian or Arab, possess the right to do that…

“Our struggle against the Jews is very great and very serious. It needs all sincere efforts. It is a step that inevitably should be followed by other steps. The Movement is but one squadron that should be supported by more and more squadrons from this vast Arab and Islamic world, until the enemy is vanquished and Allah’s victory is realised.“

For the past three decades, Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been major players in the Palestinian arena. They are not splinter factions than can be dismissed as irrelevant. The two groups control nearly two million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. Each group has its own political leadership, as well as militias that possess various types of weapons, including rockets and missiles. The two groups also have thousands of militiamen in the Gaza Strip who consider themselves “soldiers” and “freedom fighters” in the war to eliminate Israel and kill Jews.

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Future Without Israel. A Palestinian map showing the British Mandate of Palestine in the West Bank city of Ramallah, ahead of Nakba Day. (credit Reuters)

Those who think that Hamas and Islamic Jihad will vanish one day are living in an illusion. The two groups continue to pose a real threat, not only to Israel, but also to Mahmoud Abbas‘s Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank. Were it not for Israel’s security presence in the West Bank, Hamas and Islamic Jihad would have toppled Abbas’s regime long ago. Hamas and Islamic Jihad despise Abbas and consider him a traitor because of his purported support for a two-state solution.

Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar was recently quoted as saying that when his movement “liberates Palestine,” it will bring Abbas to trial for betraying the Palestinians.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad should be given credit for their clarity and honesty regarding their ambitions. The two groups are clearly saying that their ultimate goal is to see Israel removed from the region and replaced with an Islamic state. As far as they are concerned, the conflict with Israel is not about a settlement or a checkpoint or even Jerusalem. Instead, it is about the presence of Jews in what they regard as their own homeland and State.

Any Middle East peace plan that ignores what Hamas and Islamic Jihad are saying is doomed to fail. Moreover, ignoring the two groups will pose a massive threat to security and stability in the region. The US administration, which says it will unveil its plan for peace in the Middle East after the Israeli elections in April, ought to think and think again about the plan’s possible repercussions.

This is what members of the US administration needs to ask themselves: What will happen the day after a Palestinian state is established? The answer, according to Hamas and Islamic Jihad (and other Palestinians) is that the Palestinians will use this state to continue the “armed struggle” until the liberation of the occupied cities of Tel Aviv, Nazareth, Tiberias, Jaffa and Haifa. Under the current circumstances, a Palestinian state will pose a clear and present existential danger to Israel.

The Islamic Jihad threat of turning Israeli cities into “hell” by firing missiles at them needs to be taken seriously by those who are working on the upcoming US peace plan. Any land that is given to Abbas and his Palestinian Authority in the West Bank will be used in the future by Hamas and Islamic Jihad as a base for launching rockets and missiles into Israeli cities. Then, the terror groups will not need accurate, long-range rockets to achieve their plan to destroy Israel’s population centers: they will be sitting right across the street from them.

Bassam Tawil is an Arab Muslim based in the Middle East.

The Israel Brief – 18-21 March 2019

 

The Israel Brief – 18 March 2019 – Terror attack Ariel Junction. Enough is Enough at UN Human Rights Council. Hamas violently crushing protests in Gaza Strip.

 

 

 

The Israel Brief – 19 March 2019 – Purim! Iranians show solidarity with victim of terror. An answer to Ilhan Omar and Tel Aviv top 10 in world’s most expensive cities.

 

 

 

The Israel Brief – 20 March 2019 – IDF eliminates Ariel terrorist. Did Yaalon just accuse Bibi of treason? Bennett asks Poland to bar entry for Holocaust denier, David Irving.

 

 

 

The Israel Brief – 21 March 2019 – Major announcement about Golan heights expected. 73% of Arab Israelis to vote. Egypt has proposal for Hamas.

 

 

ZAKA Answering The Call When Disaster Strikes

By Rolene Marks

When the call comes in, they are prepared. Often dispatched to the furthest corners of the world, wherever disaster strikes, this team of Orthodox Jewish men who all volunteer their time to do the sacred task of returning the remains of those who have died, are ready for this most solemn duty.

