South Africa bans Israel rugby team after pressure from ‘important stakeholder groups’
Invitation to Tel Aviv Heat pulled amid BDS protests and death threats to South African Rugby Union
An Israeli rugby team that played Saracens in north London in November has been stopped from playing in South Africa after political opposition to Israel reportedly resulted in death threats against officials.
The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) told The Citizen that the reasons for the withdrawn invitation to Tel Aviv Heat were “ironic” after it emerged that Palestinian supporters had pressured rugby authorities.
Zev Krengel, vice-president of SAJBD, said the South African Rugby Union “pulled their invitation when BDS [Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions] and other antisemitic groups put pressure on them and [issued] death threats on board members”.
Krengel added: “The irony is, this is the same Union that wouldn’t allow black players and coloured players to play for the Springboks 35 years ago. So, we are very sad at an organisation that literally epitomised the apartheid regime behaving in the exact same way, 25 years in a free country and a free democracy.”
Tel Aviv Heat were due to play in the recently announced 2023 Mzansi Challenge, but SA Rugby confirmed on Friday that the team would not travel to South Africa to take part in the competition, saying it wanted to avoid a “source of division”.
The ruling African National Congress (ANC) welcomed the decision, adding that it called on “all progressive forces of the world to continue putting pressure on Israel to go back to a peaceful dialogue around the two states’ solution and ultimately end one of the most protracted conflicts in the Middle East”.
The rugby union said it had “listened to the opinions of important stakeholder groups” and took the decision “to avoid the likelihood of the competition becoming a source of division, notwithstanding the fact that Israel is a full member of World Rugby and the International Olympic Committee”.
In July, South Africa’s minister for international relations, Naledi Pandor, said: “The Palestinian narrative evokes experiences of South Africa’s own history of racial segregation and oppression… The State of Israel is committing crimes of apartheid and persecution against Palestinians.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
