South Africa: Lawmakers Vote to Suspend Israel Ties, Close Embassy

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Facts

  • South Africa's Parliament voted 248 to 91 on Tuesday to call for the closure of the Israeli embassy in Pretoria and the suspension of all diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv until a lasting cease-fire in the war in Gaza is reached, amid mounting tensions in Israeli-South African relations.1
  • The motion passed a day after Israel recalled its ambassador to South Africa, Eliav Belotserkovsky, 'for consultations' following 'the latest South African statements' on Israel. South Africa, which hasn't had an ambassador to Israel since 2018, recalled its diplomats from Israel earlier this month.2
  • The non-binding resolution was tabled by the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters party last Thursday, with amendments from the ruling African National Congress (ANC). Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa is now required to decide whether to implement the motion.3
  • Lawmakers from other opposition parties, including the Democratic Alliance and the Inthaka Freedom Party, voted against the motion, arguing that it would limit the South African role in a future peace process.4
  • Ramaphosa stated during his two-day trip to Qatar last week that Pretoria had submitted a request to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Israel's military campaign in Gaza, which he claimed amounts to genocide. He further called for a cease-fire and a two-state solution.5
  • South Africa also hosted a virtual summit of the BRICS bloc of emerging economies, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, on Tuesday, with the group calling for a diplomatic solution to the war in Gaza.6

Sources: 1Al Jazeera, 2BBC News, 3Middle East Monitor, 4Jurist, 5SABC News and 6Al-Monitor.

Narratives

  • Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Business Live. The clear vote of the South African MPs is an impressive testimony to the functioning moral compass of South Africans. From their own history, they know what apartheid means. Now, it is the Israeli apartheid regime and its crimes against humanity in Gaza that demand South Africa's full solidarity with the Palestinian cause. Pretoria has to act on the motion as its history of oppression is the reality of occupied Palestine.
  • Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Archive. This anti-Israel vote is shameful for a nation that was once one of Israel's most valued African partners. Pretoria has emerged as an ignorant Israel critic despite decades of friendship, claiming that Israel is an 'apartheid state' and has committed 'genocide' against Palestinians. Behind these outrageous allegations lies a geopolitical calculation to strengthen its alliance with developing nations at the expense of its Western ties. If Pretoria follows the parliamentary decision, it will lose its credibility for good.

Predictions