An El Al Israel airline aircraft is seen on the runway prior to arrival of the Israeli Olympic delegation at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France, Picture: Victoria Valdivia / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP
The South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) has clapped back at the Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Peace Mabe, over her remarks at Israel’s participation at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The organisation said the calls to remove Israel from the Olympics are against the Olympic values of tolerance, diversity, and global solidarity.
“Israel, a sovereign state, holds the right to participate in this international event, just like any other nation,” said the SAZF.
In her statement, Mabe said: “Israel’s presence at the Olympics is grossly inhuman and indicative of scant regard for thousands of Palestinian lives lost as a result of continued genocide by Israel against women, children, men, the elderly and the sick.”
Minister of Sport Gayton McKenzie fired back at the statement, accusing Mabe of pushing politics instead of showing support for SA’s athletes.
“I shall respond fully in regards to my displeasure about the statement released by Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts & Culture Ms Peace Mabe only after the Olympics. I don’t want politics to take centre stage now, this is the time for @OfficialTeamRSA, let’s rally behind them,” McKenzie wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The SAZF said it supports McKenzie's comment and looks forward to hearing his reaction after the Olympics.
“The Olympics aim to promote global unity and should not be misused as a tool for division. The anti-Israel ANC is once again exploiting governmental channels, and undermining the ‘unity’ of the ‘Government of National Unity’ to spread radical political messages that the majority of South Africans do not support.
“By singling out a nation defending its people against terrorist threats from Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north, the ANC is misusing its platform—one that should promote sport as a national unifier,” added the organisation.
It went on to say that South Africa’s repeated targeting of Israel has significantly strained ties with the United States and threatens economic harm.
“The ‘US-SA Bilateral Relations Review Act,’ currently under discussion, threatens to prompt the world’s most powerful nation to reassess its relationship with South Africa—a reassessment only further fuelled by this regrettable statement by the government.
“Israel is uniquely targeted for defending itself against ongoing threats to its population. Hamas started the war with Israel on October 7, and the conflict would end if the terror group surrenders and returns the hostages.”
The SAZF urged the South African government to reconsider its attitude and maintain the ‘true spirit of the Olympics’.
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