Former Chief Justice Mogoeng calls for Healing between South Africa and Israel 

20 October 2022

Former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng called for the healing of relations between South Africa and Israel at a tree-planting ceremony, concluding his pilgrimage to Israel. He was honoured by the Keren Kayemeth Leisrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) with a tree planting at Eshtaol Nursery, a space where seedlings for the forests throughout Israel are grown. The late King Goodwill Zwelithini and other African leaders such as former Chairperson of the African Union, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi, have also received this honour. KKL-JNF is a Jewish environmental organisation that has planted 250 million trees in Israel and is renowned for afforestation, water preservation, and agricultural innovation.

As part of his visit to Israel over the last 2 weeks, the former Chief Justice had a chance to speak with experts and learn about Israel's world-leading agricultural and water management innovations first-hand. Mogoeng lauded the Jewish State’s achievements in these areas that could be of great benefit to South Africa and her citizens. Municipalities across South Africa are currently experiencing water shortages. Israel is the world leader in water recycling. Last month, a JNF-sponsored delegation of Israeli water experts was in the country to assist the City of Tshwane with its water issues.

Former Chief Justice Mogoeng also addressed the political divide between South Africa and Israel, expressing his hope that this would be healed and ties strengthened. To this end, he spoke about his intention to bury stones from South Africa in the soil of Israel with his tree as a symbol of this renewed cooperation saying "we will build a covenant between our two countries". 

JNF-SA Chairman, Michael Kransdorff, said that the Jewish National Fund of South Africa (JNF-SA) is grateful to the former Chief Justice for his approach to promoting peace in the Middle East. Kransdorff said he hoped that the tree of honour that Mogoeng planted in the hills surrounding the holy city of Jerusalem, grows to become a symbol of his deep-rooted values. What’s more, JNF-SA is excited that Mogoeng was able to see first-hand the KKL-JNF’s world-class water and agricultural projects in Israel. Israel is a world leader in water recycling and management, and the JNF-SA remains committed to strengthening relations between the two countries by sharing this technology and know-how.

The South African Zionist Federation’s National Chairman, Rowan Polovin, commented on the former Chief’s visit saying he “hopes that Israel’s agricultural innovation and world-renowned water solutions learned during the trip to Israel may be applied to South Africa, a country where food security and drought is a daunting challenge”. Polovin welcomed Mogoeng’s comments in the Jerusalem Post which said “It’s an amazing experience to see how the different nationalities converge here, the different ethnic groups, and even the different religions. The coexistence is amazing.” Polovin encouraged other South Africans to go see the diversity of Israel for themselves. 

Former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng told All Israel News that he was excited to see “the profound impact of seeing the Bible come alive” in Israel. He also told the Jerusalem Post that “Not only our country but our continent as well, Africa, have a critical role to play in facilitating healthy relations between South Africa and Israel”.

Issued by South African Zionist Federation, 20 October 2022