I woke up early in the morning before this newspaper went to bed, racking my brain for a moving front page story with a happy ending. We also wanted to put front-page stories that would move us away from anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel. Because, frankly, it's unpleasant and depressing.
There were some clues that seemed to have nothing to do with either of them, and they had happy endings, but ultimately things didn't pan out.
And the truth is that we cannot avoid anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel.
But that being said, despite the ugliness of those who hate us and what they are saying about us, I want to thank the angry people protesting outside the Aliya Expo. I found myself finding it somewhat amusing.
To be honest, Aliyah Expo is meant to help Jews emigrate. I know it's against Israel, but those who hate us don't like Israel. But they have also made it clear that they don't want to be near us. So they should celebrate that there are Jews interested in the exodus. They should encourage aliyah expositions. Because that would mean more Jews could leave South Africa. My understanding is that they would be very happy to utilize our skills, intelligence and know-how elsewhere.
Would they be happy that the Zionists, whom they claim to despise, would adopt their ideas, innovations, and business and start over in Israel? Surely they would be happy if Jews shut down an organization that raises money to help South Africa's poorer people and set it up elsewhere?
Therefore, I suggest that they stop protesting against Aliya Expo and cooperate in organizing Aliya Expo. That will be the answer to their problem. They will no longer have to protest everything we do and say. Then many of the Zionists they hate so much will leave the country and they may breathe a sigh of relief.
Perhaps our haters didn't get the memo about the meaning of aliyah? But do they really understand what protests are? So why take young children when they can be violent, harass people, and damage cars? Seriously, what are they trying to teach their children? Does it mean that violence pays and hatred is the solution to anti-Israel problems? I have to say it's really sad. We should all protect young children from hate as much as possible, rather than pushing them to the front lines.
I understand that the children of Gaza don't have that luxury, and neither did the children of Israel on October 7th, or when they had to run from missiles so many times. But South African children who are Jews, Muslims, Christians or other religious believers should not have to watch adults misbehave for any reason. Or so I believe. But I accept that people who hate us may not agree with my opinion. Because we probably disagree on many things, especially when it comes to supporting the Jewish state.
But what I realized is that truth is not an advantage for antis. Because they seem to embrace the age-old adage, “Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story.” And I thought that was typical of bad journalists!
please think about it. These extremists are now calling on the police, the Ministry of Justice and the National Prosecuting Authority to investigate the Israel Center, the Zionist Federation of South Africa, the South African Jewish Parliamentary Committee and others. There's nothing secret about these organizations, so we don't really know what they hope to accomplish. What you see is what you get. We do a lot of business with them, so we can guarantee that. But no matter how many years I've been a journalist, they might not trust me because I'm Jewish and I believe in the Jewish state.
What do they think they will find by investigating the Jewish community organization? I can't even imagine it in my lifetime. But I am surprised that the police, the Department of Justice, and the prosecutor's office would expect to waste their time and minimal budget on something so ridiculous. Frankly, I imagine most people would like to fight crime, corruption, and criminals and try to find ways to avoid these serious problems from surfacing in the first place.
But no, those who hate us are so obsessed with hating us that I would rather these organizations pause their fight against the real problems in this country and focus on us. I hope. seriously!
We then turn to their calls for the arrest of Colonel Goran Bacchi, known for his personal contributions to global humanitarian aid and disaster relief efforts. As head of the Israeli National Rescue Force, he saved countless lives around the world, including after Turkey's earthquake last year, and was personally recognized for his work by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He has led rescue efforts in countries with dire need, including Haiti, Brazil, the Philippines, and Mexico. He is an international hero, but those who hate us want to put him in prison because they claim he was in South Africa to recruit boys as soldiers. This is so weird and stupid that it would be funny if the people who hate us didn't promote this on social media and general media and make thousands of people believe it.
They accused Mr. Vaha of killing two Palestinians, but when the two terrorists tried to kill him, Mr. Vaha defended himself and killed them. What was Wach supposed to do? Shall we let them kill him? I don't think so.
That is, what they say is interesting and otherwise humorous, but unfortunately, it is not because their fiction becomes fact when told to others. Because just as people are willing to believe the lies told by Hamas, they are willing to believe those who hate us, even if there is no reality to what they say.
Having said that, SA Jewish Reportwe will continue to look for a story with a happy ending for you.
Shabbat shalom!
peta krost
Editor