Zaka1This is ZAKA.

The name ZAKA is derived from the Hebrew: זק”א‎, abbreviation for Zihuy Korbanot Ason, Hebrew: זיהוי קורבנות אסון, literally: “Disaster Victim Identification”. The full name is “ZAKA – Identification, Extraction and Rescue – True Kindness” (Hebrew: זק”א – איתור חילוץ והצלה – חסד של אמת‎).  The Jerusalem-based organisation operates with a specially trained team of volunteer paramedics and search and rescue professionals who are on call 24/7, ready to respond in the fastest possible time to major international mass casualty incidents, wherever they may occur.

ZAKA‘s extraordinary assistance at major international terror attacks such as those in Mombasa, Istanbul and Taba as well as numerous natural disasters like the 2004 tsunami and Hurricane Katrina have resulted in official recognition from the United Nations. In 2005, the UN officially recognized ZAKA as an international volunteer humanitarian organization, one of only three from Israel that enjoy this status.

This official recognition enables ZAKA to offer emergency assistance even before the official delegation has left Israel, or the host country has formally asked for help. ZAKA assists countries that have no formal diplomatic ties with the Jewish State. When a plane crashed in Namibia in 2014, ZAKA helped with recovery efforts and trained the local forensic police – this despite no formal ties between the two countries.

ZAKA also trains emergency response teams in local communities worldwide, including South Africa and this was evident recently in Ethiopia.

On March 10, 2019 just six minutes after take-off from the capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Airline flight ET302 crashed, killing all 157 crew and passengers from 35 different countries.

When the team of highly trained volunteers in South Africa got the call, they mobilized immediately. The close proximity to Ethiopia meant they were able to assist their colleagues from Israel in doing the unimaginable – finding and identifying human remains. ZAKA will go to the ends of the earth – literally- to help recover the remains of Israelis and bring them home for burial. They also assist in the recovery of victims from other countries, bringing relief to anxious families.

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ZAKA South African team on returning from Ethiopia crash site (link to Chai FM radio interview)

In Judaism, death just like is sacred. For the volunteers of ZAKA, there is no more holy task than returning the remains of loved ones to their devastated families to ensure that they are buried with dignity.

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Israeli passenger Shimon Reem.

For the families of the late Shimon Reem and Avraham Matzliah, the Israelis who were on board the tragic flight, the wait has been excruciating. The endless waiting for news adds to their trauma. Every second counts and each detail will carry a critical clue about what happened to their loved ones. The importance of cooperation with officials is crucial – families deserve answers and the opportunity to begin the painful process of grieving. Jewish religious law dictates that when a person dies, they need to be buried as soon as possible.

These highly trained ZAKA teams who are equipped not only with the necessary skills to do this often grisly task but also with empathy for the families and the souls of the departed. Members of ZAKA South Africa, who were on site, spoke movingly about how the teams gathered at the crash site and along with the local Chabad Rabbi, intoned prayers for the dead.

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Israeli passenger Avraham Matliach.

The situation on the ground in Ethiopia has been particularly complicated. Delays in access to the crash site have created tremendous frustration with those responsible for recovery who is working against the clock.

The ability of ZAKA to navigate tragedy – as a disaster, the trauma to the families affected and the delicate political nuances – are part of what has gained them international attention – and support.

The extraordinary efforts of this humble team have also garnered the support of Christians around the world who have started their own organization called Christian Friends of ZAKA.

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Kebebew Legesse, the mother of Ethiopian Airlines cabin crew Ayantu Girmay mourns at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 12, 2019 (REUTERS/Baz Ratner)

In a quiet and modest way, this exceptional global network of volunteers with their heart situated in Jerusalem, prove time and time again that whatever the situation and whenever the call comes in, they are prepared for anything that tomorrow may bring.

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Israeli relatives hold the national flag at the crash site of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8, seen here on March 14, 2019 (Mulugeta Ayene/AP)