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30
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1987
Black Rule inevitable'
Says S. African Rabbi
DAVID FRIEDMAN
Washington — Israel's con-
tinued ties with the white
regime in South Africa could
in the long run endanger the
Jewish community, contends
a South African Orthodox
rabbi and mainstream Jewish
leader.
Selwyn Franklin, senior
rabbi of the Green and Sea
Point Hebrew Congregation
in Cape lbwn, explained in
an interview that it is "just a
matter of time" before the
black majority rules South
Africa.
"Therefore it is very impor-
tant to take into careful con-
sideration black attitudes
toward Jews," he stressed.
The 48-year-old Johan-
nesburg native was in the
United States and Canada to
seek support for an organiza-
tion he founded in 1984, Jews
for Justice, which he said is
part of the movement for a
democratic, non-racist society
in South Africa.
Franklin said that while he
and other Jews were active in
anti-apartheid organizations,
such as Black Sash and the
United Democratic Front,
they felt it was necessary to
create a specifically Jewish
group to educate the Jewish
community about the "true
facts."
Jews for Justice has about
1,000 members, evenly divid-
ed between Johannesburg
and Cape 'Ibwn, Franklin
said. But he added that it is
gaining wider support in the
Jewish community.
Franklin said that one of
Israel's reasons for maintain-
ing contacts with the regime
of President Pieter Botha is
concern for the large Jewish
community in South Africa.
He said this is a short-term,
not a long-term, view.
The soft-spoken rabbi ex-
plained that in his contacts
with black activists he finds
that the Israeli ties with the
Botha government are "alien-
ating the black community
from the Jewish people and
certainly from the cause of
Israel." This is happening
even though all black leaders
know that South African
Jews have been active in op-
posing apartheid from the
beginning.
Israel has always publicly
condemned apartheid and
last September adopted a
series of measures to end its
military ties with South
Africa and restrict commer-
cial activities.
But Franklin maintained
that black leaders view this
as "merely window dressing."
"We can't afford to have black
anger against the Jewish
community in South Africa,"
Franklin said. "Israel must
do more than just talking
about the fact that she op-
poses apartheid."
He said that Nobel peace
laureate Archbishop Des-
mond Tutu appeared at the
Jews for Justice's freedom
seder in Cape lbwia this year.
Tutu said that while he
recognizes Israel's need to
preserve its security and ter-
ritorial integrity, he could not
understand on moral grounds
how Israel could be involved
with South Africa.
Franklin said he was dis-
turbed by reports in the U.S.
Because of
government
misinformation,
Jews are afraid.
Jewish press that Tutu had
made anti-Semitic remarks.
He said Tutu denied this and
he knows Tutu is not anti-
Semitic.
Like all South African
whites, Jews are misinformed
about the situation in the
black townships, Franklin
said. He noted this is especial-
ly true since 1985, when the
Botha government imposed a
news blackout on anti-
government activities.
Franklin said that because
of misinformation by the
government, Jews are afraid,
and a community which was
once solidly for the liberal
Progressive Party is giving in-
creasing support to the
Afrikaner-dominated pro-
apartheid National Party.
Before 1948, the party barred
Jews from membership, but a
Jew was recently elected to
parliament as a represen-
tative of the National Party
for the first time.
Jews, like most South
African whites, have almost
no contacts with blacks, ex-
cept as domestics, Franklin
said. He said he hears from
people at Jews for Justice
meetings that they are lear-
ning for the first time of the
hardships being experienced
by blacks.
Franklin said he is rabbi of
the largest synagogue in the
southern hemisphere, a
member of the Cape Thwn
Beth Din, has been active in
Israeli affairs and was found-
Continued on Page 34