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Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng.
Alet Pretorius, Gallo Images
- The African Christian Democratic Party is organizing a picket in support of Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng.
- Party inAdder Kenneth Meshoe says Mogoeng’s comments about Israel amounted to religious freedom.
- Mogoeng is appealing the Judicial Conduct Committee’s ruling, in terms of which he was ordered to apologize for the comments.
The leader of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), the Rev. Kenneth Meshoe, says that whistleblowers related to Supreme Court Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng’s comments on Israel trample on his religious freedom.
On Monday morning, the party picketed the Constitutional Court in support of Mogoeng after the Judicial Conduct Committee (JCC) ordered him to retract his comments and apologize.
During a webinar hosted by The Jerusalem Post last year, Mogoeng quoted the Bible and said he was praying for Israel. He promised his love for the country.
But Africa4Palestine, the SA BDS Coalition and the Women’s Cultural Group filed complaints with the JCC, saying their comments were a political statement.
He was found guilty and ordered to apologize.
Since then, the president of the Supreme Court appealed the decision.
Meshoe told News24 that Mogoeng was exercising his right to faith and religion and did not violate any laws.
“What happened to him is an injustice. When a person acts in his constitutional right and other people say he is wrong they need to explain why. Those who say he violated the Code of Judicial Conduct must show us if his code is above the South African Constitution “.
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He said that Mogoeng, like other Christians, received instructions from the Bible to always pray for peace in Israel.
“As religious people, the Bible instructs us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. If he does what the Bible instructs us and then goes on and says, ‘I love the Jews, I love the Palestinians, and I love everyone,’ what’s wrong with that? “
OPINION | Mogoeng’s apology: criticizing Israel is not anti-Christian
He said that a distinction must be made between the Israeli government and the religious nation.
“There are many people in the world who love South Africa but they don’t like what the South African government is doing. I love Israel but I don’t like what the Israeli government is doing. People should be able to make a difference. One government and one nation are different. “
Meshoe added that he was “one of the few courageous voices” and that he made public statements against the “annihilation of Israel.”
“The Palestinian letter, to this day, says that Israel must be eliminated from the face of the earth. But we refuse. How can you eliminate another nation from the face of the earth? Who are you?”
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