Rabbi Goldstein Slams Expulsion of Israeli Diplomat as “State Capture 2.0”

South Africa’s decision to expel Israel’s most senior diplomat has drawn sharp criticism from Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein, who described the move as an extreme step that harms vulnerable communities, damages South Africa’s global standing, will have political consequences for the African National Congress (ANC), and reflects what he called a deeper capture of the country’s foreign policy.

In a speech this week, Goldstein said the government’s explanation for the expulsion was “flimsy, incoherent, and evasive”, arguing that the real motive was to halt Israeli engagement with communities in the Eastern Cape aimed at improving access to clean water.

“The real reason is that the Israeli embassy in South Africa was working with local communities to help bring clean water to the people of the Eastern Cape,” he said.

The Common Sense has reported extensively on this. Read about it here and here.

Goldstein outlined what he described as a severe water and sanitation crisis in the province, pointing to widespread lack of reliable water access, repeated contamination warnings in urban centres such as the province’s biggest city, Nelson Mandela Bay, and the continued use of pit latrines by large numbers of households. He said the consequences were borne most heavily by the poor, who are unable to afford bottled water.

“People are forced to queue for hours, or to share dirty water with livestock,” he said, adding that diarrhoeal disease remains a leading cause of illness and death among children.

According to Goldstein, traditional leaders and community structures turned to Israel because of its global expertise in water management, but the programme was stopped for political reasons. “The ANC’s response was to halt the programme and expel Israel’s senior diplomat,” he said.

He also said that most South Africans did not agree with the ANC’s views on Israel. He said: “The political consequences are already visible. The ANC has lost its [national] majority. Polls show its support has collapsed to record lows and it stands to lose all the major metropolitan cities in the upcoming local elections.”

He warned that the decision could also damage South Africa’s relationship with the United States at a sensitive time for trade negotiations, including the African Growth and Opportunity Act, arguing that South Africa’s posture toward Israel is already under scrutiny in Washington.

Goldstein framed the expulsion as part of a broader foreign policy pattern, accusing the government of aligning itself with Iran despite human rights abuses. He said South Africa’s refusal to support a United Nations resolution condemning Iran’s recent crackdown on protestors exposed what he called a double standard.

“What we are witnessing is State Capture 2.0,” Goldstein said. “State Capture 1.0 involved the looting of state-owned enterprises. State Capture 2.0 involves the sale of South Africa’s foreign policy.”

He closed by invoking a biblical verse from Genesis that references Israel: “Those who bless you [Israel] will be blessed, and those who curse you [Israel] will be cursed.”