Imtiaz Sooliman criticizes reports about terrorism financing by Gift of the Givers

Gift of the Givers founder Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman has hit back at allegations that his organization is financing terrorism.

This comes after a Jewish human rights lawyer claimed in an open letter that Gift of the Givers donates money to groups blacklisted by the US government as terrorist organizations.

Objection

Lawrence Nowosenetz, former chairman of the Jewish Board of Deputies, objected to the Helen Suzman Foundation’s invitation to Sooliman to deliver the Helen Suzman memorial lecture in two weeks.

Nowosenetz, who now lives in Tel Aviv, said in a letter published in The Times of Israel that Suzman was a strong supporter of Israel and claimed that inviting Sooliman contradicted the former Progressive Federal Party MP’s liberal values .

“Not so long ago, I might have joined you in celebrating this decision and event, believing him to be a majestic humanitarian of global proportions.

“However, more and more unpalatable information has come to my attention, which I am obliged to bring up with you, which throws a very different light on the personality of Dr. Sooliman, who we all think we know,” Nowosenetz claimed.

The citizen contacted the Helen Suzman Foundation for comment. This will be included in the story upon receipt.

Nowosenetz claimed that Gift of the Givers was the second NPO founded by Sooliman, the first being the South African branch of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Al Aqsa Foundation, founded in 1991, which was “dedicated to “the destruction of Israel.”

He stated that although Sooliman had distanced himself from the Al Aqsa Foundation, he continued to make donations to them and to the Union of Good, which was blacklisted by the US Treasury Department in 2008.

“This means that Gift of the Givers can finance Hamas directly or indirectly,” he wrote.

Nowosenetz’s attack on Gift of the Givers comes after Sooliman was honored with the All Africa Business Leaders award as Philanthropist of the Year.

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Responsibility

Sooliman said The citizen Gift of the Givers could be responsible for every cent it received and donated.

“I have only one request to those making the accusations: please provide irrefutable proof of our terrorist activities. Take it to the SAPS, SIU, Hawks, NPA, State Security, Dirco, Reserve Bank, Standard Bank (these are our bankers), Standard Chartered in the US with which we do our foreign currency transactions), banks in Israel with which we finance projects in Palestine.

“Let us be indicted, then announce it to the local and international media and expose us,” Sooliman said.

Support for Palestine

Sooliman added that he has never hidden his support for the Palestinians.

“Gift of the Givers fully supports, endorses and acknowledges South Africa’s additional submission to the International Court of Justice on Monday, October 28 against Israel.

“We call on South Africans to support humanity, justice and truth, to present themselves at the Cape High Court on Monday 28 October between 8am and 9am to show their support, solidarity and recognition, not that the truth has any support needs. The truth spreads itself. The divine command is very clear. The truth has arrived and the untruth has disappeared,” Sooliman said.

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Attack on the gift of the givers

Sooliman said he “absolutely loves what has been written about him.”

“It clearly shows that the Zionists are disintegrating into a sea of ​​chaos and confusion, running out of ideas and strategies.

“The world knows that Israel is the baby killers, the killers of innocent civilians, journalists, health workers and humanitarian workers,” Sooliman said.

Sooliman said the attack on the Gift of the Givers began shortly after President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke out strongly on the conflict in the Middle East during his speech at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

‘Unabated violence’

Ramaphosa joined calls for urgent reform of the UN Security Council, which he said has remained “largely unchanged” in the 78 years since its creation.

Citing the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which has claimed more than 42,000 lives, created a humanitarian crisis and displaced Gaza’s entire 2.3 million residents, Ramaphosa said the ongoing violence “should shock our collective humanity.” .

“The violence the Palestinian people are subjected to is a grim continuation of more than half a century of apartheid. We South Africans know what apartheid looks like. We have experienced it. We suffered and died. We will not remain silent and watch apartheid being perpetrated against others. Through the UN and the instruments it uses, we must put an end to suffering.”

Support BRICS countries

Last week, Ramaphosa said at the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit in Kazan, Russia, that the BRICS countries have given their support to South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice ( ICJ). .

“They all welcomed the position that South Africa has taken on Palestine.”

Ramaphosa said the world cannot afford a regional escalation of the conflict, which has been raging for more than a year.

The president said he has informed the BRICS countries that South Africa will file its full genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in a few days.

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SA ICJ case

South Africa filed its case with the International Court of Justice in late 2023, accusing Israel of failing to fulfill its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention.

In January, the International Court of Justice determined that genocidal attacks may be taking place in Gaza and ordered Israel to take measures to prevent genocide against Palestinians in the region.

However, Israel refused to follow the court’s order.

Israel challenging

In March, the International Court of Justice again agreed with South Africa’s claim that the situation in Gaza has deteriorated significantly since the original January 26 order.

The UN’s highest court granted South Africa’s urgent request to enforce additional emergency measures against Israel, accusing the country of violating existing orders and causing irreparable damage to the rights Pretoria had invoked under the Genocide Convention of 1948 regarding the ongoing siege of Gaza.

In May, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to immediately halt its attacks in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The decision marked the third time this year that the 15-judge panel has issued interim orders aimed at reducing the death toll and easing humanitarian suffering in Gaza.

Several countries, including Türkiye, Nicaragua, Palestine, Spain, Mexico, Libya and Colombia, have all joined the case, which began public hearings in January.

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