The incident began when politician Tebogo Nkonkou noticed Democratic Alliance councillor Daniel Schay’s tie and computer case, which had Israeli flags on them.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
A Johannesburg city councillor declared “We want Hitler” and threatened to wear a shirt with a picture of Hitler in response to a Jewish colleague having Israeli flag designs on personal possessions.
The incident occurred during a meeting on Thursday during which Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania and Community Development councillor Tebogo Nkonkou noticed that Democratic Alliance councillor Daniel Schay’s tie and computer case were adorned with Israeli flags.
Nkonkou demanded that the Israeli flag image be removed and alleged it was associated with the killing of women and children.
“I will also come in a shirt with the face of Hitler,” Nkonkou told Speaker Nobuhle Mthembu. “I will do that because you allowed this to happen.”
Although Mthembu said Nkonkou’s behavior was unacceptable, Nkonkou. a member of the Economic Freedom Fighters Party, did not stop. “We want Hitler,” he said, adding that the Israeli flag was deeply offensive and calling it an abuse.
“This flag, we really can’t stand it; we can’t stand the flag of an apartheid country in a country where we experienced apartheid,” said the EFF councilor. “Kids are being killed in Gaza even today, and you are watching.”
Other councilors began harassing the Jewish politician and chanting, “From the river to the sea, free, free Palestine.”
The South African Jewish Board of Deputies called Nkonkou’s remarks and behavior “abhorrent” and “blatant antisemitic intimidation.”
“Such remarks are not only morally repugnant but also legally indefensible,” the board said.
On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to South Africa’s ambassador to the US, Embrahim Rasool, as a “persona non grata” after he publicly accused President Donald Trump of white supremacy.
Rubio wrote on X, “South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States is no longer welcome in our great country. Embrahim Rasool is a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates @POTUS. We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA.”
On Thursday, Rasool addressed the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) in Johannesburg, where he criticized Trump’s pro-Israel policies and called him a white supremacist.