Business Day reports that SA Foreign Minister Nkosazana DIamini- Zuma has rejected claims by a former Israeli ambassador that SA had snubbed his country when it sent an official, instead of a minister, to Jerusalem.
"There is no change in our policy insofar as the Middle East is concerned." Alon Uel, a former Israeli ambassador to SA, was quoted in an AFP report on Tuesday as saying that the visit to his country by Ayanda Ntsaluba, the director-general of the foreign affairs department, was in effect a snub.Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad was touring the Middle East at the time, but did not visit Israel.
"The visit to Jerusalem of the ministry`s director-general should be seen as an additional sign of the deterioration in diplomatic relations," Uel said.
Pahad was due to meet officials in Iran and Syria, Israel`s arch enemies, over the next few days. He is also due in Egypt and Jordan.
"SA regularly sends us messages expressing its discontent over our policies in the (Palestinian) territories. It is sending us a mere functionary while its deputy chief diplomat goes to four other countries in the Middle East," Uel said. ` SA has been a vocal critic of Israel`s West Bank security barrier, and was one of the countries that gave evidence on behalf of the Palestinians at a landmark world court hearing earlier this year.
What worried me most is what Dlamini Zuma said in response to the snub allegation. She said the visit by Ntsaluba, and not Pahad, "is not an expression of particular support to Israel as opposed to the Palestinians".
No-one was accusing her of giving particular support to Israel! Of course sending the official instead of the minister is not an expression of particular support to Israel! Zuma's confusion is far more worrying to me than the actual snubbing of Israel. This is the type of disoriented comment we should continue to expect from our FM.
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