News
Ramaphosa signs support for convicted terrorist
President Cyril Ramaphosa is the first sitting head of state to sign an international petition demanding that Israel release convicted terrorist Marwan Barghouti.
Ramaphosa chose Freedom Day, 27 April, to sign a statement that calls for the “immediate release” of Barghouti, who was found guilty of leading and planning multiple terror attacks against Israeli civilians during the Second Intifada.
An Israeli court convicted Barghouti in 2004 on five counts of murder and one of attempted murder, sentencing him to five consecutive life terms plus 40 years in prison.
But the pledge Ramaphosa signed says Barghouti is “an elected representative unjustly imprisoned for 23 years, who is widely recognised as a Palestinian ‘Mandela’ figure”. It says his imprisonment “constitutes a grave injustice and stands as a major barrier to peace”.
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation (AKF) announced Ramaphosa’s signing of the petition, saying his endorsement “reinforces South Africa’s duty to stand for justice, human rights, and international law”, and that it aligns with South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Barghouti was a leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, which were responsible for numerous suicide bombings and shooting attacks during the Second Intifada. He is accused of orchestrating, financing, and facilitating terrorist acts. He’s been imprisoned for the murder of a Greek monk in Jerusalem in 2021, the killing of a woman in the West Bank in 2002, and three murders in Tel Aviv in 2002.
The AKF called on heads of state, parliamentarians, and political leaders to “follow Ramaphosa’s lead, sign the pledge, and publicly demand Barghouti’s release”.
Executive Director of the Middle East Africa Research Institute, Benji Shulman, says Ramaphosa’s support of Barghouti is not new. When Ramaphosa was deputy president in 2017, he and a number of Cabinet ministers embarked on a 24-hour hunger strike in support of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, including Barghouti.
“Proponents of Barghouti’s release like to try compare him to Nelson Mandela. However, Barghouti was imprisoned for his role in the murder of Israelis during the Second Intifada,” says Shulman. “Nelson Mandela was never convicted of murdering anyone, and, in fact, said that ‘terrorism inevitably reflected poorly on those who used it, undermining any public support it might otherwise garner’.”
“The violence of Barghouti haunts the campaign [for his release] and those associated with it to this day,” says Shulman.
Ray Hartley, who leads the Platform for African Democrats, says, “This is yet another unwise escalation of South Africa’s partisan approach to international relations, and it will aggravate an already strained relationship with the United States. Ramaphosa should ask himself why he is the first head of state to sign this. Perhaps others are judging this more wisely.”
Former senior White House official Lawrence J Haas is a senior fellow for US foreign policy at the American Foreign Policy Council think tank. He told the SA Jewish Report that “the notion that any head of state would sign such a petition to support a convicted terrorist who is serving multiple life sentences is morally reprehensible”.
However, “while outrageous”, it’s not terribly surprising in light of South Africa’s decidedly anti-Israel activities in recent years, says Haas. “I don’t know that it will significantly affect US-South Africa relations, simply because it’s another step down the path that South Africa has been walking openly for years.”
David May, a research analyst at US think tank the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, says that comparisons between Barghouti and Mandela are not only false, but “tarnish Madiba’s legacy”.
“Mandela should not be associated with the mastermind of the Second Intifada, a wave of terrorism that claimed the lives of more than 1 000 Israelis,” says May. “Perhaps South African politicians should focus on protecting their constituents from violence, rather than subjecting Israelis to it.”
He says Barghouti’s popularity on the Palestinian street is an indictment of Palestinian political culture. “Domestically, Barghouti’s role in killing Israelis is an asset, not a liability. Perhaps this is a good opportunity for African National Congress (ANC) leaders to shine a light on the ramifications of Palestinian violence, an important angle intentionally erased from the ANC’s lawfare campaign against Israel at the ICJ and beyond.”
