Israel’s Foreign Ministry has slammed South Africa after it announced that it was withdrawing all of its envoys from the Jewish state in protest of the war in Gaza. “The South African government’s decision to recall its diplomatic staff is a victory for the Hamas terrorist organisation and rewards it for the massacre it carried out on October 7,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat tweeted.
“Israel expects South Africa to condemn Hamas, which is worse than ISIS, and to respect Israel’s right to defend itself against an attack by a horrific terrorist organisation that has engraved on its flag a call for the destruction of the State of Israel,” he added.
South Africa’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Naledi Pandor
South Africa to Pull Diplomats from Israel to Protest War
The South African government said on Monday that it would recall all its diplomats from Israel to signal its concern over the situation in Gaza. Pretoria also said the position of the Israeli ambassador to the country was becoming more and more untenable, accusing the diplomat of having made disparaging remarks about people criticising Israel.
“The South African government has decided to withdraw all its diplomats in Tel Aviv for consultation,” Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, a minister in Israel’s president’s office, told a press briefing without providing further details.
South Africa is the latest country to downgrade ties with Israel over the war. The South African government’s decision to recall its diplomats from Israel is a significant diplomatic snub. It is the latest sign of growing international frustration with Israel’s conduct in the Gaza Strip.
Israel has defended its actions, saying that it was necessary to stop Hamas rocket attacks on Israeli cities. However, critics have accused Israel of using excessive force and killing innocent civilians.
The war in Gaza has also had a negative impact on Israel’s relations with South Africa. The two countries have a long history of close ties, but these ties have been strained in recent years due to South Africa’s growing support for the Palestinian cause..…CONTINUE.FULL.READING>>>
