South Africa sees halt in antisemitism despite global increase

By EYAL GREEN

Published: JULY 7, 2024 05:55

Updated: JULY 7, 2024 06:02

THE CURRENT APPROACH to covering antisemitism in the United States, characterized by sporadic attention and underreporting, must be revisited. (photo credit: The Jerusalem Post/AI art) — THE CURRENT APPROACH to covering antisemitism in the United States, characterized by sporadic attention and underreporting, must be revisited.

(photo credit: The Jerusalem Post/AI art)

Despite the global rise in antisemitism, the increase in South Africa since the Israel-Hamas war outbreak has halted, reports the South African Jewish Report.

The increase in antisemitism in South Africa since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War seems to have come to a halt, despite the continued rise in other parts of the world, the South African Jewish Report (SAJR) announced on Thursday.

“This after reaching unprecedentedly high levels of antisemitism in the two months immediately following the 7 October attacks and over the ensuing three months still continuing to manifest at a much higher level than in previous years,” the SAJR cited Associate Director of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) David Saks.

According to the report, this phenomenon could be attributed to the national elections on the 29th of May, where the ruling ANC party lost its majority. This marked the first loss in 30 years since it was founded by Nelson Mandela and elected at the first democratic elections following the end of the apartheid regime.

A voter wearing an African National Congress (ANC) shirt with an image of former South African President Nelson Mandela arrives to vote in South African elections in Hopetown, Northern Cape province, South Africa May 29, 2024. (credit: SIPHIWE SIBEKO/REUTERS)

“Relative to our counterparts abroad, South African Jewry actually has things quite easy,” said Saks, and while Jewish people in South Africa are not entirely safe from antisemitism in the country, he said, the apparent decrease in antisemitism in SA differs from reports seen daily on global news, the SAJR noted.

Antisemitism decline

Furthermore, according to the report, over the last three months, no violent incidents of an antisemitic nature were reported, and “reported incidents of late have also been less serious, generally being in the form of verbal insults or hate messages posted on community members’ social media sites,” Saks said.

“South African Jews live in a paradoxical space. In recent months, the government has shown extreme hostility towards Israel, making South African Jews feel very uncomfortable and disappointed. However, we haven’t experienced high levels of antisemitism on the ground,” the SAJR cited SAJBD National Chairperson Karen Milner.

“For some time, tension in the Middle East has led to increases in antisemitic attacks … However, we’ve not experienced anything like the tsunami of anti-Jewish hate unleashed worldwide following the Hamas atrocities of 7 October, ” SAJR cited Anti-Defamation League (ADL) International Affairs Senior Vice-President Marina Rosenberg.

Rosenberg also told the SAJR “There has been a disturbing normalization of antisemitism on a global scale, spanning across the extreme right and left,” and emphasized, “This issue can no longer be dismissed as negligible or fringe.”