Mogoeng arrives in Israel to embark on ‘spiritual journey’

Former chief justice Mogoeng Mogoeng and his wife Mmaphefo have arrived in Israel where they will embark on a spiritual journey during the Feast of Tabernacles.

Mogoeng and Mmaphefo arrived in the country on Thursday.

Israel visit

His visit was announced by the SA Friends of Israel (SAFI) on their Facebook page.

“South African Friends of Israel is delighted that former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng has safely arrived in Israel.”

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“He is embarking on a spiritual journey to the Holy Land during the Feast of Tabernacles / Sukkot (in Hebrew), which is celebrated from the 9th until the 16th of October 2022. We welcome him to the holy land!” the organisation said.

Israel comments

During his tenure as Chief Justice, Mogoeng came under fire for comments he made during a webinar on Israel in 2020.

Mogoeng lamented South Africa’s adoption of a lopsided attitude toward the Israel-Palestinian conflict and said that it would have greater influence if it displayed a more balanced approach in an interview with the Jerusalem Post.

Apology

In March last year, Mogoeng was ordered by the Judicial Conduct Committee to apologise for, and retract, pro-Israel comments he made during the webinar.

“I, Mogoeng Mogoeng, the former Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa, hereby apologise unconditionally for becoming involved in political controversy through my utterances at the online seminar (webinar) hosted by the Jerusalem Post on 23 June 2020, in which I participated,” he said in a statement.

He was also ordered to apologise and retract in the presence of the media and his Constitutional Court colleagues.

SA Friends of Israel

According to its Facebook page, South African Friends of Israel “is a movement that promotes dialogue between the South African Jewish community and the broader South African faith, cultural, political and civil society community in the pursuit of ensuring a balanced view and a better appreciation of Israel by all South Africans”.

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