Israeli Jewish Agency Head Cancels South Africa Trip Over Arrest Risk

The chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog has cancelled a scheduled visit to South Africa due to concerns that authorities there could issue an arrest warrant against him. The organisation confirmed on Sunday that the trip, intended to strengthen ties with South Africa’s Jewish community, was postponed following “an up-to-date assessment of the situation.”

Almog, a retired Israeli general with a 34-year military career, has previously faced legal challenges abroad. In 2005, a British court issued an arrest warrant over alleged war crimes, forcing him to return to Israel without leaving his plane. Spain’s National Court also briefly investigated him in 2009 in connection with the 2002 killing of Hamas commander Salah Shehade, though the case was later dropped.

South Africa’s Legal Battle Against Israel

The decision comes as South Africa spearheads a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza during its war with Hamas. The Pretoria government has positioned itself as one of Israel’s most vocal critics since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 252 taken hostage.

Several of Almog’s relatives were murdered in the October 7 assault, while his daughter-in-law, Chen Goldstein Almog, and her three children were abducted into Gaza before being released weeks later in a hostage deal. Of the 48 hostages still held, around 20 are believed to be alive.

Despite the setback, the Jewish Agency emphasised that its international work remains unaffected. “The Jewish Agency works all over the world to strengthen the connection between Jewish communities and the State of Israel,” it said, noting that its emissaries operate in 66 countries and maintain regular contact with Jewish community leaders. (Inputs from ANI)

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