Major General (Res.) Doron Almog, Jewish Agency chairman and bereaved relative of October 7 victims, scrapped his South Africa visit fearing an arrest warrant tied to Pretoria’s anti-Israel campaign.
Doron Almog, Chairman of the Jewish Agency and retired IDF Major General, has canceled a planned trip to South Africa after concerns arose that authorities there might issue an arrest warrant against him. The report was aired by Kan Reshet Bet.
Almog’s family was deeply scarred by the October 7 Hamas massacre: two of his relatives were murdered in Kfar Aza, while four others—Chen Goldstein Almog and her children Agam, Gal, and Tal—were kidnapped to Gaza, only to be freed in the first hostage release deal of November 2023.
This is not the first time Almog has faced such a threat. Years ago, while traveling to the UK, an arrest warrant was issued against him on allegations tied to Israel’s military operations. He was forced to remain onboard his aircraft and return immediately to Israel without disembarking.
South Africa, which has become one of the most hostile international actors toward Israel, spearheaded the International Court of Justice (ICJ) case in The Hague, accusing Israel of “war crimes and genocide” in Gaza.
Almog’s decision underscores the growing legal and diplomatic risks faced by senior Israeli officials abroad, as adversaries leverage international courts and jurisdictions to pursue charges against them.