Elliott Abrams, a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at a prominent non-partisan think tank, the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, DC, has criticised The New York Times for calling Barghouti “a Palestinian leader and parliamentarian”, ignoring his terrorist ties.
Abrams told the SA Jewish Report that the US government will probably pay little attention to Ramaphosa’s signing of the petition, but “for those in the US who do pay attention, they will note that Ramaphosa is the only head of government to sign this petition on behalf of a convicted murderer, and it will lower their opinion of him. Terrorism remains a great danger throughout the world, and his apparent indifference to it is contemptible.”
US foreign policy expert Michael Walsh says Ramaphosa’s signing of the petition will be “strongly opposed by some Israeli political factions and US special interest groups”.
However, it is “unclear what the long-term impact will be on US-South Africa relations” because “last year, Trump indicated that he might be willing to call upon [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to release Barghouti despite the potential domestic political blowback”.
Walsh explains that “at some point, the US is going to have to fill the leadership vacuum in the Palestinian Territories. When that time comes, the Trump administration may be willing to make the same kinds of trade-offs that were made to fill the leadership vacuum in Syria.”
Yet Democratic Alliance spokesperson on international relations and cooperation, Ryan Smith, says that “it is telling that President Ramaphosa has signed a petition for the release of Barghouti, but not for the release of opposition politicians in his own region such as Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Uganda; and all the while, turning a blind eye to the massacre of innocent civilians in Iran”.
For Smith, “This is no sign of solidarity, it is yet another reflection of the ANC’s highly selective and performative morality, which it applies exclusively based on how much political mileage it can get.”
The South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) condemned the AKF for championing the petition. “Barghouti was convicted on multiple counts of murder and attempted murder and is serving five life sentences. That record is not contested; it is established in a court of law,” says SAZF spokesperson Rolene Marks.
Yet the AKF “has chosen to lend its name to a campaign that elevates a convicted terrorist. This is a wholesale abandonment of principles”, says Marks. “It tells victims of terrorism that their suffering is negotiable. It signals that the deliberate killing of civilians can be excused, repackaged, and even celebrated. And it drags South Africa’s already strained moral credibility even lower.”
Ryan
April 30, 2026 at 10:04 am
Israel has had 2 Prime Ministers who have credibly been labelled as terrorists, Begin and Shamir, as well as our current National Security minister being branded as a terrorist by the state of Israel itself.
Although I never liked Shamir and I despise Ben Gvir, I do not say this to draw equivalence. The reality is Begin went on to sign the peace deal with Egypt.
I am not going to spend any time defending Barghouti, but it is worth looking into his positions. He advocates for a 2-state solution, as well as opposing violence against civilians.
While most people will still take issue with him, it is the reality that he is seemingly the only political figure Palestinians will rally behind. We are not going to find a Palestinian leader that perfectly fits with what we want, and we have to work with the ones that are seemingly looking for an end to this madness.
If you think Israel has the right to pick and choose who we work with based on our perceptions of them, it is then perfectly reasonable that Palestinians have the right to never engage with the current government of Israel or any Israeli government that has Likud as part of a coalition.
We do not make peace with our friends, we make peace with our enemies.
Ian Levinson
April 30, 2026 at 3:04 pm
Ryan, the problem isn’t whether Barghouti says the right words about a two‑state solution — it’s whether Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and their proxies actually want one. They don’t. Their charters, speeches, and actions make it clear: the goal is Israel’s destruction and, chillingly, the elimination of Jews worldwide.
Barghouti wasn’t jailed for writing essays; he was convicted in a court of law for orchestrating murders during the Second Intifada. Elevating him as a “Mandela figure” erases the victims of terrorism and legitimises violence. Mandela himself rejected terrorism because it undermined any moral cause.
Peace requires partners who genuinely accept coexistence. Pretending that groups committed to annihilation are interested in compromise isn’t pragmatism — it’s self‑deception. South Africa’s credibility sinks when it equates killers with liberators, and victims deserve better than selective morality dressed up as solidarity.
