South African Zionist Federation’s Petition to the Judicial Conduct Committee

 

The South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) has lodged a complaint with the Judicial Conduct Committee (JCC) against retired judge, Siraj Desai, over an alleged breach of the Code of Judicial Conduct. The SAZF has supposedly taken umbrage at Judge Desai for allegedly undermining the integrity of ‘a world-renowned peacemaker’ like President Mandela. Ironically it is this very peacemaker who publically affirmed that freedom in South Africa will remain incomplete as long as Palestine is not free. He said: “But we know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.” (4 December 1997) It seems strange that SAZF would come to the defence of a leader whose views on Palestine happen to be antithetical to Zionist dogma!

 

The SAZF further accuses the retired judge of “Using the prestige of the judicial office to publicly promote an extremist organisation. How then does SAZF reconcile the statements of the Chief Justice in support of Israel made during a webinar hosted by a right-wing Israeli newspaper, with its complaint against Judge Desai? The SAZF came out in defence of the Chief Justice saying that: “Mogoeng should never be silenced by intimidatory exploits…”

 

Do the statements of the Chief Justice not undermine the prestige of his office? Does his support for Israel not endorse colonialization, occupation and support for two legal systems for two ethnic groups? When an Israeli Jew and an Arab commit the exact same crime in the West Bank, why is it that the Jew will face a civil court, while the Arab, a military court? Does his stance not endorse the routine indignities of occupation which are part of daily life for Palestinians at the hands of terrorists?

 

This display of selective morality smacks of abject opportunism. Petitioning the Judicial Conduct Committee for abusing the ‘privilege of office’ is certainly rich coming from an entity which supports the daily abuse of privilege in Occupied Palestine.

 

Issued by:

Y Patel (Moulana)
UUCSA Secretary General

16 June 2021