Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News, 2014-08-15

Cosatu’s Tony Ehrenreich has stood by a controversial Facebook posting, in which he called for “eye for an eye” retaliation against Israel for its action in Gaza

The provincial secretary in the Western Cape is in hot water after being accused of hate speech against Jews in the social media posting that has caused a storm of controversy.

Ehrenreich has taken to Facebook accusing the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) of condoning the killings of Palestinians in Gaza.

He accused the SAJBD of arranging gatherings to pledge allegiance to the killing of Palestinians and therefore to being complicit in the murder of the people in Gaza.

Ehrenreich wrote: “The time has come to say very clearly that if a woman or child is killed in Gaza, than the Jewish Board of Deputies, who are complicit, will feel the wrath of the people of SA with the age old biblical teaching of an eye for an eye. The time has come for the conflict to be waged everywhere the Zionist supporters fund and condone the war killing machine of Israel.”

The SAJBD has condemned the comments as hate speech said it will lay civil and criminal charges against the Cosatu provincial leader for inciting violence against Jews.

The SAJBD also plans to lay a complaint with the Human Rights Commission.

Ehrenreich maintains he is against violence and not anti-Semitic and said his post is aimed in encouraging more decisive action against those who support Israel’s action in the Gaza conflict.

(Twitter: @Faizie143)