Thousands March in Cape Town Urging South Africa to Cut Ties with Israel Over Gaza War

More than 3,000 people marched through Cape Town on Saturday demanding that South Africa sever trade and diplomatic relations with Israel, including shutting down its embassy, over the ongoing war in Gaza.

Pretoria has been one of Israel’s strongest critics, filing a case at the UN’s top court in December 2023 accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza — a charge Israel rejects.

Saturday’s march drew pro-Palestinian groups, political parties, and both Muslim and Christian organizations, making it one of the largest demonstrations in recent months. Protesters waved Palestinian flags and carried placards reading, “Don’t just feel bad, do something,” before handing over a petition to parliament.

The petition called for the expulsion of Israel’s ambassador, suspension of coal exports to Israel, prosecution of South Africans who enlist in the Israeli military, and the country’s exclusion from international sporting bodies such as FIFA.

“South Africa must boycott, divest and sanction Israel, the same way the world did for us,” said Palestine Solidarity Campaign coordinator Usuf Chikte, invoking the international pressure campaign that helped end apartheid.

The protest came as the death toll in Gaza rose to at least 65,926, according to Palestinian authorities, following Israel’s military response to the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack.

Hamas meanwhile hailed the walkout of delegations before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent UN speech as evidence of Israel’s “growing isolation.”