On Monday, Israel took the diplomatic step of recalling its Ambassador to South Africa, Eli Belotserkovsky, for consultations. This move comes in response to a series of strongly antagonistic comments and actions taken by the government in Pretoria, particularly concerning Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
Earlier in the day, a South African government minister made a noteworthy call for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before mid-December. This request adds to the escalating tensions between the two nations.
South Africa had previously recalled its own ambassador and diplomatic staff from Israel. The government in Pretoria has consistently characterized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as “genocide.” This labeling has contributed to the deterioration of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The recall of ambassadors and the call for an ICC arrest warrant further underscore the depth of the diplomatic strain stemming from Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Against the background of recent comments from South Africa, the Israel ambassador to South Africa has been called for consultations in Jerusalem,” read a short statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued Monday night. the diplomatic step
During a press briefing on Monday, South African Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the government expected the ICC to issue an arrest warrant against Netanyahu, and that failure to do so would represent a failure of global governance.