Israel has recalled its ambassador to South Africa, Eliav Belotserkovsky, back to Jerusalem “for consultations” ahead of a parliamentary vote in the African country to decide the fate of the Israeli embassy. The two countries’ diplomatic relations have recently witnessed a rise in tensions over the Israeli war on Gaza which has killed thousands of people. The recall came ahead of a vote in South Africa’s parliament Tuesday on a motion to shut down the Israeli embassy and cut all ties with Israel until a cease-fire is implemented in Gaza. South Africa announced last week that it had referred what it called Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza to the International Criminal Court for an investigation.
