JOHANNESBURG — U.S. President Donald Trump nominated conservative media critic and pro-Israel commentator Leo Brent Bozell III as ambassador to South Africa. The transfer Tuesday comes throughout strained diplomatic relations with the nation, together with over its stance on the Israel-Hamas battle.
The nomination of Bozell, an outspoken Israel supporter, comes at a time when relations between South Africa and the united statesare at a low. Bozell have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
The frosty relations noticed South Africa’s ambassador to the U.S., Ebrahim Rasool, declared persona non grata by the U.S. authorities over his feedback about Trump and his administration and was pressured to go away the nation final Friday.
Trump has been essential of South Africa’s stance on the Israel-Hamas battle, together with taking Israel to the Worldwide Court docket of Justice and accusing it of committing genocide in Gaza.
He has additionally falsely accused the South African authorities of concentrating on the minority white inhabitants within the nation and illegally seizing their land by means of its lately enacted Expropriation Act and supplied to grant refugee standing to white individuals who wish to relocate to the U.S.
Trump has additionally signed an govt order freezing all monetary support to South Africa.
Bozell is a founding father of the Media Analysis Middle, the Mother and father Tv Council and different conservative media organizations. His son, Leo Brent Bozell IV, was one of many individuals who stormed the U.S. Capitol in 2021 and was convicted and sentenced to 4 years in jail final 12 months.
Bozell was beforehand nominated to move the U.S. Company for International Media, however his nomination was finally withdrawn.
South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa is but to announce the nation’s new ambassador the U.S., however this week claimed that stories about white individuals being focused in South Africa had been based mostly on a “utterly false narrative.”
