Tim Flack: Pick n Pay Norwood’s passover display wasn’t “Zionist propaganda.” It was about respecting Jewish South Africans

Key topics:Passover display was about religion, not political propagandaProtest targeted Jewish identity, not Israeli policyAll faiths deserve equal respect in public, including Judaism .Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..By Tim Flack.Let’s be clear. I am not Jewish, but ill be dammed if I stand and let this disgusting display of antisemitic garbage slip.This wasn’t about politics. It wasn’t about genocide. It wasn’t a covert campaign to turn a grocery store into a political battleground. It was about matzah, kosher grape juice, and the upcoming Jewish holiday of Passover. That’s all.The in-store protest that took place at Pick n Pay Norwood on 11 April wasn’t a show of “bravery” or “truth-telling.” It was targeted harassment, designed to intimidate Jewish shoppers during one of the most sacred times on the Jewish calendar. The kosher section featured a simple display for Passover, food items that are entirely standard in kosher aisles around the world. It also included symbols of Jewish identity, such as the color blue, specifically tekhelet, which holds deep spiritual meaning in Judaism. I won’t waste time unpacking its significance here, because frankly, most of the protestors wouldn’t care to understand. Alongside it was the Star of David, a universal symbol of Jewish heritage and faith. Apparently, that was too much for a group of activists who decided that even basic religious expression now qualifies as political provocation.Let’s talk about that.The Star of David is not a “Zionist logo.” It is a Jewish symbol of identity, heritage, and survival. It predates the modern State of Israel by centuries. You will find it on synagogues, tombstones, prayer books, and homes across the globe. Treating it as offensive or inflammatory is not criticism of Israel. It is an attack on Jewish religious identity itself.Pick n Pay stocks products in its kosher section because Jewish customers request them and buy them. That is how commerce works. Jewish South Africans, like everyone else, have the right to observe their religious traditions and dietary laws without fear of harassment. Norwood, in particular, has a large and deeply rooted Jewish community. For them, these products are not foreign. They are familiar, culturally significant, and essential during festivals like Passover.We live in a multicultural society. Every major retailer in South Africa stocks Halaal-certified food. Entire aisles are dedicated to it, nearly every single product. Ramadan is marked with banners and special promotions. There are Diwali specials, Easter discounts, and Christmas decorations in every mall. Nobody bats an eye. Nor should they.So why is it only a problem when Jews are acknowledged?You don’t see groups protesting hot cross buns or demanding the removal of Halaal symbols. You don’t see Easter egg hunts being labelled “Christian supremacy.” But the moment the Jewish community is visibly recognised, we suddenly hear screams of “apartheid” and “genocide.” The hypocrisy is stunning.If this were any other religious group, the reaction would have been outrage. If someone walked into a store during Ramadan, tore down a banner, and accused Muslims of terrorism, they would be arrested. Yet when Jewish people are targeted, it’s spun as “activism” and posted proudly online.Let’s not pretend this was some profound act of moral courage. It was a tantrum by the same uneducated, pathetic ilk who treat social media outrage as activism and confuse religious expression with political offense. These are not freedom fighters. They are opportunists. They chase clout, not justice, and they lack even the basic historical literacy to distinguish between Judaism, Zionism, and Israeli policy. Their understanding of the Middle East fits neatly into a TikTok caption. Yet they feel entitled to dictate what Jewish people in South Africa can buy, eat, or celebrate.BDS and its partner organisations claim to stand for human rights. But their tactics betray that claim. They are not pushing for peace or co-existence. They are singling out Jewish life for disruption, confrontation, and exclusion. And they are doing it under the pretence of “justice.”This is not a call for political neutrality. People are entitled to disagree on the Israel-Palestine conflict. They can march, lobby, petition, and protest. That is their democratic right. But there is a line between protest and prejudice. That line was crossed at Pick n Pay Norwood.The South African Jewish Board of Deputies is absolutely right to demand an apology. Not because they want special treatment, but because they are entitled to the same dignity and religious freedom as every other community in this country. No group should have to justify the presence of its faith symbols in public spaces. No child shopping for Passover food with their parents should be confronted by strangers yelling about genocide.The reality is simple. If you have a problem with a country’s policies, you take it up with that country’s government. You do not take it out on your Jewish neighbours. You do not target their stores, their food, or their symbols. That is not justice. That is discrimination.South Africa is better than this. We fought too hard to become a society that respects religious and cultural diversity to let this kind of bigotry go unchecked. Pick n Pay has an opportunity to correct its course, and Pick n Pay, you better do it fast. Apologise. Reaffirm your commitment to all your customers. And make it clear that your stores are places of inclusion, not intimidation.Because today it was the Jews. Tomorrow, it could be anyone.

Tim Flack: Pick n Pay Norwood’s passover display wasn’t “Zionist propaganda.” It was about respecting Jewish South Africans

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