‘I felt safer in Gaza than Cape Town’

A Palestinian journalist who has spent years writing about conflict, dialogue, and peacebuilding arrived in Cape Town hoping to tell South Africa’s story. Instead, after becoming the victim of two crimes within months, he left with a very different perspective on the country. 

Karim*, a freelance journalist from Gaza, came to South Africa in December intending to report on politics, society, and the country’s growing role in international affairs. His work has appeared in publications including The Washington Times, Moment Magazine, The Jewish Independent, and Ynet. He has become known for writing about dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis and participating in peacebuilding initiatives. 

His plans for South Africa extended beyond Cape Town. He hoped to travel throughout the region, reporting from neighbouring countries before eventually returning to the Middle East. Two incidents of crime changed the course of his visit. 

The first happened in April while he was working from a café. After placing his belongings on a table, he briefly walked to the counter to order coffee. When he returned, his phone had disappeared. Although upset, he regarded it as an isolated incident. 

The second experience proved more traumatic. In June, Karim was walking to a grocery store in Mowbray when a vehicle stopped beside him. Four men got out, confronted him, and robbed him of his phone. Using his laptop, he was later able to trace the phone’s location through its tracking software. But he received little assistance from police, he said. 

“I became just another statistic,” he said. 

Karim rejects suggestions that the attacks were connected to his identity as a Palestinian or to his journalism. As someone who has reported extensively on conflict, he is careful not to draw conclusions unsupported by evidence. “I don’t think it was political. I think it was random crime.” 

Even so, the incidents dramatically altered his impression of the country. He said he struggled to understand why South Africans continue living with such high levels of violent crime. He told this reporter, “I think you should make aliya. It’s safer in Israel than here, even with the conflict.” 

Although Gaza has endured war, displacement, and destruction, he said crime remains far less common there too in his experience. “In Palestine, there are bombs and missiles, but people don’t steal from each other. People help each other.” 

He described a strong sense of community that persists despite years of conflict. “When people have nothing, they still look after each other.” he said. 

Karim found it difficult to reconcile that experience with life in South Africa, where he felt unsafe performing everyday activities like walking to a local shop. 

Yet amid the disappointment, something unexpected happened. News of his falling victim to crime reached Democratic Alliance Member of Parliament Darren Bergman through another overseas journalist, who has also asked to remain anonymous. Within days, Bergman had contacted members of Cape Town’s Jewish community to ask whether anyone would help a stranded Palestinian reporter who had been robbed twice. 

The response surprised him. “They didn’t ask who he voted for, what his politics were, or where he came from,” Bergman said. “They just asked, ‘How can we help?’” Members of the community quickly offered practical support. 

One Jewish South African journalist arranged to replace Karim’s stolen phone. Another person offered free counselling. Others volunteered to help with his immediate needs, while Bergman offered him accommodation. For Bergman, those gestures became part of a larger story. “I think that’s the power of this,” he said. “People heard about a journalist from Gaza who needed help, and they simply helped.” 

Karim said the experience reminded him that acts of kindness often come from unexpected places. It reinforced his approach to journalism, in which he has tried to challenge assumptions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by highlighting individuals rather than stereotypes. 

His articles have explored cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians, questioned cultural boycotts, reflected on shared traditions, and examined the human cost of war through deeply personal stories. 

One of his most widely read essays was written after his father was killed in Gaza. Rather than focusing on politics, he wrote about the danger of reducing people to statistics. Another reflected on the Jewish festival of Sukkot, arguing that hospitality and openness remain essential foundations for peace. 

He believes journalism should create opportunities for dialogue rather than reinforce division. And although his work has often placed him in politically sensitive environments, he insists on maintaining his independence. “I write what I see,” he said. 

Fortunately, Karim has not given up on South Africa altogether. He hopes to return in December to continue the reporting trip that was interrupted. However, he has chosen not to speak publicly under his own name about what happened. He told the SA Jewish Report that he had been advised that drawing attention to his experiences could complicate future visa applications if he wished to return to South Africa. 

For that reason, he asked that his identity not be linked publicly to the incidents. 

For now, he leaves South Africa with one memory that is stronger than the others. It is not the stolen phones or the frustration he felt after seeking police help. It is the people who reached out despite knowing little about him beyond the fact that he needed assistance. 

For someone who has spent years writing about conflict and searching for common ground between people divided by politics, religion, and history, that response carried particular significance. “If people focused on our shared humanity, then the world would be a far better place,” he said. 

Karim’s months in South Africa did not unfold as he had imagined. Instead of leaving with a notebook full of stories about the country, he left with a story of his own. It’s a story of crime and fear, but also one of unexpected generosity. 

*The source has requested anonymity for security reasons.