Iranian Major General Amir Hatami and South African General Rudzani Maphwanya meet in Tehran to discuss strengthening military cooperation and strategic ties. Photo: Screenshot

South Africa’s army chief has faced domestic backlash after pledging military and political support to Iran during a recent visit, prompting government officials to distance themselves from his remarks over concerns they could harm Pretoria’s efforts to strengthen ties with the United States.

Members of South Africa’s governing coalition have denounced Gen. Rudzani Maphwanya, chief of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF), for his trip to Tehran earlier this week, describing his remarks as “reckless grandstanding.”

The Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s second-largest party in the governing coalition, has called for Maphwanya to be court-martialed for breaking neutrality and violating military law, saying his comments had gone “beyond military-to-military discussions and entered the realm of foreign policy.”

“This reckless grandstanding comes at a time when South Africa’s relations with key democratic partners, especially the United States, are already under severe strain,” DA defense spokesperson Chris Hattingh said in a statement.

“The SANDF’s job is to lead and manage the defense forces, not to act as an unsanctioned political envoy. Allowing our most senior military officer to make partisan foreign policy pronouncements is strategically reckless, diplomatically irresponsible, and economically self-defeating,” he continued.

“South Africa cannot afford to have its international standing further sabotaged by political adventurism from the military’s top brass,” Hattingh said.

Iran and South Africa held high-level military talks earlier this week as both nations seek to deepen cooperation and strengthen their partnership against what officials called “global arrogance and aggressive colonial approaches.”

During a joint press conference with Iranian Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami, Maphwanya called for deeper ties between the two nations, especially in defense cooperation, affirming that “the Republic of South Africa and the Islamic Republic of Iran have common goals.”

“We always stand alongside the oppressed and defenseless people of the world,” the South African general said.

He also criticized Israel over the ongoing war in Gaza, expressed support for the Palestinian people, and told Iranian officials that his visit “conveys a political message” on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration.

However, shortly after Maphwanya’s remarks drew media attention, the South African government moved to distance itself from his comments, with the Foreign Affairs Ministry stating that his comments “do not represent the government’s official foreign policy stance.”

The Defense Department, which described Maphwanya’s comments as “unfortunate,” confirmed that he is now expected to meet with the Minister of Defense and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, upon his return to provide explanations.

Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, clarified that the president was neither aware of the trip nor had he sanctioned it.

“The visit was ill-advised and more so, the expectation is that the general should have been a lot more circumspect with the comments he makes,” Magwenya told reporters during a press conference on Thursday.

“It is crucial to clarify that the implementation of South Africa’s foreign policy is a function of the presidency,” he continued. “Any statements made by an individual, or a department other than those responsible for foreign policy, should not be misinterpreted as the official position of the South African government.”

Maphwanya’s trip to Iran came after the Middle East Africa Research Institute (MEARI) released a recent report detailing how South Africa’s deepening ties with Tehran have led the country to compromise its democratic foundations and constitutional principles by aligning itself with a regime internationally condemned for terrorism, repression, and human rights abuses.

Gidon Ben-Zvi. Photo: Screenshot

Gidon Ben-Zvi, former Jerusalem Correspondent for The Algemeiner, has died at the age of 51 after a fight with cancer.

Ben-Zvi continued to write op-eds for The Algemeiner even after he left as a correspondent, including in the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel.

An accomplished writer, Ben-Zvi left Hollywood for Jerusalem in 2009, moving back to Israel after spending 12 years in the United States. From 1994-1997, Gidon served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), in an infantry unit.

In addition to writing for The Algemeiner, Ben-Zvi contributed to the Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post, CiF Watch, and blogged at Jerusalem State of Mind.

Ben-Zvi joined HonestReporting as a senior editor in June 2020, becoming an integral part of the editorial department and writing dozens of articles and media critiques for the watchdog group exposing anti-Israel bias. He moved with his family to Haifa at the end of 2022.

Ben-Zvi’s final article for HonestReporting was published in January 2025, before he took a leave of absence for health reasons. HonestReporting said in a newly published obituary that staff believed he would eventually return, noting the positivity and perseverance he exuded. The advocacy group said it learned of Ben-Zvi’s passing late last month.

Ben-Zvi leaves behind his wife, Debbie, and four young children.

