South African Jews for Free Palestine (SAJFP) is participating in a demonstration outside the Cape Town Holocaust and Genocide Centre, Hatfield Street, Cape Town, on Monday 9 December from 12:30 to 14:30.
This is the anniversary of the day in 1948 when the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. This Convention was born out of the collective horror of humanity at the European Holocaust of World War II.
In December 1946, when the UN was barely one year old, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared:
‘Genocide is a denial of the right of existence of entire human groups, as homicide is the denial of the right to live of individual human beings; such denial of the right of existence shocks the conscience of mankind, results in great losses to humanity in the form of cultural and other contributions represented by these human groups, and is contrary to moral law and to the spirit and aims of the United Nations.
‘Many instances of such crimes of genocide have occurred when racial, religious, political and other groups have been destroyed, entirely or in part.
‘The punishment of the crime of genocide is a matter of international concern.’
SAJFP acknowledges the genocides against other indigenous peoples. The list is long and terrible. The Preamble to the Convention states that, having considered this Declaration by the United Nations, those States which had adopted the Convention had done so —
‘Recognising that at all periods of history genocide has inflicted great losses on humanity, and
‘Being convinced that, in order to liberate mankind from such an odious scourge, international cooperation is required.’
The apartheid regime in its denial of the full humanity of indigenous South Africans, did not ratify the Convention. Only after the change to a democratic regime did this become part of our law in December 1998.
The Cape Town Holocaust and Genocide Centre, however, even on this day refuses to make a statement. They remain mute with respect to the horror that has been unfolding for more than a year. It is for this reason that today those who oppose genocide must gather in the street outside the CTHGC.
The CTHGC has made it clear that it supports the policies of Israel. The International Court of Justice has found that Palestinians are plausibly the victims of genocide perpetrated by Israel. The ICJ has also found that Israel is illegally occupying Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. The General Assembly of the United Nations has condemned the conduct of Israel accordingly, and has resolved in several Resolutions that members of the United Nations must act to bring pressure on Israel. In further support Amnesty International has just published a rigorous and comprehensive report concluding that what is occurring is indeed genocide.
Israel dismisses all criticism of its policies and of Zionism and describes these as “antisemitic”, but makes no effort to deny the accuracy of what these policies have done to Gaza. Israel’s claim to be acting in self-defence is nonsense; the International Court of Justice has stated that Palestinians have the right to resist occupation.
The South African Jews for Free Palestine believes that Zionism is a racist and violent ideology, and endangers all Jews throughout the world. Zionism is based on the illusion that Jews can be safe from antisemitism only on the basis of a state in which only Jews can be full citizens. Zionism is based on inequality, exclusion, settler-colonialism and violent ethnic cleansing, and asserts an ethnic supremacy which is fundamentally racist.
This results in the antisemitic belief that all Jews are alike and all are determined to destroy anyone and anything that stands in their way. It also overlooks the fact that Jews, wherever they live, now have full rights, like everyone else. It is Zionism that perpetuates a state of exception and precariousness for Jews everywhere.
SAJFP is proudly South African. We proclaim our loyalty to South Africa, and one reason that we do so is because our Jewish values commands us to do so. This means that as free South Africans it is our duty and our privilege to stand on the side of Palestinians whose very existence is now at stake. What is being done to the Palestinians cannot be allowed to be done in our name.
There is an ongoing genocide in Gaza. We demand a ceasefire in Palestine now. We demand an end to the support for Israel from the United States, Britain, and other members of the United Nations. We are proudly determined to take our place alongside other South Africans in recalling the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and demanding its implementation against Israel. Institutions such as CTHGC which have the sole mandate of reminding us of the past with the aim of not perpetrating such atrocities in the present cannot be allowed to remain silent on this, or indeed any, genocide.
“Never again!” means “Never again for anyone!”