In an extraordinary press release issued on behalf of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), Bongani Masuku — convicted of hate speech for his anti-semitic outbursts — has called on the South African government to sever all ties with countries which violate human rights.

He writes: “It is our firm belief that having ties, any ties, with a country in violation of international law and abuse of human rights is unacceptable.”

He further clearly states COSATU’s opposition to anti-Semitism, writing “To be against the policies of the Israeli government is not to be anti-Jewish. To be in solidarity with the Palestinians is not to be anti-Jewish. In fact, COSATU condemns all forms of racism including anti-Semitism, xenophobia and apartheid.”

And yet the only country that COSATU seems to want to sever all ties with is the Jewish state of Israel.

Just in case anyone suspected Masuku of softening his anti-Jewish rhetoric, he actually ramps it up in the press release, raising the spectre of Jewish power and influence that must be stood up to.

He writes, “It must be made clear to everyone, particularly the Israeli Ambassador in South Africa, the South African Zionist Federation, and the South African Board of Jewish Deputies that South Africa`s Foreign Policy is not accountable to them or even worse the apartheid state of Israel.”

He writes that COSATU and the ANC should continue to bravely stand up to the Jewish state “despite coming under extreme pressure from the Israeli lobby and its supporters”.

He adds: “COSATU condemns the ways in which Israeli supporters and Israeli government officials … is making our criticism of Israel, our boycotts of that regime and our solidarity with the Palestinians as an anti-Jewish policy.”  Which of course it is not, he insists.