Angry phone call between the South African foreign minister and Hamas

The foreign minister of South Africa has come under fire for speaking on the phone with the leader of Hamas only 10 days after the Palestinian militant organisation carried out a devastating attack on Israel. A South African Jewish organisation claims the phone contact shows the minister “supports” Hamas, despite the fact that the South African government has long voiced solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas, requested a contact with Naledi Pandor, formerly South Africa’s minister of international relations and cooperation, to “discuss getting humanitarian aid into Palestine.”

Contrary to misleading allegations, the minister did not show support for Hamas’ onslaught on Israel on October 7 that resulted in 1,400 deaths and over 200 Israeli hostages being captured, according to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, or DIRCO.

Instead, the department claimed that in line with her government’s stance, she “reiterated South Africa’s solidarity and support” for the Palestinian people and “expressed sadness and regret for the loss of innocent lives on both sides.”

But Karen Milner, the head of the Jewish Board of Deputies in South Africa, claimed that the call indicated the minister had chosen a side.

The fact that Naledi Pandor, South Africa’s minister of foreign affairs, spoke with Hamas soon after the heinous and awful attack by Hamas on Israel, appalled the South African Jewish Board of Deputies and the South African Jewish community, according to Milner.

She claimed that Pandor’s behaviour implied that Pandor “supports” Hamas.

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“Minister Pandor has taken a side and has dragged South Africa into a very, very dangerous situation as she supports Hamas militants,” Milner said. “The minister of foreign affairs calling a Hamas leader at the same time that every other country in the free world has condemned the Hamas attacks shows that Minister Pandor has taken a side.”

Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of South Africa, expressed his condolences to the Israeli people earlier this week while simultaneously pledging support for the Palestinians, who he said were engaged in a “just struggle.” He claimed that South Africa is in favour of a two-state solution and has offered its assistance in mediating.

The African National Congress, the country’s ruling party, frequently compares the Middle East’s condition to the struggle of Black South Africans against the racist white apartheid rule. In the past, Pandor demanded that Israel be branded as “an apartheid state.”

While the government often works with the Palestinian Authority, senior lecturer Bob Wekesa at the University of Witswatersrand in Johannesburg said it was evident the government had also adopted a posture “in support of Hamas.”

Given that Hamas is not a formal organisation, he said, “I think on the diplomatic front, it is strange that DIRCO would take a call from Hamas.” He was referring to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. Whatever the case, it has been designated as a terrorist organisation.

More than 3,000 Palestinians have died in Israeli airstrikes since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war and ordered civilians to flee to the southern part of Gaza.

The explosion at the hospital on Tuesday claimed the lives of around 500 people, and both sides claimed responsibility for the blast.

According to the Israel Defence Force, militants in Gaza accidentally fired a rocket towards the hospital that was meant for Israel. US President Joe Biden stated on Wednesday that it “appeared” Israel was not responsible for the explosion.

Pretoria, in the meantime, released a statement supporting Gazan authorities who claimed that an Israeli airstrike had hit the hospital.

Both the Muslim and Jewish populations in South Africa are large.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have taken place around the nation since the war began ten days ago. Additionally, the ANC has planned a Palestinian Solidarity March on Friday in front of the Israeli Embassy in Pretoria.