Official Hamas propaganda distributed at Mandela Foundation and fringe Jewish organization event

A pamphlet issued by Hamas was handed out at the entrance to an event in Johannesburg criticizing Zionist Christianity, co-hosted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation and an anti-Israel group named “South African Jews for a Free Palestine” (SAJPF), a source told The Jerusalem Post.

The pamphlet named “Our Narrative: Operation Flood of Al-Aqsa” was issued by the Hamas media office in January of this year, in which the terror group denied the well-documented atrocities against civilians, including deadly incursions into civilian communities, mass shooting at a music festival, sexual violence and kidnapping of hundreds of toddlers, children, elderly, women and men aged nine months to 80. In the pamphlet, Hamas also attempts to justify the massacre, using claims such as the “Judaization of Jerusalem,” accusing Jews of colonization and claiming that all Israelis over the age of 18 are deemed fit for conscription.

In South Africa, the Hamas pamphlet distributed at the Mandela Foundation and SAJPF event was printed by an organization named “The Media Review Network” (MRN), which openly stated that it had distributed the propaganda material “in solidarity with Hamas.” MRN’s founder and executive member, Firoz Osman, reported that he met with leader of the radical terror organization Ismail Haniyeh in late April, where the former commended the “Palestinian resistance” and expressed his support for the struggle against the “West” and the demise of “the Zionist project.”

The event itself was titled “Understanding Christian Zionism – Bridging Faith and Justice” and featured guest speakers from different Christian denominations, including Frank Chikane and David Wildman, as well as Palestinian reverend Munther Isaac, who was quoted as saying that, while he can condemn the act of kidnapping children, he cannot condemn Hamas as an organization or regard them as a terrorist group.

‘Israel threat to entire globe’

A second event featuring Hamas representatives was also held over the weekend in South Africa. Titled “The Global Conference Anti-Apartheid Conference on Palestine,” the event featured the participation of leaders of the radical terrorist organization, including a member of the Hamas political bureau, Basem Naim, who knowingly abandoned his constituency in Gaza before the October 7 massacre, as well as a member of the Hamas international relations bureau Imad Saber.

The event was held with formal South African representation, namely Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor, in addition to other politicians and activists, such as Sheikh Ebrahim Gabriels, an official at the Hamas front named Al-Quds Foundation, and Mandla Mandela, grandson of South African leader Nelson Mandela.

One speaker at the conference was Ronnie Kasrils, former Minister of Intelligence Services of South Africa, who accused Israel in his remarks of holding 200 nuclear bombs, warning that Israel would use them should “their rule be threatened.” Kasrils also lauded the so-called 1936-1939 ‘Arab revolt,’ “against British rule demanding independence and standing up against the Jews.” He also praised Hamas and equated them to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, denying any of the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7.

Another speaker at the conference was South African diplomat Abdul Minty, who placed upon Israel the weight of responsibility for the problems of the entire world, claiming that Israel is “the greatest threat to world peace.”

The event seems to have aspired to build upon the “Durban Conference” of two decades ago, seen by many as the starting point of the BDS movement. The closing declaration of the conference included accusing Israel of committing genocide, colonialism, and apartheid for “over 75 years,” as well as turning Gaza into an “extermination camp.” It also accused the US and some European nations of “enabling genocide,” lauding the South African government for its actions at the ICJ.

Finally, the declaration committed to “isolate apartheid Israel by intensifying consumer, academic, sports, arts, and cultural boycott and escalating the campaign for economic and financial sanctions,” also pledging to block Israel’s shipping routes and intensify campaigns for embargoes against Israel and warning that Israel “threatens humanity with nuclear devastation.”

South African Zionist Federation denounces ‘hatefest’

In the past months, the ANC-led South African government has sought to see itself as leading a global battle against Israel. This includes efforts to brand the struggle as an anti-apartheid or anti-genocide one by promoting a coordinated global campaign with international actors, including the Islamic Republic, Hamas, and BDS groups.

The ANC government ⁠also appears to attempt to make great efforts to bring about inner Palestinian reconciliation, as evidenced by the invitation of Hamas members and non-Hamas personalities such as Mustafa Barghouthi, perhaps as a method to promote global legitimacy for Hamas.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that South African banks provide platforms to fund Hamas through a network of several organizations and straw man groups linked to the Al-Quds Foundation, a front of Hamas designated as such by both the US and Israel. Hamas officials have also visited South Africa several times since 2016, and ANC leaders have been praising and endorsing the group repeatedly since the October 7 massacre and before.

The South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) condemned the two anti-Israel conferences, deeming them a “hatefest” and reminding them that they are “hosting speakers who have expressed support for the internationally designated terrorist group Hamas and celebrated its attacks against Israelis on October 7.”

The federation also rejected the South African stance as “one of the few countries that does not designate Hamas as a terrorist group, even as it willfully targets hundreds of innocents and refuses to release the hostages.” It further denounced the participation of leading South African politicians, adding that they “continue to show support for terrorists and countries that stand against Israel,” adding that it is ironic that such a conference took place at a time when Middle Eastern have begun normalizing relations with Israel and distancing themselves from Iran-backed terrorist groups like Hamas.

Finally, the federation stressed that the conference “serves no constructive purpose other than to inflame emotions against Israel and the Jewish people,” expressing its regret that “three weeks before the national elections, the ANC government is allowing such hatred and division to spread unchecked in our country.”

A spokesperson from the Mandela Foundation denied that the said pamphlet was distributed at the conference but did not comment on the Jerusalem Post’s questions regarding the endorsement of Hamas.

JPost