Jewish Agency for Israel Chairman IDF Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog recently postponed a visit to South Africa following an “assessment of the general situation,” a spokesperson confirmed to JNS on Sunday.
According to Kan Reshet Bet radio, the decision to cancel the trip came amid fears that Pretoria would issue an arrest warrant for the chairman.
The Jewish Agency “works around the world to strengthen the connection between Jewish communities and Israel. Jewish Agency envoys work routinely in 66 countries, and agency heads meet periodically with community leaders,” a spokeswoman told JNS.
“Following a recent assessment of the general situation, a planned trip to South Africa by Chairman Doron Almog has been postponed,” she said. “The Jewish Agency’s activities in all communities will continue to strengthen their mutual ties and their bonds with Israel.”
Based in Jerusalem, the Jewish Agency for Israel is the world’s largest Jewish nonprofit organization. It has helped more than three million Jews to immigrate to the Jewish state since the country’s rebirth in 1948.
Almog, who served as head of the Israel Defense Forces’ Southern Command from 2000 to 2003, suffered personal losses in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led cross-border terrorist attacks from the Gaza Strip.
His brother‑in‑law Nadav Goldstein‑Almog, and his eldest niece, Yam, were murdered in their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, while Nadav’s wife, Chen, and their younger children—Agam, 17, Gal, 11, and Tal, 9—were abducted by Hamas terrorists and held in Gaza for more than 50 days.
In November 2023, Israel withdrew its ambassador from South Africa after Pretoria did the same, and Knesset members passed a resolution recommending the closure of Israel’s mission until the Swords of Iron war ended.
Relations between South Africa and Israel hit an all-time low after Pretoria presented its case at the International Court of Justice on Dec. 29, 2023, accusing the Jewish state of committing genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity as part of the war against Hamas.
South Africa’s foreign minister has warned that the country would seek to arrest citizens who serve in the IDF upon their return to South Africa.
Since January 2024, South Africa has maintained only “limited political and diplomatic interaction” with Jerusalem due to the war against terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