All Ben-Zvi’s articles for The Algemeiner can be found here.

May his memory be a blessing.

A crowd gathers at the Jardin Ilan Halimi in Paris on Feb. 14, 2021, to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Halimi’s kidnapping and murder. Photo: Reuters/Xose Bouzas/Hans Lucas

An olive tree planted in memory of a young French Jewish man tortured to death in 2006 was vandalized and cut down this week, sparking outrage in France amid a troubling surge in antisemitic attacks.

In January 2006, Ilan Halimi was abducted, held captive, and tortured by a gang of about 20 people in a low-income housing estate in the Paris suburb of Bagneux.

Three weeks later, Halimi was found in Essonne, south of Paris, naked, gagged, and handcuffed, with clear signs of torture and burns. The 23-year-old died on the way to the hospital.

In 2011, an olive tree was planted in Halimi’s memory. On Friday, this memorial was found felled — probably with a chainsaw — in the northern Paris suburb of Epinay-sur-Seine.

Halimi’s memory has faced attacks before, with two other trees planted in his honor vandalized in 2019 in Essonne, where he was found dying near a railway track.

French officials have pledged to plant a new tree following the latest attack, which has drawn condemnation from the country’s local Jewish community amid a troubling rise in antisemitic acts.

French President Emmanuel Macron has condemned the incident, vowing that the perpetrators will be brought to justice while affirming that France’s fight against antisemitism will remain “uncompromising.”

“Felling the tree in honor of Ilan Halimi is a second attempt on his life. This will not happen: the nation will not forget this son of France who died for being Jewish,” the French leader said in a post on X.

Abattre l’arbre rendant hommage à Ilan Halimi, c’est chercher à le tuer une deuxième fois. Il n’en sera rien : la Nation n’oubliera pas cet enfant de France mort parce que Juif.

Tous les moyens sont déployés pour punir cet acte de haine.

Face à l’antisémitisme : la République,…

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 15, 2025

Authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the incident, with Paris police confirming that inquiries are underway.

French Prime Minister François Bayrou denounced the incident, calling the tree “a living bulwark against oblivion.”

“The never-ending fight against the deadly poison of hatred is our primary duty,” Bayrou said in a post on X.

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau also condemned the antisemitic attack, saying that “this act can only provoke disgust and anger.”

France’s Jewish community has faced a troubling surge in antisemitic incidents and anti-Israel sentiment since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct.7, 2023.

Jewish leaders have consistently called on authorities to take swift action against the rising wave of targeted attacks and anti-Jewish hate crimes they continue to face.

Yonathan Arfi, president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF), denounced this latest incident, declaring that “today’s antisemites are no better than those of yesterday.”

“This is not just another antisemitic act. It is a way for antisemites to shout their hatred toward Jews, saying: ‘We are here more than ever!’” Arfi said in a post on X.

Ce n’est pas qu’un acte antisémite de plus. C’est une manière pour les antisémites de hurler leur haine en disant aux Juifs : “nous sommes là plus que jamais !”

Il y a bientôt 20 ans, les antisémites du “gang des barbares” ont enlevé, séquestré, torturé et assassiné Ilan Halimi.… pic.twitter.com/a9LPg5C8sz

— Yonathan Arfi (@Yonathan_Arfi) August 14, 2025

Israel’s ambassador to France, Joshua Zarka, condemned the attack, calling it a “shameful desecration” and denouncing those responsible.

“It’s clear that condemnations will pour in and outrage will be widespread, but who will truly reflect on the forces that led to this new act of barbarity?” Zarka said in a post on X.

“Antisemitism is a sign of a sick society, and in Europe today it has surged to levels reminiscent of nearly a century ago,” he continued. “May our departed rest in peace, and may those wounded by this brutality find healing.”

L’olivier en mémoire d’Ilan Halimi a été tronçonné.
Choc. Incompréhension.

Il est clair que les condamnations vont pleuvoir, l’indignation sera totale, mais qui réfléchira vraiment aux chemins qui ont mené à cette nouvelle barbarie ?

L’antisémitisme est le symptôme d’une… pic.twitter.com/A53V6mFsTJ

— Joshua L. Zarka (@yzarka) August 14, 2025