South Africa’s Malema: We Will Arm Hamas When We Take Power

Julius Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), one of South Africa’s larger opposition parties, has vowed that he will send weapons to the Hamas terrorist organization if his party forms part of his country’s next governing coalition.

Hamas is a Palestinian terrorist organization that intends to destroy Israel and create an Islamic state. Its charter also calls for murdering Jews all over the world. It is funded and armed by Iran, which seeks to spread its terrorist influence worldwide.

Nevertheless, Malema, who leads a radical black nationalist and communist political party, has vowed not only to defend Hamas, and to break off diplomatic relations with Israel, but to arm the terrorist group so that it can continue its murderous activities.

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) distributed Malema’s remarks on Tuesday, though they date to October.

He said:

There is nothing wrong with what Hamas did.

…

The EFF – when it takes over next year – is going to arm Hamas and make sure Hamas has got the necessary equipment to fight for their freedom.

[…]

Comrades, we are not only going to arm Hamas, we are going to remove this [Israeli] embassy, because we can’t stay with murderers in the same area, and breathe the same air with people who kill innocent people.

Malema cited the example of Nelson Mandela, who took up arms against apartheid South Africa. But unlike Hamas, Mandela tried non-violence before turning to violence; he ended violence when negotiations began; and he did not target civilians.

Malema is notorious for his fulminations against white South Africans, and has vowed to use force to seize white-owned farms, despite the fact that such policies led to the near-starvation of Zimbabwe next door. He has also championed the use of the song, “Kill the Boer [Farmer],” and has faced repeated court accusations that the song incites racial hatred and anti-white violence.

Ironically, one of Malema’s lawyers, Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, represented South Africa in its claims of “genocide” against Israel at The Hague. He claims that “Kill the Boer” is not meant to be taken literally, but that Biblical quotes by Israeli leaders are orders for genocide.

Not all black South Africans agree with Malema. MEMRI also cites the example of Bafana Modise, the head of South African Friends of Israel, who has publicly supported Israel’s war against Hamas, whom he says oppresses the Palestinian people.

The EFF was the third-largest party as of the 2019 elections in South Africa, winning over 10% of the vote. South Africa is preparing for elections this year; the ruling African National Congress (ANC) may face the first-ever loss of its majority.

That would force a coalition government — which could be led by the liberal Democratic Alliance (DA), but would more likely involve the ANC and a combination of other parties, most likely the EFF, which would bring a new radicalism into power.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the 2021 e-book, “The Zionist Conspiracy (and how to join it),” now updated with a new foreword. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.