Ryan
May 5, 2026 at 8:52 am
Ian, to address your first and last paragraph, I absolutely agree, Israel has no obligation and should not negotiate with groups that seek to destroy Israel. These groups are not resistance groups, they are terrorist organisations. That being said, I hope it is not your position that Palestinians should be equated with their worst groups, and we should not interact with Palestinians or Palestinian groups that seek a genuine resolution while these groups exist. If this standard was applied to Israel, you would not accept it.
Regarding to the Mandela equivalence, I don’t make that comparison and if you want to be critical of Cyril for doing so that is fine by me.
I am aware of Mr Bargouti’s past. To be very clear, I do not excuse it. Barghouti was found guilty of the exact same activities Begin was active in as leader of the Irgun. I do not point this out to disparage Mr Begin but rather to point out the double standard as I assume you support our peace deal with Egypt and Begins right to negotiate it.
We have been trying the same old Likud policies for the last 20 years, they do not work. Please can we look at all avenues to find an end to this continuous violence.
Ian Levinson
May 7, 2026 at 9:33 am
Ryan, I appreciate that you’re not making the Mandela comparison yourself, but I have to push back on the Begin analogy. Begin’s Irgun actions were judged in the context of a war against a colonial power, and crucially, he later renounced violence and entered politics through democratic means. Barghouti, by contrast, was convicted in a court of law for orchestrating murders of civilians during the Second Intifada. That’s not a “double standard” — it’s a fundamental difference in both the nature of the acts and the path taken afterwards.
You’re right that Palestinians shouldn’t be equated wholesale with Hamas or Hezbollah. But elevating someone like Barghouti blurs the line between legitimate political representation and legitimising terrorism. If peace is the goal, then the partners must be people who have demonstrably rejected violence, not those who embody it.
As for “Likud policies,” the reality is that every Israeli government since Oslo has tried variations of negotiation, withdrawal, and compromise — from Camp David to Gaza disengagement. Each time, the response from rejectionist groups has been more rockets, more tunnels, more bloodshed. That’s not a failure of policy; it’s a refusal by the other side to accept coexistence.
If we want to break the cycle, the starting point has to be honesty: peace cannot be built on the backs of victims by rehabilitating convicted killers as statesmen. South Africa damages its credibility even more when it pretends otherwise.
Ryan
May 12, 2026 at 9:41 am
I am sorry but bombing public areas with the intention to target civilians is terrorism in the context of the civil war or not. Additionally, I would be careful of your logic as Palestinians (agree or not) absolutely view themselves as in a war with a colonial power.
Begin was responsible for orchestrating murders of civilians, seemingly the only difference is he was not tried. It is also easy to renounce violence when your political ends have been achieved and easy to pursue political avenues when they are available to you.
Seemingly when Sharon, Begin, Shamir & Ben Gvir turn to politics their past sins are washed clean, but Palestinians are not afforded the same luxury.
I strongly encourage you to read Shlomo Ben-Ami’s book Prophets Without Honor, the chief Israeli negotiator of the time disagrees with your summery of peace talks, strongly.
You are correct, the best starting point is honesty. To pretend that we are only in this situation because Palestinians refuse peace is A-historical. We have been saying since the 1990’s they will get less than a state. We always enter negotiations expecting our maximalist demands while offering very little compromise. We say we will go back to 67 borders BUT we will keep settlements AND we must have control of the borders, airspace and ports AND we must control the Jordan Vally and and and always. This is not how we get peace. I accept the failures of the Palestinians during the peace process but we insist on white washing the role we have played.
Jessica
April 30, 2026 at 3:20 pm
You claim not to spend any time defending Barghouti, then immediately starts defending him with “He advocates for a 2-state solution, as well as opposing violence against civilians”, as if he’s unassailable in both cases.
