South Africa’s Chief Justice: 'There Will be No Retraction' of Pro-Israel Comments

JERUSALEM, Israel – South African Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng is refusing to walk back recent statements he’s made in support of Israel despite receiving backlash.

“Even if 50 million people can march every day for the next 10 years, for me to retract and [apologize] for what I said — I will not do it,” Mogoeng said during a prayer meeting according to a report Saturday by Gateway News, a South African Christian news site. 

Mogoeng said he has faced attacks from political activists demanding he retract his condemnation of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party's alleged anti-Israel bias during a webinar hosted by The Jerusalem Post on June 23. Mogoeng said during the webinar that his country’s leaders do not have a balanced approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and as a Christian, he is commanded to love both people.

“I will never say I hate anybody or any nation. I will never. I love everybody. I love Israel. I love the Jews. I love the Palestinians. I love everybody — every nation, every people. I love," Mogoeng said during the webinar. 

The chief justice also said his nation has a history of forgiveness and can be a voice of reason in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“As a citizen of our great country, we are denying ourselves a wonderful opportunity of being a game-changer in the Israeli-Palestinian situation,” said Mogoeng during the webinar.

The chief justice said he has faced heavy backlash to the comments he made during the webinar. He explained in the following prayer meeting that he forgives those who condemn him.

“Everybody who is insulting me. Everybody who is lying about me — whether Christian or not Christian — I love you and I forgive you. May God have mercy on you. May God reveal the truth to you, in the name of Jesus,” he said.

“There will, therefore, be no retraction. There is nothing to retract. There will be no apology — not even this political apology that ‘in case I have offended anybody without meaning to offend them, for that reason I …’ I will not apologize for anything.”

He also said that as a Christian he is commanded to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and bless Israel. 

“I must pray, meaning I must ask God. How can you condemn me for even asking God for peace? So, I will not reject my God. I will not apologize for believing in my God. I will not apologize for being a Christian. I will not apologize for prayer. I will not apologize for holding unto the word of God. I will never.”

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