Dances With Durban, Tangos With Tutu – Confronting Anti-Israel Media Bias in South Africa
August 8, 2012 11:00 by GuestPostThis article was written exclusively for HonestReporting by Rolene Marks, a member of the Media Team Israel, a voluntary body under the auspices of the South African Zionist Federation that counters bias against Israel in the media. Rolene Marks has written numerous published opinion-editorials, addressed groups and has been featured on radio and television countering bias against Israel.
South Africa’s relationship with Israel has always been tenuous, in fact some might even say schizophrenic. A large part of my work in South Africa was spent working with Media Team Israel – a body under the auspices of the South Africa Zionist Federation. The Team’s mandate is to counter bias in the media, work deemed urgent and important.
In fact, one day a highly influential figure in Israeli media remarked that in his opinion, outside of Middle East Arab media, South Africa has the most hostile anti-Israel media worldwide.
The underlying message to the Jewish community has always been “Your Jewish traditions are welcome, your Zionism is not”. As if the two can be differentiated! This is reflected in the press coverage and editorial policies of major news providers.
1994 was a landmark year for South Africa. It was the year that the Mandela-led ANC assumed power after the first democratic elections which finally relegated the Apartheid regime to the history books.
It is no secret that the ANC and PLO (which became known as the Palestinian Authority after the Oslo Accords) enjoyed a historical kinship. Both organizations felt they shared a similar identity as liberation movements that prided themselves on resistance.
It was the PLO that offered exiled ANC members asylum during the Apartheid years and it was the newly elected post-Apartheid President Mandela who extended an official invitation to Palestinian Authority President, Yasser Arafat to visit South Africa. It would seem as if the two leaders were the most incongruous bedfellows but this relationship was built on shared loyalty to each other.
In 1975 the United Nations took the historical vote equating Zionism with racism. Although this was repealed, it is still a factor that rears its ugly head in South African media discourse. In 2001, the seaside city of Durban played host to the first UN-sponsored Conference against Racism. Often dubbed “The Jewel in the Crown” by South African Foreign Affairs representatives, “Durban 1” became the springboard to what is now a growing movement dedicated to questioning the legitimacy of the State of Israel.
It must be stressed that even during the heinous Apartheid era, South Africa’s legitimacy as country was never doubted. Needless to say, the press had an absolute field day with events as they unfolded. Durban 1 will forever be known as the conference that put anti-Semitism back firmly on the map and the media had carte blanche to bring readers and listeners the hatred and vitriol that spewed forth on a daily basis. A shell-shocked South African Jewish community realized that something needed to be done – and fast! The Media Team Israel was formed as a result of the growing negative press coverage.
South African Jews have often questioned the disproportionate amount of coverage that Israel receives in the various national media outlets. Why in a continent that is filled with its own fair share of strife, human rights abuse, poverty, hunger and AIDS, do the media focus so much attention on a country so small it fits into the borders of South Africa’s largest animal reserve, the Kruger National Park?
Read the rest of this article on Page 2
Carlo Marijnissen
2:52 pm
Aug 08, 2012
Dutch workers Union FNV claims too that Israel is a country of APPARTHEID
Appartheid is a Dutch invention. Jews and Israel have nothing to do with apartheid.
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jeb stuart
3:19 pm
Aug 08, 2012
The left “compares” Israel to South Africa. The intention is to undermine the legitimacy of the Jewish Homeland in a region hostile to all non-Muslims. There is no comparison in a strict Political Science sense. Both were ruled by Engalnd, both at one time had “Settler” populations. Thats where the comparisons end and the rest is contrast. It is hard to prove racism in the instance of Israel, 1 million Jewish refugees were expelled from Islamic states and were “Arab Jews”. Israel is unified by “religion and anti-semitism but diverse in beliefs and origins. Palestinians have a region they can declare a state. South Africa only considered a one state solution,did it work? Depends.
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Florence Kaplan
10:21 pm
Aug 09, 2012
“Apartheid” lands and governments are the 57 Muslim Arab lands that do not allow any Jews or Christians to live there permanently…
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Sidney Joseph
3:28 pm
Aug 08, 2012
As a South African citizen living in Durban and an ardent supporter of Israel, I am horrified at our governments lack of support, and at times opposition of the State, Land and people of Israel. It must be known that this is NOT the view of all it’s citizens, and Archbishop Tutu should convey the most support for Israel, being a Christian and BELIEVEING that the Jews are God’s chosen people. Again, his personal view is not the same view as all South African Christians. Is there is any way we can be heard in the media, or anything we can do to support the Media Team Israel in Durban / SouthAfrica?
