The DA has slammed government's decision to recall its diplomats from Israeli capital Tel Aviv as “counterintuitive”, while the ANC has welcomed it.
International relations and co-operation minister Naledi Pandor has tried to explain government's decision to recall its diplomats while also planning to take action against Israel's ambassador in Pretoria.
Pandor said government will decide whether its continued relationship with Israel can be sustained based on the briefing it will get from the recalled South African embassy officials.
“This is normal practice when there is a situation causing harm and concern to a country,” she said on Monday.
“You would get your officials to come back to the national setting to provide you with a briefing so you can make a determination as to whether there is any potential for you to be of assistance and whether the continued relationship is able to be sustained in all terms.”
Pandor said the government needs to engage its officials because it is concerned about “the continued killing of children and innocent civilians in the Palestinian territories”. She said government believes Israel’s response to the October 7 attacks by Hamas has become one of collective punishment, which falls outside the practice of international humanitarian and human rights law.
“In that regard, we felt it’s important that we signal the concern of South Africa while continuing to call for a comprehensive cessation in Palestine.”
“This is normal practice when there is a situation causing harm and concern to a country.”
— Minister Naledi Pandor
South Africa recalled ambassador Sisa Ngombane in May 2018 after scores of Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces at the Gaza border.
Regarding Israeli ambassador Eliav Belotserkovsky, Pandor said he has been making comments almost akin to those made without proof by US ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety, who claimed in May South Africa supplied Russia with arms via the Lady R cargo vessel. The claim was later rejected by an investigation led by a judge.
“We felt it important that we should call the ambassador in and he should desist from making the sort of statements he is making without having had any discussion with senior members of the government of South Africa,” said Pandor.
“Our ambassadors conduct themselves with good grace because that is the directive from us for their deployment elsewhere, but people think they can have a licence. I don’t know if it’s because it’s an African country and they disrespect us, but it’s something we should not tolerate,” said Pandor.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni announced earlier South Africa was considering the position of the Israeli ambassador while recalling its diplomats from Tel Aviv for consultation.
Ntshavheni said President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet instructed the department of international relations and co-operation to take action against Belotserkovsky.
She said the cabinet had noted Belotserkovsky’s “continuing disparaging remarks” about those opposing “the atrocities and genocide of Israeli government”.
The ANC has welcomed the government’s move to recall its diplomats.
Spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said the previous recall and consultation implemented the party’s resolution at its 54th conference to downgrade the embassy in Tel Aviv to a liaison office.
“The genocidal actions of the Israeli regime on the people of Palestine in Gaza and the West Bank are crimes against humanity. We call for an immediate ceasefire,” said Bhengu-Motsiri.
The DA’s Emma Louise Powell said the government’s decision to recall South African diplomats was counterintuitive and runs contrary to its stated aims.
“The recall of diplomatic representation by South Africa will lead to a diminished ability to influence the trajectory and outcomes of the crisis in the region,” said Powell.
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