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South Africa’s Future Depends on Confronting Domestic Crises, Not Scapegoating Israel
Director-General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa Zane Dangor and South African Ambassador to the Netherlands Vusimuzi Madonsela talk at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), at the start of a hearing where South Africa requests new emergency measures over Israel’s operations in Rafah, in The Hague, Netherlands, May 16, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Yves Herman
When South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in effect called for the annihilation of Israel at the African National Congress (ANC)’s closing election rally — by leading a chant of “From the River to the Sea” — it marked a new low in South Africa’s democratic history.
However, this blatant attempt to scapegoat Israel and deflect from the ANC’s catastrophic failures at home, didn’t improve its poor performance in the May 29 elections.
South Africa is besieged by domestic crises — joblessness, collapsing infrastructure, and a murder rate of 81 people per day. Yet, rather than focus on addressing these urgent issues, one of the ANC’s key election tactics was to demonize Israel for defending itself against the terrorist group Hamas. Ramaphosa naively believed this would win votes, declaring “historically, people have been appreciative of the stance taken by the ANC.”
But South Africans weren’t fooled. They voted based on the dire situation at home, not a faraway conflict they know little about. The ANC suffered its worst result ever in the country’s history. Meanwhile, the Patriotic Alliance (PA) party, whose leader Gayton McKenzie bluntly told a rally “Do not tell me about Palestine here … This is not Palestine,” won an impressive 7% in the Western Cape province, almost equal to the 9 percentage points the ANC lost there.
Some analysts wrongly predicted the PA’s pro-Israel stance would doom them. Instead, the PA’s success showed that the ANC is out of touch.
The ANC’s malicious campaign against Israel reached new depths when it took the Jewish State to the International Court of Justice, falsely accusing it of genocide. This egregious charge not only does a grave historical injustice to the actual meaning of genocide — and the millions of victims who suffered under it — but also exposes the ANC’s moral decay.
By exploiting the term “genocide,” the ANC cheapens the memory of the Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide, and other true genocides.
This is nothing more than a despicable attempt to delegitimize Israel by associating it with the most heinous crime imaginable. Such an accusation coming from the ANC, a party once led by moral giants like Nelson Mandela who understood Israel’s right to exist in peace and security, is a disturbing sign of how far it has fallen.
In contrast, McKenzie and other politicians openly stood with Israel on the campaign trail, knowing that millions of South Africans, especially in the largest churches, maintain strong spiritual bonds with the Holy Land.
The Shembe Church, with millions of followers, recently sent leaders to Israel who denounced their own government’s bias, stating, “There is no apartheid in Israel.”
One of the church’s leaders, Inkosi Phakama Shembe, called out the government’s silence on Hamas’ October 7th atrocity, and criticized South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. He noted the ANC’s position is in direct contrast to that of millions of Shembe Church members.
The Democratic Alliance also safely held its majority in the Western Cape, despite warnings that its neutral Israeli-Palestinian stance would cost it votes. This affirms that most South Africans believe in Israel’s right to exist in peace, even if their government shamefully sides with those seeking its annihilation.
As South Africa enters uncharted political territory, its leaders must heed the true will of the people. Scapegoating Israel while the nation crumbles will only hasten its demise. South Africa’s survival depends on courageously confronting its domestic ills while building bridges in a world that increasingly accepts Israel’s permanence and promise.
The ANC’s resort to charges of genocide against Israel only underscores how far it has strayed from its guiding principles and the moral vision of its former leaders. As it faces an uncertain future, the party must reckon with its own ethical decay if it hopes to regain the trust of South Africans and play a constructive role in the nation’s renewal.
Rowan Polovin is the chairman of the South African Zionist Federation.
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Dozens of Terrorists Eliminated in Central Gaza, Weapons Seized from UN School in Raid
Some rises after an Israeli strike as Israeli forces launch a ground and air operation in the eastern part of Rafah, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 7, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
i24 News – Israel Defense Forces continue to operate in the Shejaiya area at the same time as fighting in the Rafah area and in the center of the Gaza Strip, the army said.
In the Shejaiya area, forces of the 98th Division attacked dozens of terrorist sites with the help of airstrikes from the Israel Air Force.
Over the weekend, Israeli soldiers raided a UN school in Shejaiya, where terrorists hid and stored weapons, grenades and valuable intelligence documents
This is yet another example of how Gazan terrorists use civilian structures to carry out attacks against Israeli forces pic.twitter.com/9oA9KLJehC
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) June 30, 2024
A UN school was raided where terrorists hid and stored weapons, grenades, and sensitive documents. In addition, a Hamas command center was discovered in a clinic.
