Relationship dossier
Israel
South Africa
Relationship assessment
A history of apartheid-era military cooperation has given way to sharp diplomatic and legal conflict over Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Israel toward South Africa
-40Israel maintained substantial military cooperation with South Africa during apartheid. In November 2023, Israel recalled its ambassador from South Africa for consultations amid the dispute over the Gaza war and South African government statements and actions concerning Israel.
South Africa toward Israel
-55South Africa recalled its diplomats from Israel in November 2023 amid the Gaza war and, on 29 December 2023, filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice under the Genocide Convention. These actions reflect a strongly critical South African government policy toward Israel.
Overall relationship
-50The relationship combines a substantial history of Israeli military cooperation with apartheid-era South Africa and a sharp subsequent reversal in political relations. South Africa’s legal action against Israel and Israel’s recall of its ambassador amid the Gaza dispute are major features of the recent bilateral relationship.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Relations have shifted from substantial Israeli military cooperation with South Africa during apartheid to severe political strain in the democratic era. South Africa has taken prominent diplomatic and legal action against Israel over the Gaza war, including bringing a case at the International Court of Justice. Israel recalled its ambassador from South Africa for consultations in November 2023 amid the dispute. Earlier cooperation remains part of the relationship’s history, but recent government conduct has been strongly adversarial.
Areas of tension
- South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice under the Genocide Convention.
- South African government criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and related diplomatic measures.
- Israeli objections to South Africa’s government statements and actions concerning Israel.
Key developments
Israel recalled its ambassador from South Africa for consultations amid the dispute over the Gaza war.
South Africa filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice under the Genocide Convention.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of remaining bilateral cooperation and the status of diplomatic engagement after the 2023 deterioration are unclear.
- The long-term effects of South Africa’s ICJ case and related diplomatic measures on bilateral relations remain uncertain.