South Africa’s foreign policy is once again thrown into sharp focus following the Freedom Front Plus’s (FF Plus) call for the restoration of diplomatic ties with Israel.
FF Plus member of Parliament, Corné Mulder, last week argued that normalisation of relations was a necessary starting point if South Africa genuinely wishes to contribute to lasting peace in the Middle East.
The FF Plus frame this as a pragmatic move, suggesting that if South Africa restores relations, it would send a “positive message” to the United States (US), a gesture deemed “critical at this stage” of negotiations to normalise trade relations between the two countries. This argument directly targets the ANC’s political anxiety regarding its relationship with Western states, particularly the US, South Africa’s second-largest trading partner.
FF Plus’s plea comes nearly two years after the country’s sixth Parliament, driven by seismic political shifts following the events of 7 October 2023, formally resolved to suspend those very relations.
As the African National Congress (ANC) navigates the waters of the Government of National Unity (GNU), the conflict over Palestine has surged back onto the national agenda, threatening to pit the executive against Parliament.
EFF, Al Jama-ah oppose ties with Israel
Leading the charge against any attempt at diplomatic normalisation is the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the original proponents of the 2023 motion to shut down the Israeli embassy in Pretoria. The EFF remains uncompromising in its stance: diplomatic ties must remain severed with the “apartheid state of Israel” until all Occupied Territories are returned and a lasting peaceful solution is achieved.
The party views the current US-backed Gaza ceasefire with suspicion, urging Palestinians to approach it with extreme caution. Crucially, the EFF believes the resolution passed by the National Assembly in November 2023 to suspend diplomatic relations with Israel is being deliberately ignored by President Cyril Ramaphosa, suggesting he lacks the political will to implement the parliamentary resolution.
“We will have to look into legal action to force the President to implement the motion,” said the EFF.
EFF leader Julius Malema has previously voiced his conviction that the Palestine issue has been negatively impacted – or entirely removed – from South Africa’s national agenda by the political dynamics of the GNU.
Last year, Malema argued that the ANC’s partners, including the FF Plus – who he characterised as “remnants of apartheid” and “fanatics of Zionist Apartheid Israel” – have successfully muzzled Ramaphosa. The president’s noticeable silence on Palestine during his July 2024 Opening of Parliament Address was deemed a result of being “hamstrung” and “scared to offend” his new coalition partners.
Adding to the EFF’s stance, the Al Jama-ah party vehemently rejected the FF Plus’s proposal, labelling it an “apartheid activity”. The party’s leader, Ganief Hendricks – who is also deputy minister of Social Development in the GNU executive – asserted that because Israel is a Zionist entity and an apartheid state, supporting such a proposal risks violating the Rome Statute, which is sufficient to criminally charge those supporting apartheid.
The statement went further, condemning members of Parliament who, after a “fact-finding” mission to Israel in early 2025, claimed they found no evidence of apartheid. Al Jama-ah noted that Israel is currently facing war crimes and genocide charges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Hendricks also said that Al Jama-ah would introduce a Private Members Bill to outlaw such “racist and unpatriotic positions”.
Excerpt from: SA Peoples News: Is Ramaphosa stalling decision amid push for restoration of ties with Israel?
21-10-25 – Click here to read the full article