Worthy Christian News > World News > South Africa Votes To Close Down Israeli Embassy

South Africa Votes To Close Down Israeli Embassy

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent

PRETORIA/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – South Africa’s Parliament voted to close down Israel’s embassy in Pretoria after President Cyril Ramaphosa accused the Jewish nation of committing “genocide” in Gaza.

Ahead of the vote, Israel had already recalled its ambassador, apparently to express its anger over the genocide accusations.

Israel announced it recalled its ambassador Eli Belotserkovsky from Pretoria “for consultations.”

The motion calling for the embassy’s closure passed on Tuesday with 248 votes in favor and 91 votes against.

The motion was introduced by the leftwing opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and backed by the ruling African National Congress. However, it was opposed by members of the centrist, white-majority Democratic Alliance (DA), which is mainly pro-Israel

Tuesday’s adopted motion was largely symbolic as Ramaphosa’s government must implement it.

However, the president suggested he saw no reason to maintain good relations with Israel while talking to world leaders. South Africa has not had an ambassador in Israel since 2018 amid soaring tensions.

GENOCIDE CHARGES

Ramaphosa has said his country believes Israel is committing war crimes and genocide in “the besieged Gaza Strip.”

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry claimed more than 14,000 people, including over 5,000 children, since Israel began attacking Gaza on October 7.

Israel counters that it responded to Hamas fighters crossing the border on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 200 others hostage.

Yet Ramaphosa has his doubts. He made that clear Tuesday while South Africa began hosting a virtual summit of the BRICS group of nations, which includes China and Russia, on the Israel-Hamas war.

The meeting, chaired by South Africa’s President Ramaphosa, reportedly hopes to draw up a united response to the Israel-Hamas war. Ramaphosa denounced at the meeting the “collective punishment” of Palestinian civilians.

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the United States of blocking international efforts to bring peace to the Middle East. Yet, he seemed more careful in choosing his words on Israel than other leaders.

President Putin apparently wants to avoid a confrontation with Israel in neighboring Syria, where the Russian military has a significant presence at a time when Moscow also needs resources for its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.