This Tuesday, November 21, the National Assembly of the African country voted in favor of breaking bilateral relations with Israel and closing its embassy in the country until a ceasefire is established in the Gaza Strip. Cyril Ramaphosa’s government has repeatedly criticized Israeli actions against Palestinian civilians. In the country, the Palestinian question is reminiscent of the ‘apartheid’ that South Africans faced between 1948 and 1994.
Tension between South Africa and Israel is increasing. This Tuesday, Israel decided to call its ambassador in the African country for “consultations,” while South Africa endorsed closing its embassy in the Jewish-majority country and definitively breaking diplomatic relations – until a ceasefire is reached.
The reason is none other than Israel’s action in the Gaza Strip, which President Cyril Ramaphosa has criticized since the beginning of the conflict with Hamas on October 7, which has already left more than 14,100 Palestinians dead.
“Following the latest statements from South Africa, the Israeli ambassador in Pretoria has been recalled to Jerusalem for consultations,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry published on Monday evening in X.
The National Assembly supported breaking ties with Israel with 248 votes in favor and 91 against. However, Ramaphosa’s Government is the one that has the final say on whether or not to apply this measure. Although his position on the matter, at least so far, seems quite clear.
During a virtual summit of the BRICS –Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa–, chaired by the South African president, the group denounced attacks against civilians in Palestine and Israel. Many went so far as to call the forced displacement of Palestinians, within Gaza or outside the territory, a “war crime.”
“We condemn any type of individual or mass forcible transfer and deportation of Palestinians from their own land (…) the forcible transfer and deportation of Palestinians, whether within Gaza or to neighboring countries, constitute serious violations of the Geneva conventions and crimes of war and violations of international humanitarian law,” Ramaphosa noted.
It is not the first time that the South African leader has made a request of this type. Last week South Africa, along with four other countries, called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Israel’s “war crimes” in Gaza in what Ramaphosa has called a “genocide.” According to the Government of Gaza, in the hands of Hamas, at least 5,840 minors have already died in the enclave due to attacks by the Israeli Army.
On Monday, South African Presidency Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni went a little further. She said that failure to pursue an ICC investigation against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be a “total failure” by the court.
Earlier this month, South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel and withdrew all its diplomatic staff.
The situation of the Palestinian people reopens the wounds of apartheid
South Africa’s position is not new, the country in the south of the continent has historically defended the so-called Palestinian cause. And the issue generates a lot of sensitivity among South Africans because it revives memories of their own fight against racial segregation during apartheid.
“As a people with our own painful history of discrimination, racism and prejudice, let us remember our personal duty to be tolerant and respectful of others,” Ramaphosa said in this regard.
As people with our own painful history of discrimination, racism and prejudice, let us remember our personal duty to be tolerant and respectful of others.
Let us promote dialogue and meaningful engagement so that, as South Africans, we may work together to support the… pic.twitter.com/ChRrEzcaq4
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) November 20, 2023
South African diplomats have repeatedly compared throughout the decades that this conflict has been active the similarity between the situation of the Palestinians under the “Israeli occupation” and that of the South Africans who lived through ‘apartheid’ between 1948 and 1994.
“The Palestinian narrative evokes experiences from South Africa’s own history of racial segregation and oppression. (…) As oppressed South Africans, we experience first-hand the effects of racial inequality, discrimination and denial, and we cannot stand idly by while another generation of Palestinians is left behind,” said Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and cooperation from South Africa, the July 26, 2022long before the Hamas attack on October 7.
He also denounced the death of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh at the hands of the Israeli Army and promised to promote the rights of the Palestinian population at the UN.
Contrasting positions in Africa
In Africa, not everyone has followed the same path as South Africa. Kenya, Zambia, Ghana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have aligned themselves with Israel’s position. Israel has managed to have a very important weight in the region, with the offer of cutting-edge technology or military assistance, among others.
Meanwhile, other countries such as Algeria have come out in favor of the Palestinian population. “Israel commits systematic genocide against defenseless civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories,” noted Abdelmadjid Tebboune, president of Algeria, on October 16.
In fact, after Iran, Algeria was the first country in showing support for the Palestinian Territories. The Muslim majority and Islam as a common religion solidifies the ties of both countries.
Although these two factors are not always synonymous with support. A clear case is Egypt, which despite being a neighbor and sharing religion and many cultural traits with the Palestinian Territories, has been in an “intermediate” position for decades, between support for Israel and Palestinian denunciation.
With EFE, AP and local media
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