Iqbal Jassat’s letter of 1 April in the Sunday Independent refers.
Once again he is stuck with the tiresome formulae involving “Israeli-inspired frenzy,” “Israeli-manipulated economic sabotage” and “American/Israeli interests intent on undermining South Africa’s legitimate trade ties with Iran.”
If his dearest wishes come true and Israel ceases to exist, then what will the poor man have to foam at the mouth about?
Yet his line of thinking, I won’t say reasoning, demands comment. His argument appears to be that as long as our economy benefits and jobs are created, we should cheerfully do business with the devil himself and ignore the moral imperatives that prompt the civilised world to sanction Iran.
I am sure that Mr. Iqbal Jassat is not a Catholic and yet he appears to worship the Trinity – Pounds, Shillings and Pence. He brings to mind an apparently true story written by Pierre van Paassen ( I think) and that dates back to the First World War.
The British arms manufacturer Vickers Armstrong invented a special fuse for artillery shells and patented it. The German armaments giant, Krupp, bought the manufacturing rights to this patent on a commission basis. Then, thank heaven, the First World War began and everybody was in business.
Germany used those fuses by the million against British, British allied, French and French colonial, Russian and American troops. Being men of honour the Germans regularly paid the commission owed to Vickers Armstrong via neutral countries right through the war. I am sure that the accountants at Vickers Armstrong even learned to say: “Danke schon!” (Thank you!)
After the war, when the figures could be calculated, it was estimated that Germany’s Krupp paid Britain’s Vickers Armstrong nineteen pence for every British soldier killed in that terrible war.
So what is wrong with that? It makes sound business sense. Just ask Mr. Jassat.
Media Team Israel 