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Des in Spain
6:30 pm
Aug 08, 2012
Sorry, fellow SouthAfrican, but Tutu is NOT a Christian. He is an Anglican, a religion founded by a murderer and rapist called Henry VIII. It has been anti-Israel for most of its existance, being the power behind the throne (the occupier of the throne is its head, which says something for my case).
The Head of the True Church is Jesus Christ and He said to call nobody Father or Lord or Holy, all of which terms that church of pomp and religiosity knows and practises.
Tutu is responsible for many of us going bankrupt and leaving the country, and I say Thank you to him because we have found a better life away from the rabble, the thieves and the murderers who ravaged my family.
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J.Ondrá?ková
3:38 pm
Aug 08, 2012
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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m
4:26 pm
Aug 08, 2012
Any Jew that does not support Zionism, is fooling themselves.
No Zionism = No Israel =No Jews.
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Henry Federman
3:43 pm
Aug 08, 2012
I don’t know if South Africa is the most anti Israel and if they are they have a long following which too long to list on this page. 700 characters would not be enough to list them all.
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Tommo
3:56 pm
Aug 08, 2012
When did apartheid end in South Africa? In fact it hasn’t ended. The people now being discriminated against are whites and Asians. The Africanisation policies of the corrupt and racist Zuma government have ensured non-African residents cannot get work or loans to start up new businesses or to buy houses. The media also never mentions the appalling violence, sanctioned by the black government, against white farmers and the enforced removal from their land which can result in death for them and their families. For the majority of black South Africans nothing has changed since the so called Apartheid era. The majority still live in townships, are destitute and exposed to gang crime and drugs.
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Ivor Furman
4:12 pm
Aug 08, 2012
It is shameful the garbage expressed by Tutu and his fellow travellers in South Africa. At present the top selling book in SA is titled “Eye on the Diamonds” a book authored by a prominent member of the Anglican Church Controlling body, the book contains slanderous, disgusting views such as Balfour Declaration was only given by the British Government as payment to the Jews for influencing USA to join in WW1; Israel is a Mafia State with leadership by Gun running warlords and gangsters; 99% of the land belonged to so called Palestinians; 9/11 bombing of Twin Towers was organised by Jews in partnership with Al Queda. The tragedy is that this rubbish is touted over the radio as a must read
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m
4:32 pm
Aug 08, 2012
The Jewish nation has always been scapegoated, persecuted and has had the most vile of accusations against it. However, if you look at history, the Jewish ppl have ALWAYS won in the end and their oppressors have always lost
The rebirth of Israel is just one of those victories. That victory drives the enemies of the Jews insane with rage ….. good.
Their is no shortage of Jew hating Israel denying scum that are spewing tripe about the Jews. To even call them revisionist historians is too much of a compliment.
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m
4:20 pm
Aug 08, 2012
Perhaps those OUTSIDE of South Africa, who have never witnessed apartheid should watch this vid. A black S.A. diplomat is asked if Israel is an apartheid state. He said it was insulting to the black ppl that suffered REAL apartheid to suggest that Israel in any way, participates in apartheid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se5xTh8uwyo
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Des in Spain
6:46 pm
Aug 08, 2012
I listened to Mr Moshoe, and he is not talking 100& truth. Not all SA whites were for apartheid. Millions voted for the blacks to have equal rights, thus doing away with our rights, since blacks outnumber whites by about 44m to 3.5 m. The white clinics were paid for by whites thru expensive medical insurance while our taxes (by 7.5%) paid for black clinics, hospitals and schools IN THEIR TRADITIONAL LANDS where the whites found them 100′s of years ago. Regarding the vote, what vote have millions of dead Red Indians in the USA and Canada,murdered by Custer and his ilk to take over their lands? SA has over 40m black people NOT KILLED BY US WHITES. Big difference.
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Gill
4:33 pm
Aug 08, 2012
Excellent article. More of this writer, please
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Tommo
5:13 pm
Aug 08, 2012
Mandela and Arafat ‘incongruous bedfellows’? I don’t think so. Both were terrorists supported by the left and carried out armed attacks on civilians. The ANC was armed by Russia and Mandela was instrumental in the killings of both white and black South Africans – why do you think he was in prison on Robben Island?
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mohshin habib
7:59 pm
Aug 08, 2012
touchy, informed.
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Mr. Light-Bright
8:09 pm
Aug 08, 2012
Didn’t know anti-Israel propaganda was so bad in South Africa.
My church frequently send missionaries/funds to South Africa — Perhaps I should tell our missionaries to ask the locals what they think of the modern state of Israel.
Christians may not want to support Israel, but they sure as hell should not side against it! The PLO does not understand, Christians DO NOT like warring kingdoms (take that shit somewhere else).
