Israel is embarking on a campaign to show its support has increased on the African continent
The recent whirlwind tour of some African countries by Israel President Isaac Herzog is part of Tel Aviv’s charm offensive to win them over and demonstrate to South Africa it has close allies in Africa.
Israel is also eyeing the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s mineral resources that could boost its strategic assets, said independent political analyst Goodenough Mashego.
Both DRC’s and Zambia’s minerals are important for Israel to obtain in exchange for aid, including technology and military assistance to the African nations, a view shared by an expert on African affairs, Sipho Mantula.
He said minerals were part of Tel Aviv’s agenda in Africa, in addition to building diplomatic relations.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, through Herzog, was showing Pretoria that South Africa’s effort to have Israel isolated through its genocide case at the International Court of Justice was not the end of the road for Israel, Mashego said.
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Israel is embarking on the campaign to show its support has increased on the African continent, despite countries joining SA’s court case, he said.
Israel realised it was getting isolated, with some US allies such as Britain, France, Canada and Australia recognising Palestine as an independent sovereign state.
“For some time, Netanyahu had gone on a drive to try and influence the African leaders to stand with Israel. Since SA returned to the Organisation of African Unity, which later became the African Union, it has been doing its best to influence Africa to isolate Israel in solidarity with Palestine.
“Despite this, Israel continued to establish friendships with certain countries,” Mashego said.
In addition to its existing ties with Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Morocco, Chad, Rwanda, Sudan and Ghana, the Israel Allies Caucuses were launched in Ethiopia, the Ivory Coast, Seychelles, Gabon, Guinea-Conakry, and recently in Lesotho, following the Africa-Israel parliamentary summit last year.
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Although the Southern Africa Development Community countries are often united to pledge solidarity for the oppressed in the world, they retained their ties with Israel, even after the Gaza bombings by the Israel Defence Force in retaliation for the 7 October 2023, Hamas attacks inside Israel.
In November of that year, Pretoria recalled its ambassador to Israel and démarched the Israeli ambassador to SA, Eliav Belotserkovsky, in protest against Israel’s actions in Gaza, killing more than 10 000 people at the time.
The Israeli embassy in Pretoria continues to operate, but under the control of its chargé d’affaires, Ariel Seidman.
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There has been pressure from pro-Palestinian lobby groups and some political parties for the SA government to completely sever diplomatic relations with Israel. But cutting ties with Israel is unlikely to happen as Israeli’s powerful ally, the US, could further increase the 30% tariff it imposed on SA exports.
Pretoria is currently holding difficult negotiations with Washington to reduce the percentage. Trump’s “bull’s eye” is for SA to withdraw its court case and reduce its relationship with China – issues Pretoria was unlikely to entertain.
In July, the Israeli embassy expressed its willingness to hold talks with Pretoria to restore relations, but the department of international relations and cooperation refused to entertain the request.
