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South Africa’s Top Cricket Body Knocks Back Jewish Community Concerns Over Removal of Jewish Player as Team Captain

South African U-19 star cricketer David Teeger. Photo: Screenshot

South African Jewish leaders on Tuesday encountered frustration after a meeting with Cricket South Africa (CSA) — the sport’s governing body in the country — failed to restore the captaincy of the U-19 national team to David Teeger, the Jewish player who was stripped of his role just one week before the commencement of the Cricket World Cup on Friday amid accusations of antisemitism.

At an online press conference, Prof. Karen Milner — the national chair of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) — relayed that the group’s meeting with CSA board chair Lawson Naidoo and other members of the executive over the decision had resulted in a stalemate, with virtually no points of mutual understanding between the two sides.

Teeger’s removal from the U-19 captaincy was the consequence, according to last week’s CSA statement, of its concern “that protests related to the war in Gaza can be anticipated at the venues for the tournament.”

It added that such protests would likely focus on Teeger — an observant Jew and resident of Johannesburg who made his professional cricket debut in 2023, scoring an impressive 51 runs for the South Africa Emerging Players side against North Cape. Teeger was only appointed to the captaincy of the U-19 team last month.

The targeting of Teeger could result “in conflict or even violence between rival groups of protesters,” CSA said. Invoking its “duty to safeguard the interests and safety of all those involved in the World Cup,” it said that Teeger had been “relieved of the captaincy … in the best interests of the players, the U-19 team, and David himself.” Teeger would “remain an important and active member of the team and we wish him and the team every success in the tournament,” CSA concluded.

Teeger first became a target for the vocal pro-Hamas movement in South Africa just weeks after the Oct. 7 pogrom in southern Israel. Receiving an award at a Jewish communal ceremony that same month, Teeger dedicated it to “the State of Israel and every single soldier fighting so that we can live and thrive in the diaspora.”

Despite the opprobrium these comments generated, an independent inquiry concluded that Teeger had not violated any of CSA’s rules or regulations with his comments, clearing his way to be appointed as captain.

At Tuesday’s press conference, Zev Krengel, SAJBD’s vice-president, insisted that CSA’s invocation of security concerns was a “ruse” to cover its determination to remove Teeger as team captain despite the inquiry’s findings. He asserted that CSA’s reasoning had continually shifted, with an initial focus on Teeger’s well-being. But after Teeger made clear his desire to remain as captain, CSA then raised the welfare of the team overall, going on to argue that there was a risk of violence between police and protesters at the World Cup in the event that he led the side.

Krengel also pointed out that CSA had initially said it had received a security report. However, when the SAJBD asked for a copy, they were told that the information had in fact been delivered as a “briefing.” When asked who had provided the briefing, CSA refused to answer.

“They tried to get David to step down voluntarily, saying ‘it’ll be hard for you.’ He refused and that’s when they stripped him,” Krengel said.

Krengel added that the decision was “pure antisemitism.”

“This smells of the 1936 Olympics” in Berlin, he said, referring to when two athletes from the US team, Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller, were abruptly withdrawn from the 4×100 meter relay on the official grounds that they were not fast enough, although the consensus among  historians is that they were replaced so as not to offend Nazi leader Adolf Hitler with the sight of Jewish athletes competing.

“When asked who gave the briefing they refused to tell us. They admit there’s no security report,” Krengel said. “So there’s only two options, antisemitism at CSA or massive political interference from the ANC.”

South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) has been one of the leaders of the political charge against Israel over the last three months, bringing a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing the Jewish state of committing “genocide” in its military response to the Oct. 7 atrocities perpetrated by Hamas.

Milner said that CSA had “found an excuse to exclude a young Jewish cricketer, to strip him of his honors in the most hurtful and humiliating way four days before the start of the tournament.” She reported that the meeting had closed with a CSA board member suggesting that they should “agree to disagree.”

“The SAJBD cannot agree to disagree when issues of antisemitism are at stake,” she stated. She added that the SAJBD would continue to demand Teeger’s reinstatement, emphasizing that there was “no way this can be resolved without that.” Separately, Krengel said that when he asked the CSA board whether they could agree that a Jew being removed from the captaincy was a “sad day” for South African cricket, his interlocutors again refused to answer.

Krengel said the SAJBD would now approach the International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport’s global governing body, to call out CSA’s act of “discrimination.”

“If the ICC does nothing about it, it will be a black mark against the ICC as the 1936 Olympics were a black mark for the International Olympic Committee,” he said.

However, the ICC on Tuesday said it was unable to step into the controversy.

“Team selection including captaincy is an issue for members and not the ICC,” a spokesperson said. “An international federation is not constituted to intervene in team selections.”

The post South Africa’s Top Cricket Body Knocks Back Jewish Community Concerns Over Removal of Jewish Player as Team Captain first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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After False Dawns, Gazans Hope Trump Will Force End to Two-Year-Old War

Palestinians walk past a residential building destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa

Exhausted Palestinians in Gaza clung to hopes on Saturday that US President Donald Trump would keep up pressure on Israel to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the entire population of more than two million.

Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump’s plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.

“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta, reacting to Hamas’ response and Trump’s intervention. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged, what is left? Nothing.”

GAZAN RESIDENT HOPES ‘WE WILL BE DONE WITH WARS’

Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: “We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive.

“Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough,” he told Reuters on a social media chat.

“God willing this will be the last war. We will hopefully be done with the wars,” said 59-year-old Ali Ahmad, speaking in one of the tented camps where most Palestinians now live.

“We urge all sides not to backtrack. Every day of delay costs lives in Gaza, it is not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman displaced with members of his family in central Gaza Strip.

After two previous ceasefires — one near the start of the war and another earlier this year — lasted only a few weeks, he said; “I am very optimistic this time, maybe Trump’s seeking to be remembered as a man of peace, will bring us real peace this time.”

RESIDENT WORRIES THAT NETANYAHU WILL ‘SABOTAGE’ DEAL

Some voiced hopes of returning to their homes, but the Israeli military issued a fresh warning to Gazans on Saturday to stay out of Gaza City, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone.”

Gazans have faced previous false dawns during the past two years, when Trump and others declared at several points during on-off negotiations between Hamas, Israel and Arab and US mediators that a deal was close, only for war to rage on.

“Will it happen? Can we trust Trump? Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide this time? He has always sabotaged everything and continued the war. I hope he ends it now,” said Aya, 31, who was displaced with her family to Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

She added: “Maybe there is a chance the war ends at October 7, two years after it began.”

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Mass Rally in Rome on Fourth Day of Italy’s Pro-Palestinian Protests

A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco

Large crowds assembled in central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists.

People holding banners and Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans, filed past the Colosseum, taking part in a march that organizers hoped would attract at least 1 million people.

“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilize individually,” Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, said. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”

Since Israel started blocking the flotilla late on Wednesday, protests have sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world, but in Italy they have been a daily occurrence, in multiple cities.

On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than 2 million, according to organizers. The interior ministry estimated attendance at around 400,000.

Italy’s right-wing government has been critical of the protests, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people would skip work for Gaza just as an excuse for a longer weekend break.

On Saturday, Meloni blamed protesters for insulting graffiti that appeared on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside Rome’s main train station, where Pro-Palestinian groups have been holding a protest picket.

“They say they are taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace. A shameful act committed by people blinded by ideology,” she said in a statement.

Israel launched its Gaza offensive after Hamas terrorists staged a cross border attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.

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Hamas Says It Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Gaza Plan

Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, and signaled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details.

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