During a pro-Palestine gathering, South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said that its citizens serving in Israel’s military would be arrested.
Longtime members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), many of whom hold dual citizenship, are men and women of foreign birth who are Americans, British, European, and other nationalities. For instance, Israel declared earlier this week that Hamas was responsible for the killing of 19-year-old Sgt. Itay Chen, an Israeli soldier who was also a dual citizen of the US, during his time in the IDF.
According to Reuters, a court has ordered the Netherlands to halt F-35 parts for Israel due to concerns that the transfer may aid in human rights breaches.
However, South Africa, which accused Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinian people and filed a case at the International Criminal Court (ICC) against it, has since issued a fresh proclamation prohibiting its residents from enlisting in or providing any kind of support to the Israeli military.
According to South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor, if a South African is involved in combat with the IDF or provides support to a paramilitary group, they risk being arrested when they return home.
“I have already issued a statement alerting those who are South African and are fighting alongside or in the [Israeli military]: We are ready. When you come home, we are going to arrest you,” Pandor stated during a pro-Palestine gathering that the nation’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party was present at.
Additionally, South Africa has previously issued a warning that if soldiers with dual citizenship with Israel are found to be fighting for the IDF, they risk having their South African citizenship revoked.
Pandor even went so far as to affirmatively recollect that Palestinians had trained ANC terrorists to oppose the previous apartheid regime. “We didn’t meet the Palestinian people on October 8th, we’ve been together in the struggle for many decades,” she stated.
The South African foreign minister said, “The people of Palestine trained the freedom fighters of the liberation movement. This is a relationship of freedom fighters, of activists, of nations that share a history. A history of struggle for justice and freedom.”
Israel-South Africa ties have hit an all-time low and are in danger of collapsing since Israel launched its military operation in Gaza following the October 7 Hamas terror attack.
The foreign ministry of South Africa is currently urging protests around the world in front of the embassies of those nations that weaponize or support Israel. In addition, South Africa is pushing for a global boycott of Israeli products due to accusations of war crimes and genocide. The South African government had already called back its diplomats from Tel Aviv a few months before evaluating the future of ties.
One Response
Goodonya, South Africa!
Bout time somebody called out the Nazis and made them pay for their HATE!
If ALL countries did this, the Nazis would be ostracised and banned, just the
way the Nazis ostracise and ban us HUMANS on Social Media!