President Cyril Ramaphosa has been rapped over the knuckles by members of the United States (US) Congress, who have accused Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Dr Naledi Pandor of antisemitism.
In a strongly-worded letter addressed to Ramaphosa headed by two members of Congress and co-signed by other members of Congress, dated 12 April, they said Pandor’s recent threat to arrest members of the South African Jewish community serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) smacked of antisemitism.
Addressed directly to the South African president, the letter reads, “South Africa is home to a Jewish population of more than 70000 individuals. For Foreign Minister Pandor to state, ‘I have already issued a statement alerting those who are South African and are fighting alongside or in the Israel Defense Forces: We are ready. When you come home, we’re going to arrest you,’ demonstrates a significant appearance of antisemitism.”
It furthermore requested that the South African government explain what steps were being taken to ensure that Jewish South Africans were protected against growing antisemitism, “specifically as senior government officials are increasing their hostile antisemitic statements”.
Members of Congress asked Ramaphosa what steps were in place to ensure that dual citizens weren’t falsely charged with genocide and war crimes in the “same manner as the false ICJ [International Court of Justice] accusations levelled in January”.
“If you and your government arrest soldiers of our allies, it will have consequences for the United States-South Africa relationship. While this plan was only introduced by Foreign Minister Pandor speaking of dual nationals, that may not be the case tomorrow as her personal opinions obfuscate the truth and justice.”
They asked what would happen in future to US dual nationals that served in the IDF who are on vacation to South Africa.
“Is your government prepared for the perpetration of false arrests on US citizens and the dire consequences that will follow?”
Political commentator and former US diplomat Brooks Spector said the letter wasn’t written by Congress, it was written by two members of Congress and co-signed by others which is a “distinction that has to be made”.
“It’s expressing an opinion – a very strong one – by several members of Congress, as opposed to a resolution passed by Congress. However the president should take all communication by representatives of a foreign country seriously.
“He should read it and respond, and shouldn’t brush it off or ignore it,” Spector said.
The letter was headed by Members of Congress Joe Wilson and Jared Moskowitz, and co-signed by Maria Elvira Salazar, Josh Gottheimer, James Richard Baird, Michael Walz, and Don Bacon.
Wilson posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Grateful to lead a letter with @RepMoskowitz to @PresidencyZA over their disgusting announcement of South Africa’s intent to arrest civilians for serving in the @IDF. The US will always stand with our ally Israel against gross judicial malfeasance”.
Professor Karen Milner, the national chairperson of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, said, “We welcome this action, and congratulate the US for standing both with the people of Israel and Jewish South Africans. Minister Pandor has relentlessly attempted to intimidate South African Jewry. Her undiplomatic behaviour, which she pursues with zealous vigour – such as her call for protests outside embassies – is being noted in the diplomatic world, and she’s now being held to account.”
The letter starts off by saying how on 10 March, Pandor announced at a Palestinian solidarity event that the South African government intended to arrest dual citizens with the state of Israel who were serving either compulsorily or voluntarily in Israel’s operation in Gaza.
“This is a gross miscarriage of justice that continues to perpetrate dangerous sentiments against Israeli citizens and the state of Israel’s right to exist,” said the letter.
“Israel, like every other nation, has a right to defend itself against terrorism.”
It described the events of 7 October as acts of terrorism by Hamas and said, “The international law of armed conflict doesn’t prohibit the citizens of any state from serving in the military of a nation to which the individual owes allegiance.”
It accused the South African government of filing “unfounded charges” at the ICJ “falsely alleging genocide in Gaza”. The letter highlighted a letter by the ICJ, which stated, “Indeed, South Africa is engaged in an abusive exploitation of the court’s procedures. It ignores inconvenient facts, and distorts others in an offensive and tendentious manner as request follows request with barely time to draw breath”, and stated, “And yet, your government extends beyond the unfounded ICJ case to now miscarry justice against your own citizens serving their second allegiance.”
A Washington insider told the SA Jewish Report that there was “definitely more awareness in Congress” about what South Africa has done, is doing, and saying on issues affecting Israel and related issues.
“The House Bill talks about re-examining and re-evaluating the relationship between South Africa and the US, and one could speculate that this is all because of South Africa’s increasingly one-sided attention on Israel including the case before the ICJ,” he said.
“Any foreign policy observer would say that this is an extraordinary development that occurred during the foreign minister’s trip to Washington, and leading up to national elections in South Africa.”
