South African king criticizes his gov't's stance on Israel, blasts Oct 7 Hamas attack during visit of Gaza border communities

Xhosa King Ahlangene Sigcawu, a traditional South African king, visited Israel this week, where he met with Oct. 7 survivors and toured the Israeli border communities and the Nova music festival site attacked by Hamas terrorists two years ago. He sharply criticized the South African government and local media for ignoring Hamas’ Oct. 7 atrocities against Israeli civilians.

The visit, facilitated by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, was part of an effort to build alternative diplomatic channels that bypass the current anti-Israel South African government. During his trip, Sigcawu met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.

The monarch represents an ethnic community of some 9 million people in his homeland. 

In a video from the devastated Israeli Nir Oz community, the South African monarch condemned Hamas’ systematic murder of unarmed Israeli civilians including women and children. 

“In war, you are not allowed to kill children, you are not allowed to kill women, you are not allowed to attack civilians that are simply unarmed, defenceless,” Sigcawu said. The video has reportedly been watched by many people in South Africa. He stressed that if his own people had been subjected to an October 7-style massacre, “a cruel man like myself would wipe out everything in Gaza.” He denounced the terrorist organization Hamas as "criminals who must be brought to justice."

Sigcawu and his delegation were shown a 47-minute compilation of the Oct. 7 attack and atrocities. Israeli officials who joined the group noted that several members of the king's delegation cried as they watched the brutal Hamas atrocities.  

The monarch met with former Israeli hostages Keith and Aviva Siegel as well as Rabbi Doron Perez, whose South African-born son IDF Captain Daniel Peretz was killed during the Oct. 7 attack. 

Israeli Ambassador David Saranga, who organized the tour, noted that Sigcawu did not know the details of the Oct. 7 atrocities since the South African media mainly focused on the war inside Gaza from an anti-Israel narrative. Saranga revealed that the king’s tour to the war-affected Israeli communities “presented a reality he did not know.”

The South African government has emerged as one of Israel’s strongest critics since the Oct. 7 massacre. Instead of condemning the Hamas atrocities, South Africa has systematically blasted the Jewish state for defending itself against enemies that openly call for Israel’s destruction and the murder of all Jews. 

In January 2024, South Africa formally accused Israel of committing “genocide” in a case submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Israel has strongly rejected the accusation of “genocide” and Israeli officials have called it a modern “blood libel” against the Jewish people. Leading Western democracies like the United States and Germany have also rejected the accusation of “genocide” in Gaza. 

"The Federal Government firmly and expressly rejects the accusation of genocide that has now been made against Israel at the International Court of Justice. This accusation has no basis whatsoever,” Germany stated. 

South Africa has developed close diplomatic and commercial ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran, which calls for Israel’s destruction. It was reported in November 2024 that the Iranian ayatollah regime financed the South African “genocide” case against Israel at the ICJ.