The advent of social media brought about immense benefits in communication, information exchange and freedom of ideas. But often it carries with it a proliferation of fake news.
The recent social unrest in South Africa has brought about an explosion of fake news which was exacerbated by individuals, ex-South Africans living abroad, who have some kind of glee in seeing things go wrong in South Africa.
I have seen, even in this prestigious publication, suggestions that Israel should send rescue flights to South Africa to rescue Jews who are under siege, who are in danger of their houses being burnt with them inside.
Indeed, South Africa had a torrid week recently. But suggesting that Israel should send rescue planes like it did to Entebbe, Ethiopia or the Arab states in 1948 is at best an absurdity.
Well over 100 immigrants arrived in Israel from South Africa this year. They did not do so in rescue flights but in an orderly way on commercial flights, El Al, Ethiopian airlines and others. To make such a suggestion is an insult to the Jewish Agency, known here as the Israel Centre, which is doing a sterling job in processing more applications for aliyah than ever, in the most difficult circumstances due to Covid. Every South African Jew who wishes to go on aliyah will not only be able to do so, but will be assisted in so many ways, including financially. Further fake news was that South African Jews were classified as being from a red country and thus would not be accepted. How fake. Not a single aliyah applicant was rejected because of Covid. Those who are complaining about South Africa being a red country want to enter Israel as tourists.
Allow me to clarify that in the social unrest that occurred recently in Durban and in the outskirts of Johannesburg (Soweto and Alexandra), not one single Jew was hurt. Yes, there was anxiety and a shortage of provisions for three days. My friends who live in leafy suburban areas of Durban tell me that right now you can’t feel that anything ever happened.
South Africa is having all-time records in terms of its aliyah numbers. So do the US, France and others. South African Jews are not going to Israel because they are escaping South Africa. If they wish to escape South Africa they would rather go to a country that speaks the same language, drives on the same side of the road and where housing is not so expensive. They certainly would not escape South Africa to go to a country which has its own share of social unrest, rocket attacks and corruption.
As for corruption, yes, you could say that in Israel presidents and prime ministers who commit misdemeanours go to jail. True. Here in South Africa, we have our immediate past president in jail due to contempt of court but as a consequence of being prosecuted for corruption.
Jews who go on aliyah do so because they feel that Israel is home. Also, because as the years go by, Israel is proving more and more in that it is a first world country with incredibly advanced technology, agriculture, science, medicine, arts, busines and so many other endeavours. Jews of South Africa want to be in Israel because they want to be in a country where they are part of the majority as opposed to a minority within a minority.
However, despite the challenges, many Jews who are able to leave South Africa choose not to. And so the Jewish community continues to be small but well-organized and vibrant. There is a new generation of Jewish philanthropists who ensure that the Jewish community continues to thrive, and it enjoys more welfare organizations per capita than any other community in the world by far. It has schools, synagogues, aged homes, and a plethora of organizations for the benefit of both the Jewish and the general community.
For example, smack in the middle of Glenhazel, in the heart of Jewish Johannesburg there is a supermarket called KosherWorld. As its name implies, you can close your eyes, pick a product from the shelf and you are guaranteed it’s kosher. However, even more significant is that right now in association with a health community service organization, Hatzolah, a vaccination center has been set up in the KosherWorld building – not just for the Jewish community but for anyone who wishes to be vaccinated.
It was refreshing for me to see the garbage collectors’ truck, picking up the garbage, then stopping at KosherWorld, then the guys went upstairs, got vaccinated, and then the continued in their journey to collect more garbage.
That is the reality of South Africa. A Jewish community which loves Israel, but coexists in harmony with the general community. Above all, Israel is the land that G-d promised to you and me.■
The writer is a retired businessman based in Johannesburg and active in the Jewish community. His son, Reuven, recently made aliyah with his family.