South Africa’s decision to downgrade ties with Israel marks policy shift: Analyst

South African parliament's decision to downgrade Israel's diplomatic mission in Pretoria owing to the apartheid regime's relentless aggression and abuse against Palestinians marks a shift in the country’s official policy, according to an analyst.

Zaakir Ahme Mayet, a lawyer based in Johannesburg, told Press TV's weekly show Africa Today that the decision had become essential because one cannot assume a neutral position on the Palestinian issue.  

“This is a momentous decision. Yes, at this moment in time, South Africa is one of the largest trade partners of Israel. However, this signifies a shift in the state policy,” Mayet remarked.

In early March, South Africa’s parliament voted in favor of a motion that called on its government to downgrade the Israeli embassy in the country to a liaison office, to protest the regime's discriminatory practices and atrocities against the Palestinians.

The motion backed by 208 lawmakers, with 94 opposing, was proposed by National Freedom Party (NFP) and supported by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party.

ANC itself has maintained a firm stance toward Israel. In 2012, it endorsed the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, an international campaign aimed at delegitimizing and pressuring Israel by promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against the apartheid regime.

In a demonstration of the unwavering support of Palestinians, South Africa in 2019 downgraded its embassy in Tel Aviv and called back its ambassador.

Mayet said that despite the risks and complications that may come with the decision, the motion is welcomed as Israel is clearly apartheid, a system of oppression and one cannot remain silent over it.

Africa resisting Israel

We cover wide-ranging current affairs in the continent and also highlight various aspects of the continent

Africa’s tough stance against Israel

The African continent is resisting brazen attempts by the Israeli regime to infiltrate the continent and meddle in its internal affairs.

In February, at the opening ceremony of the African Union’s (AU) annual summit held at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, the deputy director of the Africa division of the regime’s foreign ministry was ejected after the person was found gate crashing at the summit.

The AU insisted that Israel’s observer status at the 55-nation bloc was suspended which is why it was not invited to attend the summit.

In December 2021, Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa also slammed the AU’s decision to grant Israel the status of an observer in the union

“The unjust actions committed by Israel offend the letter and spirit of the Charter of the African Union,” she said in a statement.

Booker Ngesa, a Nairobi-based member of the Kenya Palestine Solidarity Movement who also appeared on the Africa Today show, said the expulsion of the Israeli diplomat from the AU summit was “humiliating” for the regime.

He said the AU's decision to suspend Israel’s observer status “redeemed the AU’s [public] image” as the majority of the African people support the ruling.

He also took a swipe at Israel’s policy towards African people, saying the regime has taken a policy of “outright bribery” and “disrespect” vis-à-vis the Africans.

Israeli regime's meddling in Africa has been going on for decades: Analyst

Israeli interference in the affairs of African countries, which has been going on for decades, originated from “ideological affinities” the apartheid regime shared with former settler-colonial African regimes, says a commentator.

Meddling in African elections

In addition to its futile attempts to get the AU observer status, Israel has covertly tried to get involved in the continent’s elections.

In February, a team of Israeli contractors, who claim to have manipulated more than 30 elections around the world using hacking, sabotage, and automated disinformation on social media, were exposed in an investigation.

Two-thirds of the hacking operations, run by Tal Hanan, a 50-year-old former Israeli special forces operative, took place in Africa," Ngesa said.

“Interfering with the domestic policies of the African countries has been a permanent policy of imperialism, … they want to penetrate our security.

They want to tie their army with the African armies not to safeguard the sovereignty and independence of the African nations, but to compromise those security operators,” he added.

The analyst further stated that direct interference with elections in Africa aimed to install “Israeli and American puppets” in Africa who can be controlled like a marionette from the West.

Hamas resistance movement hails African Union's decision to suspend Israel's observer status

Hamas hails the African Union’s decision to suspend the Israeli regime

AU recommends end of trade with Israel

In February, at the end of the AU summit, a “Draft Declaration on the Situation in Palestine and the Middle East” was drawn up, which is likely to spell more trouble for the regime in Tel Aviv and its nefarious agenda in Africa.

According to the document, the AU not only expressed “full support for the Palestinian people in their legitimate struggle against the Israeli occupation”, decrying the “unceasing” illegal settlements and Israel’s intransigence but also urged member states to “end all direct and indirect trade, scientific and cultural exchanges" with the regime. 

If the recommendation to boycott Israel is successfully implemented, it will drastically change the apartheid regime's fortunes in Africa and across the globe.

Ngesa compared the Israeli regime with the apartheid in South Africa (the racial segregation under the all-white government of South Africa from 1948 to 1994) which eventually came to an end.

“[At the end,] the apartheid regime was actually isolated from the rest of the world. And that led to its inevitable fall,” he stated.

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