Since Saturday, division forces located weapons, raided and captured terrorist compounds, and eliminated a number of terrorists.
IDF strikes Hamas target in Gaza
Israeli forces continue to operate in the Shejaiya area while continuing to push in Rafah and in central Gaza
The IDF attacked and destroyed a mortar launch position located within a tunnel shaft in Rafah pic.twitter.com/JqTACvuMys
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) June 30, 2024
The 162nd Division meanwhile continues in the Rafah area, eliminating a number of terrorists in various encounters and destroying tunnel shafts in the area.
The 99th Division 99 the center of the Gaza Strip carried out raids and destroyed terrorist infrastructure in the area.
Also on Saturday, an airstrikes destroyed a mortar launch position located inside a tunnel shaft in Rafah.
The post Dozens of Terrorists Eliminated in Central Gaza, Weapons Seized from UN School in Raid first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israeli Government Approves Danny Danon as UN Ambassador
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon at a briefing on Iranian aggression on May 6, 2020. Photo: Screenshot.
i24 News – The Israeli government unanimously agreed on Sunday to appoint Likud lawmaker Danny Danon as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, succeeding the current ambassador, Gilad Erdan.
Danon, who previously held this position, will soon serve a second term. Danon’s appointment to this important position comes at a particularly crucial time, as he is expected to represent Israel on the international stage as the country faces challenges at home and abroad.
“I am proud to return to serve the State of Israel as Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations during this critical period,” he said on Twitter.
“As Israel faces battles on numerous fronts, each and every one of us must do his utmost within his skills and experiences,” he said in an earlier statement. “This is how I have behaved in the past, and this is how I will continue to behave in the future.”
I am proud to return to serve the State of Israel as Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations during this critical period.
With Israel confronting challenges on multiple fronts, it is imperative for each of us to contribute to the best of our abilities and experiences. This…
— Danny Danon דני דנון (@dannydanon) June 30, 2024
“In the face of the diplomatic terrorism that is rearing its head these days, I am forced to present the truth and hold my head high for the people of Israel and our common future here,” he concluded.
It is expected that Avihai Boaron, a former member of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, will enter in place of Danon.
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‘Los Angeles Is Becoming Unsafe for Its Jewish Residents” Says Israeli Minister
Governor Newsom speaking at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. Photo Credit: Office of Governor Gavin Newsom.
i24 News – Amichai Shikli, Israel’s Minister of Diaspora and Antisemitism, has urgently called upon California’s governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles’s mayor Karen Bass to address a concerning escalation of antisemitic incidents in the city.
In a strongly worded letter sent following a surge in antisemitic activities since October 7, 2023, Shikli expressed deep apprehension about the safety of Jewish residents in Los Angeles.
“Los Angeles is becoming more and more unsafe for its Jewish residents,” Shikli stated, emphasizing the urgent need for proactive measures to combat the rising tide of antisemitism.
He highlighted recent violent demonstrations on campuses that endangered Jewish students, alongside two serious incidents that he believes were mishandled by authorities.
One incident he pointed to was the tragic murder of Paul Kessler in November 2023 during a pro-Israel demonstration. Shikli criticized the court’s failure to classify the attack as a hate crime, stating, “It is shocking to see that the court did not recognize this as a hate crime. Paul was attacked for the sole reason that he was a Jew and a Zionist.”
Additionally, Shikli referenced an incident earlier in the week where an anti-Israel group disrupted an event at Adat Torah synagogue, resulting in an attack on Jewish attendees. Despite prior knowledge of the demonstration, law enforcement allegedly failed to take preventive actions to ensure the safety of Jewish residents.
Concerned about the city’s largest Jewish community in North America, Shikli urged immediate steps to enhance security around Jewish institutions and to ensure law enforcement is adequately trained to handle antisemitic crimes effectively. “At a time when antisemitism is at an all-time high, I urge you to implement measures to combat it,” he asserted.
The minister concluded his letter by proposing collaboration with local authorities and inviting the Los Angeles Police Department to participate in an international training program aimed at equipping security forces worldwide to combat antisemitism effectively.
The post ‘Los Angeles Is Becoming Unsafe for Its Jewish Residents” Says Israeli Minister first appeared on Algemeiner.com.