In what is believed to have been a politically motivated
attack, the Johannesburg offices of the Israeli National
shipping company, Zim Shipping, were severely damaged in a
petrol bomb attack carried out in the early hours of Shabbos
Behaalosecha. Three petrol bombs were thrown into the
offices of Polaris Shipping, the representative office of
Zim Shipping in South Africa.
The petrol bombing came less than 24 hours after a pipe bomb
containing screws and nails was placed in the Polaris
offices. The pipe bomb, which was found to be similar to
bombs found in Israel and the Palestinian Authority, failed
to explode and was discovered by a gardener.
While no group has to date claimed responsibility for the
attack and the possibility of its being linked to a possible
internal dispute within Polaris has not been discounted, the
fact that civilians were initially targeted is thought to
indicate a political motive. In addition, the pipe bomb was
found the same day that a protest gathering by the
Palestinian Solidarity Committee took place outside the
offices of the Israeli Trade Commission in Johannesburg.
The Palestinian Solidarity Committee is regarded as a front
for Islamic militants and has organized a number of anti-
Israel meetings in Johannesburg and Pretoria since the
violence erupted in Israel last September. The recent
gathering, however, was very poorly attended.
Unlike Cape Town, Johannesburg does not have a history of
terrorist attacks by Muslim militant groups.
The South African Jewish Board of Deputies, reacting to
media speculation that the attack was linked with the Middle
East crisis, spoke out strongly against any attempt by
militants to import a foreign war to South Africa. It
further called on the authorities to make every effort to
monitor the situation and preempt possible acts of violence.
