South Africans do not generally hate Israel or Jews, but the South African government and the country's political and cultural elites have attacked Israel with a blinding vehemence unparalleled in the democratic world. He holds a grudge against the Jewish people and poses a serious threat to the Jewish people.
One reason is historical. During the Cold War, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) worked closely with the then-terrorist organization Palestine Liberation Organization. Both were supported by the Soviet Union.
Israel opposed apartheid and participated in efforts to isolate South Africa. This stance led the apartheid government to threaten its influence on the local Jewish community. However, in the 1970s and 1980s, at the height of the Cold War, Israel and South Africa had a secret military alliance.
South Africa had relationships with Arab countries, Iran, and even Western governments. And Israel joined the sanctions against South Africa in 1987. Yet the ANC never let Israel forget that it was once on the wrong side.
That alone does not explain the hostility. A further factor is the presence of large and vocal Muslim communities in all of South Africa's major cities. Additionally, South Africa's Muslim community is dominated by extremists. Although Muslims are a minority in South Africa's overall population, they are well represented in the professions, media, and politics. Jews have also gained prominence in these areas, but their numbers are small and their voices as “white people” are not seen as legitimate.
Another factor is the dysfunction of the South African government. The government is so corrupt and incompetent that the country can barely keep the lights on. Since the early 2000s, the ANC has argued that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an effective way to distract the public by (falsely) presenting Israel as an old regime and rekindling the old “struggle” politics. I have come to realize that there is. (The main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, was brought to power by a Jew named Tony Leung, whom I worked for. The fact that he is married to an Israeli is often linked to domestic anti-Israel, Although South Africa's own human rights record is abysmal, even post-apartheid (which sparked vicious attacks by voices from Israel), leading the fight against Israel could also deflect international criticism.
There is also the issue of corruption. The ANC enjoys good relations with some of the world's most repressive regimes, many of which are fueled by corruption. Critics say the South African government is not staunchly anti-Israel, saying it receives funding from anti-Israel regimes and groups and risks disrupting trade relations with Israel and the West. I'm guessing. That's plausible, given the recent history of “state capture” in which corrupt outsiders essentially take over government departments.
Finally, there is the phenomenon of classic anti-Semitism. The Afrikaner nationalists of the apartheid regime were pro-Nazi during World War II. And elements of the anti-apartheid movement also fueled Jewish anger. Desmond Tutu, the Nobel laureate who was considered the voice of moral conscience in the anti-apartheid movement, also espoused “replacement theology,” which condemned Jews for rejecting Christ. These opinions are few but part of the mix.
South Africa thus eagerly volunteered to prosecute Israel for “genocide” at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a move that victims of Hamas's genocidal terrorism were accused of in order to protect themselves. (which right-wing South Africans claim Israeli Jews do not have). Elements of South Africa's argument included classic anti-Semitic themes.
Notably, South Africa is also attempting to defend actual Excluding genocidal regimes from international judicial scrutiny. It targets only Israel, the Jewish state.
Its effects are beginning to be felt in South African society. On Friday, South African cricket officials sacked David Teager, the Jewish captain of the Under-19 team, over innocuous pro-Israel comments. The only acceptable Jews are a small number of extremists who declare that they too hate Israel.
How ironic that a country that was once banned from international competitions due to racial discrimination has brought prejudice back into the world of sports. This proves the old adage that anti-Semitism destroys the society that embraces it.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM PT) on Sirius XM Patriot. He is the author of a recently published e-book. How to avoid becoming a terrible country: Lessons from South Africa. his recent book, red novembertells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpolak.
