Grapevine February 23, 2024: More than 76 years of solidarity with the Zionist enterprise

Auspicious date in Israel's history 

■ Comparisons between Hamas atrocities and the Holocaust continue to abound, and are refuted by survivors of one or both, primarily on the grounds that while Israel has an army and is in a position to defend itself, the Jewish victims of the Holocaust had no army to defend them. However there is a link between the Holocaust and the Swords of Iron War in which Israel is fighting Hamas – and that is the date of February 20.

It was on that date in 1941 that the first transport of Polish Jews was sent to Nazi concentration camps.

February 20, this week, was the date chosen by JNF-KKL South Africa, the South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) and Telfed to pay homage to South African volunteers and Israelis of South African origin, who fell in battle in all of Israel’s wars from 1948 onwards, or were victims of terrorism.

More than a hundred South Africans, South African expats living in Israel, and Israelis born to South African parents gathered in the South African Grove of the Lavi Forest adjacent to the Golani Junction.

Many of those attending were members of a solidarity mission comprising people who had come to Israel under the auspices of the South African Zionist Federation and the JNF-KKL of South Africa. There was also a large contingent of South African Bnei Akiva youth who are spending their gap year in Israel.

There were so many dignitaries from the combined organizations that the front of the first row of seats was well in excess of a dozen. Also present was Mona Michael Mahecha, Head of the Chancery at the Tanzanian embassy, in recognition of the two Tanzanian students who were murdered during the Hamas massacre on October 7.

Among the non-Africans present was Ofir Sofer, the Minister for Immigration and Integration, a retired army major who served in the Haruv Regiment; he was severely injured in rescue operations and received a citation for bravery. Though recognized as a disabled soldier, he returned to army service prior to embarking on a political career. In the current war, his son, one of seven siblings, was wounded.

To read about hostages and fallen soldiers is emotionally moving, but much more so to hear spouses and parents talk about them, especially when their throats are choked with tears. There was hardly a dry eye in the crowd as South African-born Aviva Siegel of the devastated Kfar Aza community, who was released after 51 days in captivity, spoke of appalling conditions in Gaza, the lack of oxygen in the tunnels, the sexual abuse of female captives, the inability to speak above a whisper, and of her injured husband Keith, who is still there and is not receiving medication.

The two fathers tried to control themselves as they spoke of their sons, but broke down in tears.

Michael Kransdorff, president of JNFSA and vice chairman of SAZF, said that regardless of the attitude of the South African government, South African Jews stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel. Over the years, he said, nearly 90 South African Jews have lost their lives in Israel’s wars.

SAZF President Avrom Krengel noted that 800 South African volunteers had fought in the War of Independence and that South African Jews had contributed in many other ways to Israel’s development.

South African Jews have played a key role in building and defending Israel from the War of Independence to the present day, said Minister Sofer. “Just as you stood with us in our fight for security, we stand with you in your fight against antisemitism.”

Sofer and other speakers spoke of the unity between Israel and Diaspora Jewry, emphasizing the essential need to maintain this unity once the present crisis is overcome.

Outrage sparked by statements from Smotrich and Ben-Gvir

■ In past years, Israeli dignitaries who addressed the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations came to the venue in which the conference was taking place, but this year, this was not always the case. On Tuesday when President Issac Herzog was among the speakers, conference participants came to him on the day of yet another crisis in Israel.

Regardless of government policy, be it a right-wing or left-wing administration, there are always extreme members of the government such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose comments and ideology are a poke in the eye to the image that Israel wants to convey, and an insult to Israel’s friends and supporters.

Smotrich was outrageous in his statement that return of the hostages is not Israel’s most important objective, which was totally insensitive, and contrary to the Jewish values that he claims to espouse. How would he feel if a member of his immediate family was a captive of Hamas in Gaza?

Equally disgusting is the attempt by Ben-Gvir to bar Arabs from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem during Ramadan. Is that any different from preventing Jews in some European countries from performing circumcision or slaughtering animals in accordance with Jewish ritual instead of stunning them first, thereby rendering their meat non-kosher?

Israel has consistently boasted of freedom of religion and continues to do so. In fact, Herzog told the Conference of Presidents that since its founding, Israel is completely committed to freedom of religion, has always maintained it and practiced it, and that all decisions taken are in line with this policy.

But the fact of the matter is that they are not, because Ben-Gvir is a serial violator of law and order, and would like to see all Arabs expelled from Israel. His position enables him to ignore the law and set his own rules.

New diplomatic envoy for innovation

■ Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan Nahoum, realizing that she had gone about as far as she could go with the Jerusalem Municipality, is not standing for reelection on Tuesday – but that does not mean she will be idle.

After becoming co-founder of the UAE-Israel Business Council and the Gulf-Israel Women’s Forum, Hassan Nahoum, whose municipal portfolio includes foreign relations, international economic development and tourism, was appointed by Foreign Minister Eli Cohen as special diplomatic envoy for innovation.

Born and raised in Gibraltar, she also speaks Spanish in addition to Hebrew and English, and hosts the JNS TV program The Quad, launched in the immediate aftermath of the October 7 massacre. Appearing with her are journalist Emily Schrader, African American Jew Ashira Solomon and political moderator and former Canadian ambassador to Israel Vivian Bercovici.

Bowing out of the Jerusalem City Council will not lighten Hassan Nahoum’s load. She is concurrently taking on another executive role, and this coming Sunday will be officially appointed as secretary-general of the World Confederation of United Zionists at a ceremony to be hosted by the World Zionist Organization.

The timing, just ahead of International Women’s Day, is appropriate, given that she is the first woman to hold this position.

Zionist Federation of Australia 2024 hosts Einat Wilf 

■ Former MK Einat Wilf and James Lindsay, a lawyer and former diplomat, who served for five years as UNWRA General Counsel, were members of a panel sponsored by UN Watch in Geneva in October 2019. Each was critical of the agency’s misuse of funds, and the hatred for Israel perpetuated in school textbooks it supplied. Among suggestions put forward was that UNWRA be disbanded or that donors put pressure on the agency to properly fulfill the mission with which it was entrusted. In the interim, Wilf has become an expert on UNWRA and a frequent international speaker against the organization.

This week she spoke at the opening session for 2024 of the Zionist Federation of Australia executive. At the end of this month, she and Lindsay will again be appearing on a similar panel in Geneva – and this time, following post-October 7 revelations, their remarks about UNWRA will be much sharper.

Food distribution in Jerusalem 

■ Many of her friends in Israel welcomed the opportunity to say hello to Julie Fisher, wife of former US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, who served two terms and then stayed on afterwards so as not to disrupt the education of their daughters. Fisher, a leader in her own right, headed or served on the executive of several organizations during her time in Israel, most notably Kuchinate, which gives dignity, a home, a means of livelihood and friendship and support to African asylum seekers. Back home in America, she is no less active, and is Director of Engagement for the Good People Fund.

During her trip to Israel to meet grantees of the Good People Fund, she and the organization’s Executive Director Naomi Eisenberger met grantee Daniela Selzer at Jerusalem Food Rescuers, and heard about the impressive work JFR is doing in rescuing tons of discarded market produce and distributing it to poor neighborhoods throughout the capital. Fisher and Eisenberger also visited JFR’s kitchen where food preservation techniques are taught to visiting groups.

On Sunday, March 3, Fisher and Eisenberger and three of their grantees will participate in a special live Zoom event from Israel in which they will talk about meeting new challenges since October 7 and staying true to their mission of making a big impact through small actions.

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