South Africa "tough" Israel

Editor's note: "Why did the African National Congress (the ruling party) in South Africa take an anti-Israel stance?" On July 29, Israel's Jerusalem Post published an article raising such questions about the progress of relations between the two countries.

Since the outbreak of a new round of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict last October, South Africa has become one of the countries that have lashed out most fiercely at Israel, and related actions have even affected its relations with Western countries. At the same time, South Africa and Israel maintain relatively close economic and trade ties.

As a matter of fact, the two countries that are at loggerheads over the Palestinian-Israeli issue have a complicated relationship in history. Against the backdrop of changes in the international situation, the relations between the two countries have been shaped by realpolitik interests.

The delegations of South Africa (left) and Israel (right) stand at the proceedings of the International Court of Justice on 26 January in The Hague, Netherlands. (Visual China)

Why did South Africa take diplomatic risks to "toughen Israel"?

"We will not give up our solidarity with people under oppression and yoke." According to a report by the Middle East Monitor on July 22, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a debate in the country's National Assembly on the same day that the advisory opinion issued by the United Nations International Court of Justice on July 19 shows that the international community's opposition to Israel's continued violations of the rights of the Palestinian people is gaining momentum.

On the basis of that opinion, the International Court of Justice held that Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories was contrary to international law and that its illegal occupation must therefore end as soon as possible.

After the outbreak of a new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict in October last year, South Africa became one of the representative countries of "hard" Israel. Agence France-Presse and other media reported that on November 6 last year, the South Africa government announced the recall of all diplomats in Israel to express serious concern about the situation in Gaza.

About two weeks later, the South Africa National Assembly passed a proposal calling for the suspension of diplomatic relations with Israel and the closure of the Israeli embassy in South Africa until Israel agrees to a ceasefire and participates in UN-led negotiations.

After adopting the proposal, the South Africa National Assembly issued a statement saying that the proposal was not legally binding on the government, but that it was the responsibility of the speaker to formally bring it to the attention of the president and relevant government departments.

Last December, South Africa filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Israel said South Africa's allegations were "baseless" and that the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) was "responsible for the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip."

In January, when the International Court of Justice issued binding "interim measures" on Israel's actions in Gaza, South Africa's then-Foreign Minister Pandor and his lawyer stayed in The Hague while South Africa's then-Minister of Justice and current Foreign Minister Ramoura made an opening statement on the case.

Pandor urged the judge to "end the massive harm done to civilians in Gaza" by Israel and firmly promised that South Africa would defend the rights of Palestinians, according to Qatar's Al Jazeera.

On 16 May this year, the Government of South Africa requested a hearing before the International Court of Justice. At the meeting, South Africa's ambassador to Netherlands, Madonsella, criticized that Israel's genocide campaign was advancing rapidly and that the International Court of Justice should order Israel to "immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its forces from the entire Gaza Strip."

On 24 May, the International Court of Justice ruled on an urgent request from South Africa that Israel cease its military operations in Rafah and open all land crossings into the Gaza Strip.

In fact, South Africa has long been actively supportive of the Palestinian cause and has been constantly criticizing Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip.

In 2018, South Africa recalled its ambassador in the name of "protesting the atrocities committed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip." In 2019, South Africa downgraded its embassy in Israel to a liaison office, which retains only the authorization for consular services. After the outbreak of a new round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, South Africa even risked affecting its relations with Western countries to support Palestine.

"South Africa's relations with the West are threatened by the [targeted] stance on Israel," Qatar's Al Jazeera TV reported on June 6 this year, citing Najimuddin, a Nigerian researcher specializing in African affairs, that there were signs that some Western countries were targeting South Africa in the international arena after South Africa sued Israel before the International Court of Justice.

Al Jazeera said that in February this year, the House of Representatives of the United States Congress introduced the "United States-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act", accusing members of the South Africa government and the leader of the ruling ANC for making "anti-Semitic and anti-Israel remarks" and "standing with Hamas" after the outbreak of the new Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In March, Pandor visited United States to discuss tensions between South Africa and United States members of Congress with U.S. officials.

