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NEWS
President Zuma Calls on Jewish South Africans to Come Home
By R. Hoffner
In a speech to ranking Jewish leaders South African President Jacob Zuma called on Jewish expatriates to return to the country, according to a JTA report. Commenting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict he said he supports the "two states for two people" plan to put an end to the occupation that began in 1967.
"We will continue to offer whatever assistance we can towards the resolution of this matter, including sharing our experience in ending apartheid through negotiation," Zuma said. "In this respect, we would like to work together with the South African Jewish community."
Speaking to the 54th national conference of the Jewish Board of Deputies, the umbrella organization for the country's community leaders, Zuma spoke about the need to reverse the emigration of skilled South Africans. "The message we want to send to people who have left the country to live and work abroad is that South Africa will always remain their home and I will always welcome whatever contribution they can make to building this nation," he said.
"As president, I regard as one of my duties the need to preserve the unity of this nation, and to cultivate its diversity," Zuma continued. "We must remain on guard against any manifestations of antisemitism and other intolerance. There is no place in South Africa for racism, tribalism, antisemitism and xenophobia."
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