JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (WJC)– A Muslim-owned company in Johannesburg has canceled an order placed by the South African Zionist Federation with comments saying: “Please don’t pay! Don’t contaminate our account with your blood money!” JTA reports that the organization had ordered conference bags from Saleys Travel Goods for a conference in March and had dealt with Saley’s several times in recent years. The order was confirmed by phone and in writing by fax, and Saleys sent an invoice for the goods.
The next day, however, the invoice again was faxed to the federation’s offices with lines drawn across it and the words “Order canceled by management.” A handwritten note above the cancellation notice read: “Sorry, we cannot supply you any of our goods as we don’t want or need your blood money! Please do not contact us anymore and remove all our contact details from your records and we will do likewise. We don’t want to aid and abet organizations that are responsible for crimes against humanity – Management.”
“We have never before been confronted with such naked hostility, such unbridled hatred, such disgusting slander and such overt anti-Semitic sentiment,” the federation said in a statement quoted by JTA. Saley’s refused any comment to JTA; an unnamed employee said most of the management was out participating in the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
Avrom Krengel, the Zionist Federation’s chairman, said the response by the wider public to the affair had been good. “It shows the way the vast majority of South Africans of whatever race or religion or political affiliation feel about it. They are quite appalled,” he said. E-mails of support have also come from the Muslim community, including editors of community publications and individuals. The Zionist Federation also had received offers from other suppliers, some of whom were prepared to donate the conference bags.
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Preceding provided by World Jewish Congress