Jewish Agency chief nixes South Africa trip over possible war crimes charges

Retired IDF general serving as head of the Jewish Agency forced to cancel planned trip to South Africa amid fears local authorities could prosecute him for his service in the Israeli military.

By World Israel News Staff

The head of Israel’s Jewish Agency has been forced to cancel his plans to visit South Africa, the quasi-governmental agency announced over the weekend, over fears local authorities could try to arrest him over his past service in the Israeli military.

On Sunday, the Jewish Agency for Israel announced that IDF Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog, who has served as the agency’s chairman since 2022, canceled his upcoming trip to South Africa following an “up-to-date assessment of the situation.”

The Jewish Agency hinted that a new trip to South Africa would be planned at a later date, without specifying a time frame, downplaying the cancellation as a postponement.

“The planned trip of the chairman of the Jewish Agency, Doron Almog, to South Africa has been postponed.”

Almog, 74, served in the IDF from 1969 to 2003, ultimately serving as chief of the army’s Southern Command until his retirement during the Second Intifada.

Four of Almog’s relatives – including Chen Almog-Goldstein and her children Agam, Gal, and Tal – were taken hostage on October 7, 2023, while two others, Nadav Goldstein and IDF Staff Sgt. Yam Goldstein-Almog, were murdered by Gaza terrorists.

This is not the first time Almog has been forced to scrap travel plans abroad over possible prosecution for his IDF service.

In September 2005, Almog and his wife arrived in London on board an El Al flight for a fundraising trip on behalf of an Israeli non-profit organization.

However, the two were warned by the Israeli Embassy in London immediately upon their arrival that local authorities had issued an arrest warrant for Almog, with London Metropolitan Police prepared to take him into custody as soon as he presented himself to customs officials in the airport.

Almog and his wife remained on board the aircraft and returned home to Israel to avoid his detention.