Hajaig is in Japan at the moment. Since the speech on January 14 in Lenasia south of Johannesburg, she has however been asked repeatedly to apologise - and has yet to do so. An opposition party MP has called for her sacking if she doesn't apologise soon.
Her comments were made at rally in solidarity with Palestine on Wednesday 14 January, in the Indian town of Lenasia south of Johannesburg. She is said to have told the gathering:
,
''they (Jews) control America, no matter which government comes into power, whether Republican or Democratic, whether Barack Obama or George Bush...' "Their control of America, just like the control of most Western countries, is in the hands of Jewish money and if Jewish money controls their country then you cannot expect anything."
The SAJBD said it obtained the recording from local radio station,
Channel Islam International, which broadcast the event.
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Zev Krengel of the Jewish board of deputies said their decision to lodge this complaint was not taken lightly, and only after she had failed to apologise after repeated requests by local leaders to do so.
"There has not been any realistic alternative. Not since the era of pro-Nazi Nationalist MPs more than half a century ago had such statements been made against Jews by a senior (South African) government official."
Board director Wendy Kahn described the alleged comments as "classic anti-Jewish stereotyping and conspiracy-theory mongering". She said such comments were typically used by those seeking to portray Jews as scheming, manipulative and disloyal to the countries in which they lived.
"The Jewish community is outraged by such a public display of bigotry by a senior government representative. "As South African citizens, we cannot allow this kind of comment to be brought into this country."
The Indian community in South Africa to which the deputy-minister belongs, have often expressed such views towards the Jews. In fact the matter also troubled Mahatma Ghandi, the liberator of India, who wrote several letters to Hitler before the outbreak of WWII in which he tried to convert the Nazi leader to a non-violence course of action. Ghandi also described his friendship with South African Jews and after the war, wrote in his memoirs that the Nazis had embarked on an unprecedented campaign of hatred and annihilation of the Jews of Germany which had never been seen in the world before.See Mahatma Ghandi on the Jews and on Hitler
here
For a brief history of South Africa's Jewry
see
Foreign affairs spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa, asked to comment, said he was 'unaware of the Board's complaint.' When asked if the department would investigate the allegations, Mamoepa responded by saying Hajaig was in Japan at the moment, attending the SA-Japan Partnership Forum.
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However, he added, 'the SA government of which Hajaig is a member has committed itself to fighting all forms of racism in all its manifestations, including anti-semitism.'
The third-largest opposition Democratic Alliance party has called for Hajaig to be sacked if she did not offer an immediate public apology. DA MP Tony Leon said 'it was incumbent upon Hajaig to immediately apologise to the people of South Africa in general, the Jewish community in particular, and to US President Barack Obama.'
"In this regard, it is telling that more than two weeks after she was requested to apologise by, amongst others, Zachie Achmat, (of the Treatment Action Campaign) Nathan Geffen, and Guy Berger, she has still not seen fit to do so. "This makes it clear that she feels absolutely no contrition, nor believes her comments to have been offensive."
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