Former Israeli military commander Doron Almog cancelled his planned trip to South Africa on Sunday over concerns he could be arrested in connection with Israel’s military operations in Gaza, the Jewish Agency confirmed.
Almog, who chairs the Jewish Agency for Israel and served as commander of the Israeli military’s Southern Command from 2000 to 2003, had been scheduled to meet with South Africa’s Jewish community.
The Jewish Agency said in a statement the decision was made “as a precaution” to avoid potential legal and diplomatic complications.
Since Hamas launched its war against Israel on October 7, 2023, South Africa has been among the countries most antagonistic toward Israel. In December 2023, the South African government took Israel to the International Court of Justice, charging that Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza was an act of genocide.
“The planned trip of the chairman of the Jewish Agency, Doron Almog, to South Africa has been postponed,” the organization said in a statement Sunday.
This marks the second time Almog has avoided potential arrest abroad. In 2005, Palestinian activists in the United Kingdom got a court to issue an arrest warrant for him over his role in the demolition of a Palestinian home in the Gaza Strip, which they said amounted to a war crime. Almog was made aware of the arrest warrant after he and his wife touched down in the UK. To avoid an incident, he stayed on the plane and flew back to Israel on it.
The Jewish Agency for Israel is a quasi-governmental organization established in 1929 that serves as the executive arm of the Zionist movement and encourages Jewish migration to Israel.
Almog has personal connections to the current conflict. Chen Goldstein-Amog and her three children, 17, 11, and 9, were abducted to Gaza after witnessing the murders of Nadav and Yam. They were released in the first-phase deal in November 2023.
In November 2024, South Africa applauded a decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant, calling the decision a “significant step towards justice for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Palestine.”
The cancellation comes as Israel faces increasing international legal pressure over its military campaign in Gaza. As of 30 July 2025, over 63,000 people (62,122 Palestinians and 1,983 Israelis) have been reported killed in the Gaza war according to the Gaza Health Ministry (GHM) and Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Despite the cancellation of Almog’s trip to South Africa, the Jewish Agency’s operations with Jewish communities in 66 countries remain uninterrupted, the organization noted.
Israeli officials and military personnel increasingly face legal challenges when traveling abroad. Several face potential prosecution by human rights organizations over alleged involvement in war crimes in Gaza.