P.S. “Christians DO NOT like warring kingdoms” that is why rebel fighter leaders in Syria told Christians by the thousands to flee from their homes (they hate how peaceful we tend to be).
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David Hersch
9:00 pm
Aug 08, 2012
Sorry to correct you Rolene, the PLO did not offer exiled ANC members asylum, rather they shared offices with the ANC when both were clients of the USSR and as a result the ANC is now blindly pro-PLO.
The comment last week by COSATU: “SA Zionist Federation’s hands dripping with blood” – See:http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71654?oid=308632&sn=Detail&pid=71616 is disgusting. The Chief Rabbi, SAZF and Board of Deputies reply try to engage COSATU in a dialogue: “COSATU letter incited hatred against Jewish community” – http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71619?oid=316025&sn=Detail was wishy washy in the extreme.
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David Hersch
9:04 pm
Aug 08, 2012
COSATU the responded to the Chief Rabbi’s letter:
“COSATU stands by statements on SA Zionist Federation” – http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71654?oid=316937&sn=Detail&pid=71654
The only solution is to take them to court. This is a slamdunk case and the above letter shows what contempt they hold the official Jewish bodies in.
The future for South African Jews? Not a good one. Time to go home to Israel, which is what Rolene has already done.
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Tante Laeh
7:55 am
Aug 09, 2012
For a nation which allows the endless rape of women and girls I’d say South Africa is on a par with Saudi Arabia in oppressing women.
For a nation that does not take proper care of it’s AIDS infected population nor the orphans made by that disease I think South Africa is failing in it’s human rights obligations and has no right to accuse any other nation of anything.
South Africa is female apartheid.
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Lionel Thwaits
9:44 am
Aug 09, 2012
Whenever Israel tries to accommodate the “palestinians’ ( they were never a Nation on their own but are the remnants of the Ottoman empire ) it is seen as acknowleging that they are guilty and admitting it.This is their biggest mistake because the leftist media climbs on the bandwagon and labels them as oppressors.
Most of the “palestinians” in Gaza and the West bank have a far higher standard of living than the majority of black people living in South Africa but “his holiness”Mr Tutu never makes the comparrison.The Jewish people are the legitimate custodians of that land,always have been and always will be,read your Bible Mr Tutu.
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m
4:03 pm
Aug 09, 2012
You hit the nail on the head!
I must correct u on one thing. U used the term “west bank”. I find it offensive. That is a filthy Jordanian term & fact is, that region is called Shomron & Yehua, & is the ancestral homeland of the Jewish ppl, NOT arabs.
Time 4 Israel to take the Levy report seriously & build build build. As u suggest, quit pandering to arabs in some pathetic attempt to appease them. It can’t be done. Everytime Israel has given away Jewish land in an attempt 4 peace; it got bombs in return & accusations of guilt 4 some atrocity from the left. The ONLY thing that will make arabs happy is the utter destruction of Israel (that ain’t going to happen). The forced Diaspora is over.
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Carlo Marijnissen
11:10 am
Aug 09, 2012
It is the same as in the Netherlands. the Dutch workersunion FNV supports the most vicious anti jew orgenisation PALESTINA COMITE. actual this is an organisation within the workers Union and they send regulary 10 – 20 of these antisemits to Palestine where they stay in 5 star hotels and are driven around in cabs the whole week. It is all paid by the Union with the money of the workers. When I was bulied at my work, because of my jewish background, the workers union FNV of which i ewas a member, paying for years, they helped the racist an antisemit company. Look at my website the swastikas thy send to me (FNV).
http://www.vakbondmaffia.com/palestina-kommittee. (part in english)
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Reeva Forman
12:08 pm
Aug 09, 2012
Excellent article. You are proving your worth as an olah chadishah to Eretz Yisrael as you did as a diaspaora zionist in SA..
With love from a SA colleague
Reeva Forman
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Dances with Durban and Tangos with Tutu | Roro's Rantings
12:47 pm
Aug 09, 2012
[...] http://honestreporting.com/dances-with-durban-tangos-with-tutu-confronting-anti-israel-media-bias-in… Like this:LikeBe the first to like this. This entry was posted in Uncategorized by rolenemarks. Bookmark the permalink. [...]
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Mike lampard
7:53 pm
Aug 11, 2012
Interesting how history gets so easily distorted! Interesting, also when comparisions are made between one state and another that have minimal similarities, but great emotive feel. It seems that very few people in the so-called ‘intelligentsia’ of the world have the capacity to look objectively at thereality on the ground, without bias, and then the courage openly to draw conclusions that may well challenge the so-called popular view, usually whipped up by idiots who make these odious comparisons. It also demonstrates the utterly twisted reasoning that the press, academics and polticians alike indulge in in orderto tweist opinion to their own bias.
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