Reports warn that Iran and Qatar are leveraging South Africa’s historic reputation to wage a legal and diplomatic campaign against Israel.
By Shula Rosen
New research has exposed troubling links between South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) and foreign governments accused of sponsoring terrorism, specifically Iran and Qatar. Two recently released reports suggest that South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is part of a broader geopolitical strategy driven by these regimes to delegitimize Israel and expand their influence.
A report by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) documents deepening political and financial ties between the ANC and Iran, Qatar, Hamas, and Hezbollah. According to the report, ANC officials have engaged in high-level meetings with Hamas leaders, and South African organizations tied to the ANC have funneled financial and logistical support to Hamas and Hezbollah under the cover of humanitarian work.
“This report underscores how South Africa’s leadership, under the ANC, is aligning with some of the world’s most dangerous actors,” said Dr. Charles Asher Small, Executive Director of ISGAP. He described the ANC’s foreign alliances as “an abandonment” of the democratic values upheld by figures like Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo.
The ISGAP report also questions the sudden stabilization of ANC finances shortly after filing the ICJ case in early 2024, pointing to potential foreign funding, likely from Iran or Qatar, as the party was on the brink of bankruptcy.
A second report by the Middle East Africa Research Institute (MEARI) details the ANC’s decades-long relationship with Iran, including covert cooperation during apartheid. It also highlights Qatar’s expanding influence in South Africa through energy investments and political coordination, particularly around the Palestinian cause.
Both reports warn that Iran and Qatar are leveraging South Africa’s historic reputation to wage a legal and diplomatic campaign against Israel, while simultaneously undermining democratic institutions and advancing the interests of authoritarian regimes.
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