Statement defending South African ambassadorInternational Arab Center for Communication and Solidarity

In response to the U.S. government’s decision to expel the South African Ambassador from the United States, the International Arab Center for Communication and Solidarity issued the following statement:

The announcement by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the expulsion of South African Ambassador Ibrahim Rasool from the United States — delivered through a social media post, bypassing even the most basic diplomatic norms and courtesies — is an action that demands the strongest condemnation from all self-respecting governments, especially Arab and Islamic governments.

This shameful decision stems from the U.S. administration’s hostility toward South Africa’s stance on the Zionist entity, particularly its role in initiating international legal proceedings against Israel’s genocidal crimes against the Palestinian people.

This decision comes on the heels of the U.S. administration’s boycott of the G20 meeting in South Africa, further underscoring the blatant racism underlying these actions. It is also evident that such decisions are Israeli-driven before being American, particularly considering that both the U.S. and Israel were among the last entities to oppose the apartheid regime in South Africa.

At the Arab International Center for Communication and Solidarity, we call on freedom-loving people worldwide, especially our colleagues in the Arab International Forum for Justice in Palestine, to denounce these U.S. decisions, which lack any diplomatic decency and blatantly favor the genocidal entity in Palestine. We urge pressure on the U.S. President to reverse this disgraceful decision, which harms the United States itself before it harms South Africa.