No selective memory in fighting for human rights in Palestine

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies through its recent statements it seems is acting as a surrogate in defending the DAs policy of privileged access for mainly established white business. Rather than address the substance of what I have said regarding this they wish to raise red-herrings and accuse me of all kinds of inferences and intimations.

The SAJBDs Mary Kluk's attack on me flies in the face of the substantial engagements I have had with the Jewish community and in particular the SAJBD as well as other faith communities. To infer that I am whipping up resentment between the Jewish and Muslim community is indeed deplorable. It is infact the SAJBD and the Zionist lobby in South Africa that is doing that with aplomb with its support for Israel and its dismissal record of human rights violations in gross contravention of international law and UN Conventions.

Instead of condemning the DA for its war on the poor and its perpetuation of apartheid style separate development in which they have reversed all transformation gains in the Western Cape over the past three years and have been hell-bent on perpetuating mainly white privilege, Mary Kluk and the SAJBD rises to the defence of the DA by deflecting attention away from the real issues and runs to the Human Rights Commission with baseless charges.

The SAJBD once again fail to condemn the long litany of DA failures in the Western Cape. They once again fail to condemn human rights violations perpetuated by Israel against the Palestinians, particularly in occupied Palestine. For the record my view on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is none other than that of the policy position of the governing party - the African National Congress. I have expressed these views in countless public platforms including the forum with Muslim stakeholders last year as well as my last public engagement arranged with the SAJBD.

I stand unequivocally by what I have said that the DA government is deliberately pursuing an agenda of preserving mainly white privilege and that is evidenced in all aspects of business and the interface between public and private sector in the province. 

It appears that the SAJBD has taken on the role of being an apologist for the DA government's policy of privileged access for established mainly white business in the Western Cape.

The key challenge for the development of the economy of this province and indeed South Africa is how we create an enabling environment in which the established business sector can partner with the emerging historically disadvantaged sector. This is not just a political wish list but a fundamental  requisite to achieve the full economic potential of our economy. My call to the Jewish community as an important player in business in this province and the country is not to further perpetuate white privilege as it will only lead to further inequality, resentment and isolation but rather to use your experience, expertise and economic power to build a truly inclusive society in which there is prosperity for all.

The SAJBD's baseless accusation that I am "pitting one religious community against another for vote-catching purposes" is deplorable under any circumstances, and particularly unacceptable especially coming from a lobby that remains silent on its support for Apartheid Israel's human rights abuses as well as the DAs war on the poor.

If what I said created this impression, I apologise. I am on record saying that all faith communities, all business leaders and all South Africans must work together on our common challenges of poverty, unemployment, crime, education and health. We will differ on Israel and Palestine for as long as the current reality of that region remains unchanged. But we can cooperate on doing away with White priviledge, the maginalisation of Black business and the development challenge.

Statement issued by Marius Fransman, ANC Western Cape Chairman and Deputy Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, March 13 2013

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