In the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas, Western nations have rallied behind Israel with countries including the US, UK and Germany offering military support in the fighting in Gaza. Meanwhile, many other countries, especially in Africa, have also called on Israel to stop its aggression and offered solidarity with the people of Gaza.
South Africa has blamed Israel’s actions for the violence citing the illegal occupation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other Christian sites. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has underscored the country’s historic support for the “just struggle” of Palestinians and offered to help mediate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“(We) are all standing here pledging our solidarity with the people of Palestine. We stand here because we are deeply concerned about the atrocities that are unfolding in the Middle East…We have a full understanding of how the people of Palestine have taken up this issue, because they are people… that have been under occupation for almost 75 years,” Ramaphosa said on Saturday.
In an earlier statement, the South African President said he was gravely concerned at the devastating escalation of the conflict and the atrocities committed against civilian populations.
But why is South Africa one of the few nations to openly speak against Israel despite being Tel Aviv’s biggest trading partner in Africa? News18 takes a look at the Palestine-Africa relations, how it changed over the years and the reason behind the African country supporting Gaza.
South Africa’s Colonia History
South Africa, which bore the brunt of colonialism like many other countries including India, has traditionally been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.
African countries that became independent from the brutal colonial rule in the 1960s were sympathetic to the struggle of Palestinians who were uprooted from their land and homes in 1948.
South Africa formed diplomatic relations with Palestine soon after the Apartheid system ended in 1990. The post-apartheid South Africa has been most staunch supporter of Palestine in the subcontinent.
South African anti-apartheid activist and former President Nelson Mandela famously draw parallels between the struggle of Black South Africans against white rule and of Palestinians against Israel’s occupation.
Why South Africa Supports Palestine?
South Africa’s solidarity for Palestine came due to many reasons:
- Its own experience of discrimination and racial segregation, which made it sympathetic to what was happening to Palestinians by the Israelis.
- South African leader Nelson Mandela, like Mahatma Gandhi, spoke up strongly for the rights of the Palestinians.
- Israel was formed with the support of the West, especially UK which signed the Balfour Declaration in 1917, that called for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine. South Africa has not forgotten the West’s role in perpetuating apartheid.
- South Africa has also stayed steadfast in supporting Palestine due to African National Congress’ deep links with anti-discrimination activism. The party along with other opponents of apartheid have long compared Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to what the White government did to Black South Africans.
- Since the formation of Israel, South Africa’s position on the issue has largely been the same as many other African nations.
How South Africa-Palestine Relations Progressed?
Though South Africa was opposed to Israel in the initial years, the country like many African nations softened their stand towards Israel over years.
In 2021, trade between Israel and Sub-Saharan African countries reached over $750 million. Israel exported machinery, electronics and chemicals to Africa, according to Al Jazeera.
Of the total exports to Africa, around two-thirds went to South Africa, followed by Nigeria, with which Israel traded goods worth $129 million in 2021.
Despite being Israel’s biggest trading partner in Africa, South Africa have been among the few nations like Algeria vocally criticising Israel.
Last year, South Africa said Israel should be declared an apartheid state. In March 2023, it downgraded its embassy in Israel into a liaison office.
Africa Divided on Supporting Palestine
Here’s a list of African nations and their stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict:
- Kenya’s has expressed its support for Israel with the Kenyan President William Ruto voicing his support on X (formerly Twitter). “Kenya joins the rest of the world in solidarity with the State of Israel and unequivocally condemns terrorism and attacks on innocent civilians in the country,” Ruto posted on X.
- Other nations including Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Zambia have also supported Israel on the issue.
- Algeria has declared solidarity with Palestine with the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressing deep concern over Israel’s attacks on Gaza and accusing it of violating international humanitarian law.
- African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat has highlighted the denial of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people as the main cause of the current tensions.
- Morocco, which is establishing full diplomatic ties with Israel, has voiced deep concerns over the situation in Gaza and called for an end to the violence.
- Uganda President Yoweri Museveni has condemned the violence in Gaza and called for two-state solution on the issue.
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