ANC snubs SA Jewish faith leaders at ANC’s festivities in Mbombela

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) confirmed to The Citizen that Jewish faith leaders were not invited to the January 8 proceedings.

SAJBD normally invited to ANC events

According to the SAJBD their leaders would normally get invited to the ANC’s January 8 statement but this year there was no invitation extended.

“We have always been invited in the past and we always have honoured the invitation,” SAJBD spokesperson Charisse Zeifert said.

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The Citizen also understands that it was possible that the SAJBD had been excluded from the celebrations because the January 8 statement was on a Sabbath.

At the event on Saturday (January 13) the ANC began its birthday festivities with an interfaith prayer session that included faith leaders from different communities. But there was no representative from the Jewish faith.

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The lineup included representatives from the Muslim faith, African traditional religion and different sects of Christianity.

The SAJBD did not comment further on the organisation’s relationship with the ANC.

There has been tension between the SAJBD and the ANC over the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine. The ANC spear-headed the South African government’s position on the Palestine war including the government’s decision to challenge Israel at the International Court of Justice, where the South African government is accusing Israel of genocide.

The Citizen reached out to ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu for comment but there had been no response at the time this article was published.

In November 2023, South Africa recalled its diplomats from Israel for consultation after the ongoing deadly conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Soon after, Parliament backed up this stance and adopted a motion calling on government to close the Israeli embassy in South Africa and suspend diplomatic relations with that country.