Editorial

Entering 5771 - many challenges, also many strengths

Looking back at the year that has passed, there is cause for celebration but also for serious concern at the events and trends.

Firstly, on a very local and positive note, the remarkable accomplishments which continue to come out of South African Jewry in business, the professions, sports and other areas, was much in evidence at the Absa Jewish Achiever Awards held on Tuesday night (see pages 10-13).

We can justifiably be proud, not only of the award winners, but equally of all who were nominated, and the community in which they were nurtured. With their dedication and drive to excellence - basic Jewish values and a sine-qua-non for such accomplishments - they are all winners. We congratulate them all.

On another local and equally positive note, the conference of the Gauteng SAJBD (see pages 32-35) over the weekend was filled with the energy and creativity of many young leaders who have taken over various positions. Combined with the experience of the veteran leaders, it is an encouraging mix for going forward.

The age-old issue of how the Jewish community relates to the non-Jewish society within which it lives - a matter always fraught with complexities - was discussed. This included interactions with the ANC; interfaith activities with Muslims, Christians, Hindus and others; and links between South Africa and Israel.

The former has many positives, with Jewish leaders reporting that the ANC maintains an open-door policy to Jewry on a range of issues. The interfaith arena is a mixed bag of successes and failures, articulated very well by interfaith expert Rabbi David Rosen, the keynote speaker.

South Africa’s link with Israel is the most problematic arena. South Africa maintains a “correct” but rather cold diplomatic relationship with that country.

But there have been some significant negative signs recently, which Israeli Ambassador Dov Segev-Steinberg pointed out forcefully in his address (see page 35), that South Africa recalled its ambassador from Israel after the “flotilla incident” in May 2010 when Israel intercepted boats attempting to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, resulting in the deaths of nine people.

South Africa was the only country, aside from Turkey, to take such drastic action - just one step short of actually breaking off diplomatic ties, said the ambassador. This unbalanced approach undermined the possibility of South Africa playing any useful role in helping Israelis and Palestinians find a solution to their conflict.

The negative fallout from the “flotilla incident” was so severe that Jews and Israelis felt embattled all over the world to a degree not seen for decades. Sadly, the campaign to delegitimise Israel, is gaining ground worldwide, and the “flotilla incident” was, for Israel’s enemies, convenient fuel to add to their fire.

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