The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to condemn a hate crime against the Jewish community.
On Dec. 5, a suspected explosive device was thrown over the wall of the Jewish communal offices in Cape Town’s Gardens neighborhood. The offices are very close to the Cape Town Holocaust and Genocide Centre.
The SAJBD called it “an act of antisemitism aimed at the Jewish community, whether intended to intimidate or to cause physical harm and an illegal act that constitutes a hate crime.”
The SAJBD released a statement that the issue “concerned not only S.A. Jewry, but also greater S.A. society and has garnered much global attention.
“Arson and bomb attacks against Jewish institutions have become sadly commonplace in other parts of the world, but this is the first time in many years that a Jewish communal facility in S.A. has been targeted.”
The Democratic Alliance, the largest opposition party to the ruling African National Congress, released a statement on Friday saying it is “appalled to learn that the device placed near the Genocide and Holocaust Centre in Gardens, Cape Town, was indeed an explosive.
“This failed attack seems to have been targeting S.A. citizens and their place of worship on the basis of religious affiliation.
“The D.A. [Democratic Alliance] echoes Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis’s condemnation of the incident, and reiterates his statement that Cape Town has a long and proud history of being a safe city for people of all religions to live and express their faith and traditions. All South Africans have a constitutional right to religious freedom, free from intimidation, harassment or violence.”
There has been no word of condemnation or expression of support from Ramaphosa. This is not the first time that events that have directly affected the South African Jewish community have been met with silence from the presidency.
“This silence is all the more perplexing given how unequivocal other leaders around the world have been in standing with their Jewish communities when they have experienced threats. They include Australia, the Netherlands, the U.K., Germany, the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates,” said the SAJBD in a statement.
“Our own country’s elected president, however, has, in nearly a week, failed to condemn this incident,” added the SAJBD.
The ANC has ramped up its anti-Israel rhetoric since the outbreak of Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists in Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023. Pretoria has dragged Israel before the International Court of Justice on genocide charges, which Israel, the U.S. and many other Western countries reject. South Africa recalled its diplomats from Israel in November of last year.
Ramaphosa said during a speech in May, “Palestine will be free from the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea,” prompting criticism by his country’s Jews for allegedly calling to “exterminate Jews from their homeland.”