Israeli envoy talk cancelled by South African university

A South African university pulled the plug on a scheduled talk by an Israeli envoy at the last minute following a campaign by pro-Palestinian activists.

Yaakov Finkelstein was due to give a non-political lecture on Monday at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, which is in the east of the country.

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Irish Israel boycott proposal 'cynical and hypocritical'

Jewish leaders have criticised the Irish foreign minister for a "cynical" call to boycott some Israeli goods.

Eamon Gilmore said that he might push the European Union to block goods produced in the West Bank, in order to pressure the Israeli government into making policy changes.

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How Israel's 1948 struggle inspired Nelson Mandela

When Nelson Mandela was on the run from the South African authorities in the early 1960s, one of the safe houses he used belonged to a Jewish Communist called Wolfie Kodesh.

It was there that the great anti-apartheid leader read about other liberation struggles, among them The Revolt, Irgun head Menachem Begin's account of his war against the British in Palestine.

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Women refuse singing ban

A group of South African women are fighting to overturn a ban on them singing at community events.

They released a protest video on Friday to coincide with Freedom Day, which commemorates South Africa's first post-apartheid elections in 1994.

They say women used to sing at events to mark such events as Israel Independence Day or Holocaust Memorial Day until they were stopped in Johannesburg

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Israel an apartheid state, says German party head

Sigmar Gabriel, the head of Germany's second largest party and a hopeful for Chancellor in the next federal election, last week called the Jewish state an "apartheid regime" after a visit to Hebron in the West Bank.

Writing on his Facebook page, the 52-year-old Social Democrat noted: "It's a zone without legal rights for Palestinians.

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Our Johannesburg boycott 'not academic'

The vice-chancellor of the University of Johannesburg (UJ) has denied that his university supports an academic boycott of Israel, despite announcing earlier this week that it is severing ties with its longtime Israeli partner, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU).

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Prof: Johannesburg Israel boycott 'not a boycott'

The vice-chancellor of the University of Johannesburg (UJ) has denied that his university supports an academic boycott of Israel despite announcing earlier this week that it is severing ties with its longtime Israeli partner Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU).

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Johannesburg university condemned for 'brutal' Israel boycott

Jewish and Israeli groups have criticised the decision by the University of Johannesburg (UJ) to sever its ties with Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU).

The South African university announced it would no longer work with BGU, following a long anti-Israel campaign by academics and intellectuals, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

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Campaigners attack Johannesburg Uni's Israel links

Campaigners encouraging the University of Johannesburg (UJ) to break its ties with Israel's Ben Gurion University (BGU) have released a "damning" report of the relationship between the institutions.

The report documents what it calls BGU's "direct and indirect role in further entrenching the violations of human rights and international law by the Israeli state".

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Bitter row erupts over Tzipi Livni visit

A war of words has erupted between the Israeli Embassy, Israel's Department of Foreign Affairs and the chairman of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) over the cancellation of a trip by Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni.

The former vice-prime minister postponed her visit, due to take place this week, because of the ongoing strike at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Board chairman Zev Krengel told Ha'aretz last week that the cancellation would deal a "devastating blow" to the local Jewish community.

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Petitions fly over Desmond Tutu's Israel stance

A counter-petition in defence of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, organised by a South African human rights group, has garnered over 4,000 signatures since its launch last week.

The move came in response to a similar online initiative launched last month by three Jewish residents of Cape Town, calling for the resignation of the anti-apartheid cleric as patron of the Cape Town Holocaust Centre and the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre.

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Johannesburg votes for split with Ben-Gurion University

The University of Johannesburg (UJ) senate has voted to discontinue its partnership with an Israeli university unless the relationship is “amended to include Palestinian universities”.

In a statement the university also said they would not “engage in any activities with Ben-Gurion University that have direct or indirect military implications.”

Ben-Gurion University has until the beginning of April 2011 to meet the demands.

Several notable South African academics and Archbishop Desmond Tutu had petitioned for UJ to terminate the relationship.

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