Israel Recalls Ambassador to South Africa over Call to Arrest Netanyahu

JERUSALEM, Israel — The State of Israel has recalled its ambassador to South Africa after the South African government, which has backed Russia in its invasion and war against Ukraine, called for the arrest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

South Africa’s News24.com reported:

Israel has recalled for consultations its ambassador to South Africa following the “latest statements from South Africa,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party on Thursday had said it would support a parliamentary motion calling for the Israeli embassy in South Africa to be closed.

South Africa, which is highly critical of Israel’s campaign in Gaza against Hamas, has recalled its diplomats from Israel.

The Times of Israel added:

Earlier on Monday, a South African government minister called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by mid-December.

South Africa has already recalled its own ambassador and diplomatic staff from Israel, and the government has repeatedly described the Israeli campaign in Gaza as “genocide.”

The minister who called for the arrest of Netanyahu was Naledi Pandor. While calling for Netanyahu’s arrest, she has defended Russian president Vladimir Putin, criticizing calls for his arrest by the ICC and granting him immunity to visit South Africa.

South Africa pulled its own ambassador from Israel earlier this month. President Cyril Ramaphosa took a pro-Hamas stance in the immediate aftermath of the October 7 terror attack, and backed the genocide of Israelis by calling for a “free Palestine.”

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.