For he’s of course course infamous for murdering civilians, and “two-state solution” in his warped Jihadi mind can only have one meaning: “final solution”.
Ian Levinson
April 30, 2026 at 11:46 am
On Freedom Day, Ramaphosa chose to back Marwan Barghouti — a convicted terrorist serving five life sentences for orchestrating murders during the Second Intifada. While ZCC leaders were just in Israel and the ANC has lost its majority, our president signs a pledge equating Barghouti with Mandela. This isn’t solidarity, it’s selective morality. Victims of terrorism deserve justice, not betrayal. Elevating killers drags South Africa’s credibility even lower. Israel will ignore this stunt — the ANC already lost its case at the ICJ, and Ramaphosa’s signature changes nothing.
Marcus Glendon
April 30, 2026 at 11:57 pm
So proud of this President, very proud of stand against genocide
Petrus Johannes Jansen van Rensburg
May 1, 2026 at 5:47 pm
He interferes with internatoional cases by signing such a petition BUT FAILS TOTALLY to condemn murders of farmers as a result of malema’s instigations(kill the boer and whites) and SA citizens. Pathetic.
LLEWELLYN Schooling
May 1, 2026 at 7:31 pm
Ramaphosa must be smoking crack. For him to continue his plight for terrorism shows the world he is pushing Zimbabwe 2.0.
The saying, if we cant have the country, no one else will.
Thats the feeling we as citizens get.
Ramaphosa must be sanctioned before it is too late to turn our country around.
Devora Even Tovov
April 30, 2026 at 4:34 pm
South African politicians and Ramaphosa as President are pandering to Iran (their cash cow) by supporting their causes againat Israel and the Jewish population.
Shame on him supporting terrorism. Never mind the 80 people per day murdered in SA
Mike
April 30, 2026 at 4:55 pm
Prepare yourself for Ramaphosa to rename either a street or some major infrastructure to Barghouti “whatever”
Elaine Kaplan
May 1, 2026 at 8:43 am
Ramaphosa keep your nose in your own country’s corruption and terrorism problems and leave other countries alone
HC Stander
May 1, 2026 at 1:16 pm
When Ramaphosa came into power, I was happy. Since then he has proven to be a racist, ignorant of what is happening in the Muslim world an a puppet for all the wrong people. I have since lost all respect for him. He has just become another twister if the truth.
Peter De Witt
May 1, 2026 at 4:50 pm
Ramaphosa has once again shown his true colours. Him and his ANC cronies have no integrity, little love for true democracy and align themselves with muderers under the guise of freedom fighters. They have double standards to suit their own agendas.
tommy hlatshwayo
May 2, 2026 at 3:10 am
As a black South African lived under apartheid i support our President.
Thapelo Christopher Monareng
May 2, 2026 at 5:31 pm
Please note that Mandela himself was once declared, internationally, a terrorist, is for that reasons why we (majority South Africans) support Mr President Ramaphosa on his act on signing a support for Mr Marwan Barghouti.
I, personally, can’t wait to vote for ANC again, come 2029. ANC is more politically matured compared to Donald Trump’s Republicans
Ian Levinson
May 8, 2026 at 12:18 pm
You’re dragging Trump into this as if he’s got anything to do with Ramaphosa signing support for Marwan Barghouti. He doesn’t. The issue here is local: our president chose to back a man convicted of orchestrating murders, and the Constitutional Court has now ruled Parliament acted unlawfully in blocking impeachment proceedings against him. That’s the reality South Africans are facing.
And please don’t twist Mandela’s legacy — yes, he was once branded a “terrorist” by foreign governments, but Mandela himself rejected terrorism because it undermined any moral cause. Equating Mandela’s struggle with Barghouti’s record of violence is dishonest.
So if you want to vote ANC in 2029, that’s your choice. But don’t pretend Ramaphosa’s actions are about maturity or morality. They’re about shielding a convicted killer, and now he may have to answer for it in impeachment.