Israel acted with good reason to refuse Blade Nzimande entry.
He actively activated and propagated the severing of links between the University of Johannesburg and The Ben Gurion University, in Beersheva. Nelson Mandela accepted an honorary doctorate from this Israeli University, specifically for the groundbreaking work that the University of the Negev, was doing to uplift Africa.
Ben Gurion University leads the world in combating desertification and in finding solutions to agriculture under harsh conditions. It leads the world in water purification and in combating food supply issues.
Until relations were severed, Israel was helping South Africa with infrastructure projects and with finding solutions to food security. So while those propagating sanctions won this battle, South Africa’s ability to win its war to increase food supplies has suffered a huge set back. Ben-Gurion University ranks far higher in International rankings than does the University of Johannesburg, and the spiteful boycott would certainly hurt our local institution more than the Israeli institution.
By calling for the boycotting of all Israeli Institutions Nzimande certainly deserves the opprobrium of his countrymen who seek only positive solutions to the problems we all face. There can be no reason or justification for a Minister of Education, to call for such a boycott and all the steps Israel has taken to counter his agenda are entirely understandable and justified.
Nzimande has overstepped the line of protocol by the slanderous remarks he has made in many of his speeches, accusing Israel of committing ‘massacres’ and ‘genocide’. While his support of the Palestinians is understandable, his focus only on Israel’s alleged actions and not on Palestinian provocations is entirely unjustified and weakens his case.