According to Al Jazeera, Pandor said United States was "disturbed" by South Africa's move to take Israel to the International Court of Justice, which has been mentioned in "multiple resolutions."

Citing a letter to the Biden administration signed by 200 United States lawmakers in January, she said it "condemned South Africa's actions to bring genocide charges against Israel at the International Court of Justice."

In May, 160 lawyers from 10 different countries sent a letter to United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, asking the United States to conduct a long-arm jurisdiction under the Magnitsky Act to investigate "bribery" by ANC members.

"Both historically and now, the relationship is complex"

"At first glance, South Africa's position on Israel suggests that its leaders are sympathetic to Palestine, but a deeper look reveals that South Africa also maintains strong relations with Israel in some areas." The website of United Kingdom's New Arab newspaper previously said that South Africa and Israel, both historically and now, have a complicated relationship.

Although the South Africa National Assembly voted overwhelmingly in November 2023 to expel the Israel ambassador, the South Africa president refused to do so. Al Jazeera mentioned that Ramaphosa had repeatedly referred to Israel as an "apartheid state", but the ANC's ruling coalition had a much softer attitude towards Israel.

In South Africa's new coalition government, the center-right Democratic Alliance, the second-largest party, has remained neutral on the new Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while another ruling party, the Patriotic Alliance, has made clear its support for Israel. In addition, after the outbreak of the new round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the pro-Israel lobby and pro-Palestinian movement in South Africa are quite large.

The Jerusalem Post, reporting on South Africa's complicated relationship with Israel, said it all "stemmed from the dark days of apartheid." Public information shows that from 1948 to 1994, apartheid was practiced in South Africa.

According to the Jerusalem Post, during this period, Israel condemned South Africa's apartheid system on the one hand and imposed trade and cultural sanctions on South Africa from 1987; On the other hand, Israel maintained diplomatic, military and trade relations with the then South Africa government.

This led the ANC, then determined to eliminate apartheid, to consider Israel "not a wholehearted friend."

According to the website of United Kingdom's New Arab newspaper, South Africa maintained close ties with Israel and Palestine, both during and after the implementation of apartheid, but the parties who remained connected were at opposite ends of the political spectrum.

In the early 80s of the 20th century, South Africa's apartheid leader Botta maintained close alliances with Israel's then Minister of Defense Saraun, while the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) became increasingly strong in its support for the ANC and its leader Nelson Mandela.

When Mandela was released from prison in 1990, one of the first international dignitaries he met with was PLO leader Yasser Arafat. Mandela called Arafat a "comrade-in-arms" and consulted with him before the signing of the Oslo Accords between Palestine and Israel in 1993. Nelson Mandela once said, "Our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians".

Wu Lun, head of the South Africa NGO Open Secrets and author of "Apartheid, Guns and Money," said South Africa and Israel were important partners during apartheid, having worked together to develop and test sophisticated weapons systems. In this book, he cites the similarities between South Africa and Israel at that time, such as the high degree of militarization.

"The prominence of the Palestinian cause in South Africa has deep roots." United States think tank Germany the Marshall Foundation previously posted that during the South Africa apartheid era, that is, the period of white rule, the ANC became disgusted with Israel when Israel provided weapons and technology to South Africa.

The Jerusalem Post reported that trade between South Africa and Israel peaked at $1.19 billion in 2012, but began to decline as the ANC's anti-Israel policies began to harden. By 2019, when South Africa downgraded its embassy in Israel to a liaison office, bilateral trade was only about $400 million. By 2023, that figure drops to around $350 million.

However, the website of United Kingdom's New Arab newspaper mentioned that South Africa has also made significant concessions to Israel on some sensitive bilateral issues. South Africa is home to Africa's largest Jewish community. Many South African Jews also have Israel nationality.

