You can contact StopTheJNF South Africa by emailing us at stopthejnf.rsa@gmail.com
Also, find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/StopTheJnfSouthAfrica or Twitter www.twitter.com/StoptheJNFSA
>>> OUR M&G STATEMENT: "As Jews, with our own painful history..." <<<
Also, find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/StopTheJnfSouthAfrica or Twitter www.twitter.com/StoptheJNFSA
>>> OUR M&G STATEMENT: "As Jews, with our own painful history..." <<<
>> STOP REGGIES’ SUPPORT FOR THE RACIST JEWISH NATIONAL FUND
The South African toy store “Reggies” is knowingly sponsoring the Israeli para-statal organisation, the Jewish National Fund (JNF), which is directly involved in the forced removal and dispossession of the indigenous Palestinian people.
Despite numerous appeals to the director of Reggies, Mr Issy Zimmerman (who also owns the South African franchise of Toys’R’us) explaining and detailing the complicity of the JNF in Israeli human rights abuses, he not only refused to end his involvement with the JNF (a recipient of Reggies’ financial support) but threatened that he would intensify it!
In response, a group of concerned Jewish South Africans (who do not identify with the JNF nor Israel’s racist policies) spearheaded the creation of a local chapter of the international campaign called "Stop the JNF" (www.stopthejnf.org), which has now gained countrywide and broad-based support.
- Letters of support to Reggies for ending Israeli Relations
- Photos from national day of action against Reggies Toy Store
- YouTube TV Coverage of national day of action against Reggies Toy Store
- Press release2 after national day of action against Reggies Toy Store
- Press release1 on national day of action against Reggies
- Pamphlet on the JNF and Reggies Toy Store
- Mail&Guardian article exposing JNF's complicity in human rights abuses
>> UPROOT THE JNF AND ITS GREENWASHING
The JNF tries to potrays itself as a "green" organisation but at the same time it is involved in human rights abuses against the Palestinian people - including house demolitions and forced removals. Click here to find out more about the JNF and its Greenwashing
ABOUT THE JNF
The Jewish National Fund (JNF) was established in 1901 with the specific aim of acquiring land in Palestine for the “exclusive use” of persons of Jewish “faith”, “race” or “ancestry” only. The JNF has exercised that function by driving indigenous Palestinians from their homes and off their ancestral lands to make way for Jewish only areas. The JNF has, since its inception, committed many human rights abuses including:
Given our history in South Africa we find the current “Judaisation” (to borrow a term from the Israeli government), which entails the expulsion of Palestinian from their villages to make way for Israeli Jewish-only areas, to be inexcusable. Illegal evictions and mass displacement of people is still fresh in our memories. We insist that Reggies must have no relationship with these practices and immediately end its support for the JNF.
- The historic and on-going displacement of indigenous Palestinians from their land;
- The theft of Palestinian property;
- The concealment of Israeli-destroyed Palestinian villages by building parks and forests over them;
- The funding of ethnically exclusive Israeli settlements solely for Jewish people;
- The destruction of the natural environment by, for example, the extensive planting of pine trees and other non-indigenous species and, in so doing, killing off the natural habitat and laying the ground for devastating fires.
Given our history in South Africa we find the current “Judaisation” (to borrow a term from the Israeli government), which entails the expulsion of Palestinian from their villages to make way for Israeli Jewish-only areas, to be inexcusable. Illegal evictions and mass displacement of people is still fresh in our memories. We insist that Reggies must have no relationship with these practices and immediately end its support for the JNF.
- Israeli author, Uri Davis, in the well-known book "Apartheid Israel" (Zed Books, London, 1987) notes: "the JNF is one of the most significant enabling institutions for Israel’s segregation policies. Today, the JNF controls vast properties belonging to millions of Palestinians, developing them exclusively for persons of “Jewish nationality,” a concept established and promoted in the JNF’s charter to exclude all others."
