Graham's obsessed with me, please ignore him !

[Guest guest]

CAPE TOWN -- A Jewish minister in the South African government threw

 

his weight behind pressure for sanctions against Israel.

 

 

 

Water Affairs and Forestry Minister Ronnie Kasrils, joined a small street

protest in

 

Cape Town by Jews and Muslims opposed to the Israeli occupation of

 

Palestinian territories. " I am Jewish born. Since Israel purports to

 

speak and act in the name of Jews everywhere... we are saying: No, not

 

in my name. Never, " he said in an interview later.

 

 

 

Kasrils and Cape Town Jewish businessman Max Ozinsky launched a

 

petition last year distancing themselves from the actions of Prime

 

Minister Ariel Sharon and his government. On Tuesday, Kasrils said the

 

time had come for him to back calls for a boycott of Israeli goods and

 

the isolation of its government.

 

 

 

" People are saying that there should be boycotts, there should be

 

sanctions...I support the call now for the isolation and the boycott

 

of Israel. I support sanctions, " he said. " That is actually in the

 

interests of all the people -- Muslims, Jews and Christians -- in the

 

Middle East because the sooner we can stop this conflict... the sooner

 

we can get to negotiations, to a settlement for peace. "

 

 

 

Kasrils said he had received death threats and public abuse from Jews

 

since he began to speak out against Israel's actions. Jewish leaders

 

have disowned him.

 

 

 

" The Jewish community here has been brainwashed, " Kasrils said. " We

 

know the confined nature and the narrow point of view and the bigotry

 

of the established leadership of the Jewish people in this country, "

 

he said.

 

 

 

 

 

Mohamed S. Kamel

 

sherif

 

 

 

 

 

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