UN health advisor takes flotilla activists’ side

The South African United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, has once again shown her Israel-hating colours by sticking her neck out on the anti-Israel flotilla saga. 

The controversial rapporteur has demanded the release of two flotilla activists detained by Israel over alleged links to a Hamas-affiliated organisation sanctioned by the United States Treasury. 

Mofokeng is understood to have spent time with the activists, Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Ávila, during their visit to South Africa in February, with photographs circulating of them posing together. 

Critics say that by publicly demanding the release of activists accused of links to a US-sanctioned Hamas front group, Mofokeng has blurred the line between human rights advocacy and political activism. 

She has also recently been seen at anti-Israel gatherings alongside Gift of the Givers head Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, who publicly voiced his support for her and offered legal assistance, and vocal antizionist pastor Nigel Branken, adding to criticism of her growing proximity to outspoken anti-Israel figures. 

Anne Herzberg, the legal advisor and UN representative of research institute NGO Monitor, said Mofokeng’s actions were “highly improper and inconsistent” with the code of conduct governing special rapporteurs. 

“Special rapporteurs are required to uphold international law standards. They are also required to investigate facts and act with impartiality. Mofokeng obviously did not do that and is instead exploiting her UN position for radical politics. The fact that she is head of the governing committee for rapporteurs is yet another stain on the credibility of the UN,” Herzberg said. 

The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) also recently censured Mofokeng’s public conduct. 

She has demanded the release of Global Sumud Flotilla activists, describing their detention as unlawful and accusing Israel of “abduction”. 

Abu Keshek and Ávila were among more than 175 activists detained last week when the Israeli Navy intercepted the Gaza-bound flotilla heading to breach Israel’s naval blockade. Most participants were released in Greece, but Abu Keshek, a Spanish national of Palestinian origin, and Ávila, a Brazilian national, were taken to Israel for questioning. 

Israeli authorities allege that Abu Keshek is a leading member of the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), which the US Treasury has accused of acting covertly on behalf of Hamas. Israel says Ávila operates with the PCPA and is suspected of illegal activity. The two appeared in court in Ashkelon on Sunday, where their detention was extended by two days, and again on Tuesday, when authorities requested a further extension, according to Adalah, the Israeli rights organisation representing them. The two men are reportedly on a hunger strike. 

In a statement, Mofokeng said Abu Keshek and Ávila “have been abducted by Israel and are being kept under unlawful detention. Being in international waters to deliver aid to Gaza is not a crime.” 

She accused Israel of acting with “impunity” and committing “illegal actions and violations of international law”. 

Her critics say it is further evidence that Mofokeng, who is expected in her UN role to uphold impartiality, restraint, and professionalism, has abandoned any pretence of neutrality when it comes to Israel. 

Herzberg told the SA Jewish Report, “Israel is required to stop terror financing under international law. Since the flotilla members are suspected of terror involvement, Israel is acting in compliance with international law, while Mofokeng is encouraging action against international law.” 

Benji Shulman, director of the Middle East Africa Research Institute, said the situation highlighted “structural problems” within the UN, where autocratic states use their majority to support officials sympathetic to their agendas. 

He said Mofokeng, whose mandate focuses on sexual and reproductive health, had instead involved herself in anti-Israel activism. “Her engagement with the flotilla is another example of her operating outside her mandate while undermining the work she is supposed to be doing,” he said. 

Israel’s Foreign Ministry alleged that Abu Keshek “serves as a liaison between senior Hamas officials and international actors” and “assists the terrorist organisation in facilitating financial transfers”. It said he had previously been arrested in Egypt and deported in June 2025, and had faced questioning in Tunisia in connection with money laundering and financial irregularities. 

The US Treasury sanctioned the PCPA in January 2026, accusing it of being part of Hamas’s covert support network. It said Hamas’s use of civilian organisations endangered Palestinians and undermined legitimate humanitarian efforts. 

Mofokeng’s call for the activists’ release comes weeks after the South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) formally lodged a complaint with UN Secretary-General António Guterres regarding her conduct. 

The complaint followed a ruling by the HPCSA, which found Mofokeng guilty of unprofessional conduct, including the use of abusive and inappropriate language on social media, and behaviour that brought the medical profession into disrepute. A financial penalty was imposed in terms of the Health Professions Act. 

In its complaint to the UN, the SAZF argued that Mofokeng’s conduct was incompatible with the standards expected of a United Nations mandate-holder. 

“The United Nations cannot demand integrity from the world while turning a blind eye to conduct that erodes its own credibility,” SAZF National Chairperson Craig Pantanowitz said. “This isn’t about politics ‒ it’s about standards. When a UN Special Rapporteur is formally censured by her own professional body for misconduct, it raises serious questions about her fitness for such a role. 

“The position of Special Rapporteur carries both influence and responsibility,” Pantanowitz said. “It requires fairness, discipline, and a commitment to truth. Where those standards are repeatedly breached, there must be accountability.” 

Mofokeng has long been a lightning rod for controversy. In January 2025, she caused outrage after posting “F**k you Netanyahu” in response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and later attacked UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer with racially charged and abusive language after he called for UN action against her. 

Neuer has been one of her fiercest critics. This week, he again condemned her continued role in the UN system, writing on X, “Meet Tlaleng Mofokeng, UN Rapporteur on health. She promoted prostitution in Teen Vogue, and calls her opponents ‘evil scum white man’. She was recently found guilty by South Africa of bringing the medical profession into disrepute. Yet the UN still keeps her on.” 

He added, “The UN Human Rights Council is so twisted that racist lunatic Tlaleng Mofokeng, an open supporter of Hamas, was made Chair of the UN committee that oversees all of the UN human rights rapporteurs. I am not making this up.” 

Mofokeng’s defenders have previously argued that criticism of her is politically motivated and intended to silence criticism of Israel. However, critics say the issue is not legitimate criticism of Israeli policy, but a sustained pattern of inflammatory, one-sided, and abusive conduct unbecoming of a UN official.