For many years, South Africa citizens have served in the Israel army. This is illegal under South Africa law. In fact, 1 in 5 students at the Jewish School in Cape Town joined the Israel army directly after graduation.

In March, South Africa's then-foreign minister, Pandor, vowed that South Africa citizens fighting in the Israel Defense Forces would be arrested if they returned to South Africa, according to The Israel Times.

South Africa's foreign ministry said South Africa citizens need prior government approval to legally fight in Israel, and naturalized South Africa citizens risk being stripped of their South Africa citizenship if they participate in a war that the country "does not support or disagree with."

Speak up for nations and peoples who share similar experiences

In an interview with the Global Times, Kuaku, a senior researcher at the Africa-China Studies Center at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, said that in the new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict, South Africa's clear stance is closely related to its history, and it also shows that South Africa hopes to "play a certain moral and moral leading role."

Cuaku said that South Africa has experienced continuous invasion and colonization by the West, and only 30 years after the abolition of apartheid, the humiliation suffered by most of its people is still vivid. These memories of national shame are deeply rooted in the history of South Africa, naturally alienating the emotional connection between South Africa and the West, and prompting South Africa to speak out for countries and peoples with similar experiences.

Ma Hanzhi, an assistant researcher at the Institute of Developing Countries at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times that South Africa has a resolute attitude on the Palestinian-Israeli issue for a number of reasons, including the ANC's desire to show its values through relevant statements and echo the demands of some people in China.

Moreover, in the context of the rise of the "Global South", South Africa is also partly a voice for Africa and the countries of the "Global South", representing their resistance to the injustices of the current international system.

"South Africa's foreign policy has become a tool for leadership as global power relations change," Australia's Dialogue news network said last year, adding that in the eyes of some observers, the South Africa government is restoring the country's status and role as a global moral leader, and this is happening against the backdrop of a dramatic shift in the balance of power among the world's major powers. South Africa is not afraid to challenge the "mainstream narrative" and is ready to put the demands of the countries of the "Global South" on the table.

The above-mentioned article, published by the Marshall Fund in Germany, argues that South Africa shares a worldview with other countries of the "Global South" in calling for a "new global order" with greater decentralization of global power. South Africa has always advocated multipolarity to ensure inclusiveness and safeguard the interests of developing countries. South Africa has made clear an ongoing concern that the Western-dominated "liberal world order" rules no longer apply.

In February 2022, as a member of the African Group, South Africa joined Cuba and other countries in advocating for the WTO reform agenda. South Africa abstained from voting at the UN General Assembly on March 2, 2022, condemning Russia for initiating the Russia-Ukraine conflict. South Africa abstained again on February 23, 2023, in a vote on a UN resolution demanding the withdrawal of Russia from Ukraine. In June 2023, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa and five other African leaders traveled to Russia and Ukraine to mediate the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Ma Hanzhi told the Global Times that South Africa has certain advantages in achieving its diplomatic goals. As the "rainbow country", South Africa has bid farewell to apartheid for the past 30 years. In addition, South Africa is an important pillar member of many international organizations, and actively promotes Africa's independent development and supports regional peace and stability through platforms such as the African Union. It can be said that South Africa has a good image and extensive influence in the international community to support its diplomatic goals.

However, South Africa faces challenges in pursuing its foreign policy. Ma Hanzhi said that from the perspective of the domestic environment, the pressure on the ANC government is unprecedentedly huge, and there are livelihood problems such as unemployment and power security difficulties in the country, which will limit South Africa's investment in diplomacy to a certain extent.

From the perspective of the external environment, South Africa's "tough" attitude with the West on issues such as Palestine and Israel, Russia and Ukraine has also been pressured by the latter, which may affect South Africa's role in the international arena. According to research by the Marshall Fund in Germany, prolonged blackouts, weak governance in the energy sector and currency depreciation pose significant constraints to South Africa's economic growth.

Source | Global Times, Shi Tian, Chen Zishuai, Wang Xiaoxiong