South Africa Opposition Leader Visits Israel — Defies President Jacob Zuma
Image by Getty Images
By Dave Goldiner January 12, 2017
The leader of South Africa’s resurgent main opposition party visited Israel, defying President Jacob Zuma who says officials should avoid traveling to the Jewish state.
Mmusi Maimane, leader of the Democratic Alliance, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other leaders in Jerusalem.
Jewish groups lauded the move, calling it a healthy exchange of ideas.
“Maimane embodies true South African values of dialogue and engagement and has shown vision and courage in these times of great slander against of the State of Israel,” the South Africa Zionist Federation said in a statement.
Zuma, head of the ruling African National Congress, restated the group’s policy to urge officials against visiting Israel in protest of its treatment of the Palestinians.
The DA was once known as a predominantly white party but has broadened its base under Maimane and recently scored major victories in most of the country’s main cities.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
