The African National Congress (ANC), the ruling party of South Africa, has expressed its support for cutting diplomatic ties with Israel in response to its ongoing military assault on Gaza, which has killed over 12000 Palestinians, including more than 4,100 children.
The ANC’s parliamentary caucus issued a statement calling on the government to downgrade Israel’s embassy in Pretoria to a liaison office and recall all South African diplomats from Tel Aviv. The statement also condemned Israel’s “genocidal acts” and “apartheid policies” against the Palestinian people and urged the international community to hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law and human rights.
The ANC’s stance echoes the sentiments of many South Africans, who have a history of solidarity with the Palestinian cause and have staged several protests and rallies across the country in recent weeks, demanding an end to the Israeli aggression and the blockade of Gaza.
South Africa has also been a vocal critic of Israel at the United Nations and other international forums and has previously downgraded its embassy in Tel Aviv and pulled out its ambassador in 2019.