Visiting ambassador reaffirms Israel’s commitment to SA Jews

Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss is in South Africa for two weeks to send a clear message that the Israeli embassy in Pretoria is very much open for business and that Israel is still there to support South African Jews. 

Fluss, who now officially serves as Policy Coordinator for Emerging Disruptive Technologies in the Division of Strategic Affairs in Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was a diplomat in South Africa 20 years ago. 

“It is wonderful to be back in this country that I loved spending time in as deputy ambassador,” he told the SA Jewish Report. “I spent two years here from 2004, one year of which I was chargé d’affaires [heading up the embassy]. 

“It was a very different time and a great experience. We had the greatest number of high-level visits between the countries during that time. This included a visit from former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to the then President Thabo Mbeki.” 

His visit now, he says, is to engage with the leadership of the Jewish community and other communities. “Being here is to show clearly that the embassy is open. Israel will continue to send senior people here for short periods to show continuity. 

“Israel’s relationship with the Jewish community in South Africa has always been and is still vitally important and our relationship is excellent. It is important that people know the embassy is operational,” he says. 

“I am here to assist internally at the embassy and meet with leaders and other friends. Israel is in a complicated situation, but we are resilient and our economy is thriving. While social activism is alive and well in Israel, with many internal debates going on, this is as it’s meant to be in a thriving liberal democracy. 

“After 78 years, Israel is strong. It is a vibrant, creative, and resilient country and people.” 

He says this was clear to him when commemorating Yom Hazikaron and celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut in Israel just before coming to South Africa. 

“On Yom Hazikaron, we heard a woman who had lost her son in the war in the past two years. She was so inspiring and offered such strength to all of us listening. Her amazing insights made us all smile. This is true resilience. 

“Then, we were out on the street celebrating. As much pain as we have suffered with the war, we celebrated. People were so obviously happy. They had the chance to celebrate, so celebrate they did, with gusto.” 

Looking back at his time in South Africa between 2004 and 2006, Fluss says there wasn’t always agreement with the government of the day. “We had disagreements, but we were able to engage and discuss it.” 

At the time, Israeli agricultural experts were brought to South Africa and worked with communities around the country to upgrade and modernise their farming practices. 

“We had different projects in Gauteng, Eastern Cape, and Western Cape and were working with grassroots communities. For me, this is working with neshama (soul). I loved meeting and getting to know the people. 

“I will never forget going into the Cape townships with Helen Lieberman of [empowerment organisation] Ikamva Labantu. I really saw how people live in townships, the real challenges, problems, and the impressive women involved,” he says. 

Fluss met women who had nothing but created homes for children in need. Some housed and looked after as many as 30 children. “Each child felt loved and was off the streets,” he says. “And these women did it from their hearts. It was really wow!” 

From South Africa in 2006, he went to work at the United Nations in the United States. “That was a real shock, having come from the warmth and kindness of this community. The culture is so different there, as is the community. It made me realise how special the South African Jews are and why this is such an incredibly close-knit community.” 

In his new position dealing with artificial intelligence (AI) and disruptive technologies, Fluss is excited about the many prospects Israel has to help the world. “Israel is very good at innovation and taking risks. We are leaders in AI because of this, and we want to help others in building their expertise in this.” 

While he acknowledges that AI is also being used to send negative messages about Israel and the Jewish people, he is clear it can be better used for good. 

He goes on to say that, unfortunately, the growing antisemitism in the world is not new. “However, who would have imagined that after the Holocaust, antisemitic voices and attacks would be met with such weak responses from governments and society in centres of liberalism,” he says. 

“It was a wake-up call for all of us,” says Fluss, who is the child of Holocaust survivors. “The difference now is that we have a Jewish State. However, we cannot and dare not let people stop us speaking out against antisemitism. 

“We must fight against this. The hypocrisy you see in people who appear to be extreme liberals using the same slogans as the extreme right and jihadists. They are united in their antisemitism. So we will continue to fight evil and continue to spread our moral values and help others.”