WATCH: Tearful Shashi Naidoo apologises, vows to visit Gaza
Television presenter and model Shashi Naidoo says she will visit Gaza to re-educate herself about the conflict between Palestinians and Israel.
Naidoo landed herself in hot water after she posted a picture of Nkosinathi Maphumulo, better known as DJ Black Coffee, performing in Israel on her Instagram page.
In response to the backlash the post received, she labeled Gaza 'a sh*t hole'.
Naidoo told a media briefing in Johannesburg the comments were written by a friend since she doesn’t know enough about the Israel and Palestinian conflict.
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She has since apologised and reached out to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Naidoo addressed the briefing alongside BDS activists on Wednesday.
“Look, I have made a very public apology and part of it was to educate myself and re-educate myself. I approached them myself and this does not mean I am radicalising myself to either side. I see this a humanitarian issue and I have been disappointed in myself for not knowing and being fully aware of what is happening in Gaza,” she said.
Naidoo also revealed that she continues receiving death threats but has decided to not focus on what she called the negativity.
But the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) and the SA Zionist Federation believe Naidoo had been bullied into making the decision.
“We have reached out to her and would love to engage with her to discuss all her issues, she says she wants to be re-educated which is a really problematic term because it sounds like she is being bullied into changing her position, we believe in dialogue,” said the federation’s Rowan Polovin.