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South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola called on more countries to recognise a Palestinian state and pressure Israel to stop what he called “genocidal activities” in Gaza.
In an interview with AFP on Tuesday, Lamola said that as more of Israel’s allies express concern over the war, it brings the world “closer and closer” to getting Israel to stop its actions.
South Africa has been a leading critic of Israel’s military campaign, filing a case with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December 2023 that accuses Israel of breaching the UN’s Genocide Convention. Israel has strongly denied these allegations.
Lamola’s call for recognition comes as leaders of France, the UK, and Canada have all announced plans to recognise a Palestinian state.
“We call for more countries to continue to recognise Palestine,” he said. “This will put pressure so that we can end up with a ceasefire.”
The minister added that if the world had acted sooner on South Africa’s ICJ case, the current humanitarian crisis, including the emerging famine, could have been avoided.
He urged nations to act now and “put the pressure” on Israel.
South Africa-U.S. Relations at a “Low” Over Trade and Politics
Lamola also commented on the strained relationship between South Africa and the United States, describing it as being at “a low.”
He accused Washington of trying to interfere in South Africa’s domestic issues, pointing to the upcoming 30% tariffs on South African exports, and debunked claims by President Donald Trump about white South Africans.
Despite the strained ties, Lamola said Pretoria had done “everything possible under the sun” to secure a new trade deal.
He also extended a welcome to Trump to attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg in November, though he noted that Trump recently said he “probably won’t” attend.
Lamola stressed the summit’s theme of “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” arguing that the world must now act as “one global community.”
