South Africa unsuccessfully sought to have the term “genocide” included in the final declaration of the recent BRICS summit in New Delhi when referring to the situation in Gaza, according to a spokesperson for its Department of International Relations and Cooperation. Chrispin Phiri emphasized that South Africa’s position remains clear in labeling the events in Gaza as genocide, a description that ultimately did not appear in the 140-paragraph communique adopted by the bloc’s leaders.
The declaration reflected consensus on some Palestinian issues, such as opposition to forced displacement, support for Palestinian statehood along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and endorsement of Palestinian representation in international organizations. However, it stopped short of fully endorsing Pretoria’s stronger language on Gaza or its broader condemnation of the ongoing war against Iran, which South African President Cyril Ramaphosa explicitly denounced during the summit.
BRICS’ tempered stance comes amid heightened tensions between South Africa and the United States, with Washington citing Pretoria’s legal action at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel and its relations with Iran as reasons for cutting aid, imposing tariffs on South African exports, and excluding South Africa from the upcoming G20 summit. The New Delhi Declaration affirmed South Africa’s status as a founding BRICS member and affirmed that membership changes require full consensus among members, signaling political support for Pretoria amid its disputes.
The final document condemned the use of starvation as a method of warfare, attacks on civilians, and obstruction of humanitarian aid, while reaffirming key Palestinian demands, including rejecting demographic or geographic changes to Gaza. South Africa’s genocide allegations were only “noted” alongside the ICJ’s provisional measures, without explicit endorsement. Concerning the conflict involving Iran, the declaration expressed “deep concern” and urged “maximum restraint” but did not assign blame to either Israel or the United States.
The varied positions within BRICS complicated efforts for a unified message. Iran, a member of the bloc, pushed for stronger condemnation of Israel and the United States and criticized fellow member the United Arab Emirates for their perceived alignment with Western interests. This intra-bloc disagreement had previously prevented a joint foreign ministers’ statement in May. Analysts attribute the cautious language to BRICS’ consensus-based decision-making and the inclusion of members with divergent Middle East policies.
South Africa remains one of the bloc’s most vocal critics of Israel, although it officially supports a two-state solution. Meanwhile, the UAE normalized relations with Israel in 2020 and maintains close ties with the United States. India, summit chair, is concurrently advancing strategic ties with both Washington and Israel.
Palestinian officials welcomed the declaration’s acknowledgment of key demands, including opposition to forced displacement and support for full membership in the United Nations, but did not comment on the omission of “genocide” or limited reference to the ICJ case. Palestinian Ambassador to South Africa Hanan Jarrar praised Pretoria for moving beyond rhetoric to concrete measures, citing its ICJ filing as a notable example.
Historically, South Africa has maintained diplomatic relations with Israel since the end of apartheid but relations deteriorated sharply following violent confrontations in Gaza and the recent conflict. Notably, South Africa recalled its ambassador in 2018, voted to close Israel’s embassy in 2023 (a measure not yet implemented), and expelled Israel’s chargé d’affaires early this year in reprisal for Israel’s reciprocal move.
Phiri suggested relations with Israel could improve if hostilities cease, the ICJ’s provisional measures are respected, and steps toward a negotiated two-state resolution are undertaken. Meanwhile, BRICS continues to provide South Africa with economic support, including $405 million in loans for healthcare and water infrastructure projects and an additional $1 billion for municipal services through the New Development Bank.
Analysts view BRICS as a key avenue for South Africa to maintain influence in an uncertain global environment, offering access to major powers and diplomatic leverage even when policy consensus is difficult to achieve.