Government’s silence on stranded citizens in Israel ‘discriminatory’

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) criticised South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday, 17 June, for ignoring South Africans stuck in Israel due to the war between Israel and Iran, and worrying only about South Africans in Iran.

This week, the South African government issued a statement reaching out to South Africans in the Islamic Republic of Iran, saying that they must be registered and in contact with the South African embassy in Tehran. However, the government didn’t reach out to the many South Africans in Israel.

This is contrary to what Ramaphosa promised the South African Jewish community in December 2023, the SAJBD said.

“We chose to write a letter to Ramaphosa because in December 2023, Ramaphosa told the Board in a meeting that even though the embassy was being closed temporarily, South Africans in Israel would still be given fair access to consular services,” Wendy Kahn, the national director of the SAJBD told the SA Jewish Report.

Offering consular assistance to South Africans in Iran and not in Israel demonstrates an abandonment of those in Israel in times of crisis, a case of the government completely failing its citizens, said Kahn.

“It’s telling that Dirco [the Department of International Relations and Cooperation] reaches out with consular support only to South Africans in Iran, but shows disinterest and a complete lack of concern for the many South Africans stranded in Israel, including young Jewish people studying at universities and religious seminaries, families on holiday, and Christian people on pilgrimages,” the SAJBD said. “This violates our government’s constitutional obligations to its citizens.”

Although some foreign nationals have left Israel through neighbouring countries, the Israeli government has advised against it as it comes with risks.

Rolene Marks, the spokesperson for the South African Zionist Federation (SAZF), said, “The SAZF condemns Dirco’s shameful double standard in abandoning South African citizens in Israel while rushing to support those in Iran. This selective concern exposes a government that has weaponised foreign policy against its own people.

“This isn’t an oversight, this is discrimination. Dirco’s silence sends a chilling message: the safety of South African Jewry travelling in Israel matters less than political theatre. When citizenship becomes conditional on the government’s ideological preferences, we cease to be a nation that protects its people.”

This comes after the South African government issued a statement on 13 June that expressed “profound concern regarding the attacks conducted by Israel on targets within Iran on 13 June 2025, including reported impacts on military areas, nuclear facilities, and civilian infrastructure. Reports of civilian casualties, alongside military personnel, are deeply troubling”.

Democratic Alliance Member of Parliament Emma Louise Powell responded to its statement on X, saying, “Astonishing that Dirco recalls selective resolutions of the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] General Conference to condemn Israeli actions, while completely ignoring the fact that just this week, the IAEA formally declared Iran non-compliant with its non-proliferation obligations: hiding undeclared nuclear sites; blocking inspections; and stockpiling enough enriched uranium to assemble at least nine nuclear warheads, while Khamenei chants, “Death to Israel, death to America!” from podiums in Tehran.”

By Wednesday afternoon, 18 June, the SAJBD had received no response from the government to its letter. The Board, meanwhile, made it clear that should any individual find the need for consular assistance, they should approach the SAJBD, and it would do its best to assist by working with its contacts in relevant ministries.

In the Dirco statement on 13 June, it said, “South Africa emphasises that under international humanitarian law, civilians and civilian infrastructure must never be considered legitimate targets.”

However, according to the SAZF’s Operation Rising Lion Fact Sheet released on 18 June, the operation was “a precision military operation targeting Iran’s nuclear weapons programme and military infrastructure. This pre-emptive strike was executed as a last resort to neutralise an imminent existential threat to Israel.” The operation aimed to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran while minimising civilian harm through precision-guided munitions and pre-strike evacuation warnings where feasible, it said. “All efforts were made to avoid civilian infrastructure and population centres,” said the SAZF.

Since then, more than 400 ballistic missiles have been launched by Iran, and more than 40 impact sites have been identified in Israel. As many as 24 civilians in Israel have been killed, and another 804 injured after five days of bombing by Iran.

On 15 June, Dirco did, however, put out another statement saying that “South Africa expresses deep concern regarding the escalation of hostilities between the state of Israel and Islamic Republic of Iran. We extend our deepest condolences to the peoples of both nations suffering from the tragic loss of life.”