South African lawmakers vote to shut down embassy in Israel, cut diplomatic ties, as Israel recalls ambassador after South African president accuses Israel of ‘genocide.’
By World Israel News Staff
South African lawmakers voted to shutter the country’s embassy in Israel Tuesday, and to cut all diplomatic ties with the Jewish state.
In a vote backed by the ruling African National Congress party, the South African parliament voted 248 to 91 in favor of a resolution calling calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to close down the South African embassy in Israel and to freeze diplomatic ties with Jerusalem for the duration of the current war with Hamas.
Ramaphosa recently accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza, and demanded that the International Criminal Court in The Hague conduct an investigation into the “war crimes and crimes against humanity” allegedly being committed by Israel in its war following the Gaza invasion of Israel on October 7th.
The South African president contended that Gaza has become “a concentration camp.”
Just a few days ago, Tshwane (formerly Pretoria), the administrative capital of South Africa, discussed removing the country’s ambassador to Israel.
Reacting to this news, Israel’s Foreign Ministry recalled the Israeli Ambassador to South Africa, Eli Belotserkovsky.
On November 16, the ANC (African National Congress) majority party drafted the resolution, passed on Tuesday, demanding that South Africa close its embassy in Tel Aviv and sever all ties with Israel.
In protest against the Gaza attacks, in which President Ramaphosa contends that Gazans are “killed like flies,” South Africa withdrew all its diplomats from Israel.