Israeli Embassy Jabs Ramaphosa Over ‘Boycott Politics’ Remark

The Israeli Embassy in South Africa has mocked President Cyril Ramaphosa after he said “boycott politics does not work,” calling the remark a “rare moment of wisdom and diplomatic clarity.”

Ramaphosa made the comment while responding to former US President Donald Trump’s decision to boycott the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg.

Trump announced he would not attend and that no US officials would participate, citing false claims of a “genocide” against Afrikaners and accusations that the South African government was seizing land without compensation.

South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has rejected these allegations as misleading and unsupported by evidence.

In a post on X, the Israeli Embassy seized on Ramaphosa’s statement amid already strained relations, which have worsened since South Africa filed a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

DIRCO’s Clayson Monyela responded sharply, saying the embassy’s “undiplomatic and disrespectful behaviour” had been noted.