APA-Pretoria (South Africa) Israel has recalled its top envoy in South Africa ‘for consultations’ amid simmering tensions between Pretoria and Tel Aviv over the ongoing bombardment by the Middle East country on Palestine’s Gaza enclave.
Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lior Haiat said in a terse statement late Monday that Tel Aviv was recalling Eliav Belotserkovsky from his diplomatic posting in Pretoria ‘for consultations’ in the wake of alleged hostile statements by South African officials.
“Following the latest South African statements, the Ambassador of Israel to Pretoria has been recalled to Jerusalem for consultations,” Haiat said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
The announcement of the recall came on the eve of a vote in the South African parliament on a motion by the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on Tuesday for the closure of the Israeli embassy in Pretoria.
President Cyril Ramaphosa and the governing African National Congress have been critical of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, which has claimed more than 10,000 lives since October 7. The ANC has hinted that it would back the EFF motion.
The recall of Belotserkovsky also comes weeks after South Africa withdrew its ambassador from Tel Aviv over the same issue.
JN/APA