- In 1953, the Israeli parliament legislated special status to the JNF enabling it to carry out governmental functions as a Zionist institution (and for Jews only). This enabled the Israeli state to wash its hands of ensuring the rights of all citizens by transferring authority of the land to the discriminatory JNF.
- The JNF directly controls 13% of all Israeli Land, approximately 78% of its current holdings belong to (or, rather, were taken from) Palestinian refugees.
- Since 1953 the JNF has operated as a para-statal and appoints nearly half the board of the Israel Land Authority (ILA). The ILA then manages both the JNF’s 13% and an additional 80% of all land in the State of Israel. The JNF and the ILA thus control 93% of the total land in Israel. It is through this relationship with the JNF that the Israeli state outsources its discriminatory policies that contribute to the institutionalisation of racially segregated towns and villages throughout the Israeli state and ensures Israel’s apartheid policies.
ABOUT STOPTHEJNF
StopTheJNF is an international campaign aimed at ending the role of the Jewish National
Fund (the racist organization that Reggies has knowingly partnered with).
- The JNF has been consistently condemned by progressive Jews and Israelis who are opposed to Israel’s racist policies (including Professors Ilan Pappe and Uri Davis) and other justice-loving peoples.
- In 2010 the JNF tried to associate itself with Greenpeace. This backfired. Greenpeace (South Africa) responded saying that the JNF claims: “misrepresents any linkages between … Greenpeace, as there is no formal linkage between the organisations.”
- Human Rights workers in the United States (US) have launched an application with the US Internal Revenue Services to immediately investigate and revoke the JNF's charity status. They contest: “the JNF funds activities that are both contrary to the public policy of the United States and inconsistent with activities of a charitable or environmental organization.”
- Earlier this year, Friends of the Earth (FoE) in Scotland fully endorsed the StopTheJNF campaign.
- In February, the legendary folksinger, Pete Seeger, publicly distanced himself from the JNF.
- A few months ago British Prime Minister, David Cameron, withdrew his patron status from the JNF.
- This was followed by the Scottish Green Party’s rejection of the JNF's claims of being a "green" organization.
- Earlier this year Canadian students protested against the JNF at Carleton University, similar protests against the JNF followed in Berlin and other cities
- JNF UK, it was reported in October 2012, has suffered a massive drop in donations, with voluntary income plummeting by more than half from 2010 to 2011, due to active StopTheJNF campaigning.
StopTheJNF is an international campaign aimed at ending the role of the Jewish National
Fund (the racist organization that Reggies has knowingly partnered with).
- The JNF has been consistently condemned by progressive Jews and Israelis who are opposed to Israel’s racist policies (including Professors Ilan Pappe and Uri Davis) and other justice-loving peoples.
- In 2010 the JNF tried to associate itself with Greenpeace. This backfired. Greenpeace (South Africa) responded saying that the JNF claims: “misrepresents any linkages between … Greenpeace, as there is no formal linkage between the organisations.”
- Human Rights workers in the United States (US) have launched an application with the US Internal Revenue Services to immediately investigate and revoke the JNF's charity status. They contest: “the JNF funds activities that are both contrary to the public policy of the United States and inconsistent with activities of a charitable or environmental organization.”
- Earlier this year, Friends of the Earth (FoE) in Scotland fully endorsed the StopTheJNF campaign.
- In February, the legendary folksinger, Pete Seeger, publicly distanced himself from the JNF.
- A few months ago British Prime Minister, David Cameron, withdrew his patron status from the JNF.
- This was followed by the Scottish Green Party’s rejection of the JNF's claims of being a "green" organization.
- Earlier this year Canadian students protested against the JNF at Carleton University, similar protests against the JNF followed in Berlin and other cities
- JNF UK, it was reported in October 2012, has suffered a massive drop in donations, with voluntary income plummeting by more than half from 2010 to 2011, due to active StopTheJNF campaigning.