South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel two weeks ago to condemn the “violent aggression carried out by Israeli armed forces along the Gaza border.” Hamas, however, soon admitted that 50 of the 62 Palestinians killed were members of the organization, upending South Africa’s premature claim that more than 40 were civilians.
At first, it may seem strange that South Africa is so deeply committed to defending the actions of an unrepentant, anti-Semitic terrorist organization, given its own struggle to overcome the violent racism of the apartheid regime. Take a closer look, however, and it becomes clear that the African National Congress (ANC), which has won every national election since the fall of apartheid, has long been incapable of recognizing that Israel is often the victim of hate-fueled violence.
Instead, the party and its leaders misuse their anti-racist credentials to accuse Israel of apartheid—a characterization that is wildly off the mark because Israel’s policies reflect an imperative to protect its citizens from persistent terrorist violence, not a drive to implement racial segregation.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has only been in office for three months, but his record on this issue predates his time in office. Last October, while serving as deputy president, Ramaphosa accused Israel of “gross apartheid,” adding that his position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is “cast in stone.” His predecessor Jacob Zuma hosted a delegation from Hamas, including then-leader Khaled Mashaal, in October 2015. Zuma also temporarily recalled the ambassador to Israel in 2010, and pressured ANC and opposition leaders to abstain from traveling to Israel.
The ANC has demonstrated institutional hostility toward Israel. In December 2017, the ANC passed a resolution to downgrade South Africa’s embassy in Israel. In its recent statement on Gaza, the ANC condemned Israel’s “massacre of peaceful Palestinian protestors,” adding it could hardly believe that a people who suffered under Hitler’s anti-Semitism now “exhibit the same cruelty less than a century later.” The ANC extended its condemnation to America, alleging that President Trump’s congratulatory remarks on the opening of the Israeli embassy “amidst the bloodshed in Gaza” demonstrates his “callousness.” Previously, the ANC signed a statement that called for “isolating Israel as a state founded on the basis of apartheid.”
History explains some of the ANC’s animosity toward the Jewish state. Although Israel was an early critic of South African apartheid, military and commercial ties between Israel and the apartheid regime expanded in the 70s and 80s. Israel was not alone in trading with apartheid South Africa; however, this remained a source of mistrust and anger for many in the ANC. As a result, or at least in part, the party has chosen sides. Ramaphosa notes, “We have always stood by the side of the Palestinian struggle as they stood by our side.”
In supporting Hamas, however, South Africa is closing its eyes to Hamas’s betrayal of the non-violent principles advocated by Nelson Mandela. Moreover, it is the virulent anti-Semitism of Hamas that truly resembles the racist doctrine of the apartheid regime.
For Israel, the price of South African hostility is not merely rhetorical. While Israel works to build strong relationships on the African continent, South Africa has undermined those efforts. In 2017, Israel announced plans to open a new embassy in Rwanda, joined a U.S. effort to provide electricity to tens of millions of Africans, and held meetings in Kenya with 11 African leaders who seek to benefit from Israeli technology, innovation, and investment. However, South African pressure led to the cancelation of an Israel-Africa summit that year.
South Africa is also a leading proponent of the BDS campaign—a somewhat recent addition to the longstanding effort to boycott, divest, and sanction Israel.
The ANC adopted BDS as official party policy in 2012. That movement can be traced to the 2001 World Conference against Racism (WCAR), held in Durban, South Africa, and the NGO Forum held parallel to the main conference, which revived the anti-Semitic canard that Zionism is racism, and gave birth to BDS.
The commitment to BDS runs so deep that South African officials are prepared to impose hardship on their own citizens to advance the movement’s goals. Even though Cape Town, South Africa’s most populous city, is facing a severe water crisis, South Africa has rejected Israeli offers of assistance, including a canceled 2016 water summit. Israel is a world leader in water solutions, including desalinization and drip irrigation. Despite Israel’s offer to provide its expertise, in March 2017, South African Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane, an ANC member, accused Israel of “water apartheid” and endorsed BDS.
When an ambassador to South Africa is appointed, and when U.S. leaders meet with their South African counterparts, they should press for an end to Pretoria’s relations with Hamas and an end to the ANC’s defamatory statements about Israel, including accusations of apartheid. They should also remind South African leaders that U.S. law is unwavering in its opposition to BDS. This could have a deleterious effect on a future bilateral free trade agreement with the United States.
The success of the struggle against apartheid remains an inspiration for human rights advocates worldwide. South Africa should not tarnish that legacy by employing it to defend Hamas and slander Israel.
