Lifestyle/Community
SA embassy in Tel Aviv’s continued closure violates commitment
The South African embassy in Tel Aviv was closed on 17 November, exactly two years ago, creating significant difficulty for thousands of South African citizens living in, working in, or visiting Israel who required routine and emergency consular services.
In the absence of an embassy, the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) has often needed to intervene for community members in crisis, a responsibility that properly belongs to the South African government.
This knee jerk, virtue signalling exercise did nothing to contribute to the peace deal that thankfully other governments, including the United States and several Arab nations, were able to achieve, through hard work and negotiations with both sides of the conflict.
During the Iran war (June 2024), the South African embassy in Tehran reached out to its citizens living in Iran to offer consular services and support. No such approach was made to South Africans in Israel where civilian populations were directly targeted by Iranian missiles. It was left to the SAJBD to arrange for the repatriation of South African citizens when the war ended, arranging for three Ethiopian Airlines flights to be added to bring South African citizens home. This was a task other governments arranged for their citizens.
At a meeting with SAJBD leadership on 13 December 2023, President Cyril Ramaphosa assured those present that the closure was only “for the duration of the war” in Gaza. A ceasefire has now been in place for 38 days – since 10 October 2025 at 12:00 – yet the embassy remains closed for business.
The war has ended, and we therefore call on Ramaphosa to honour his commitment of reopening the embassy in Tel Aviv as per his assurance on that date.
- Wendy Kahn is the national director of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies.
Mervyn Skuy
November 18, 2025 at 7:32 pm
I applaud the SAJBD for their persistence in calling for the re-opening of the SA Embassy in Israel. I was also most impressed by Howard Sackstein’s speech at the Jewish Achievers Awards in which he illustrated the significant role of Jews (previously and currently) in South Africa. By contrast are the SA government’s appalling antisemitic/anti-Zionist position and actions, and the scenes of gigantic anti-Zionist/antisemitic marches and protests. This leads me to ask the question,from my relatively secure home in Miami, USA, is there any future for the Jewish people in SA ?
yitzchak
November 19, 2025 at 7:06 am
I nominate Ibrahim Rasool as new ambassador to Israel
Jessica
November 19, 2025 at 12:15 pm
Goes to show that the ANC “Government” doesn’t represent all citizens and in fact by design discriminates against one of its most vulnerable and internationally valued communities.