Written by Pearl Kupe
Article originally published in the November issue of JOY! Magazine
Standing with Israel | Honouring the fallen
On 4 October 2026, a group of about 50 Christian leaders and politicians from South Africa and Lesotho left OR Tambo Airport to participate in a ten-day commemoration event hosted by South African Friends of Israel (SAFI), the Embassy of Israel, and the Israeli Ministry of State Affairs, Africa Division.
October 7 anniversary
The main purpose of the trip was to commemorate and mark the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks with a national day of remembrance on 7 October 2026. The day was meant to honour and remember all the men, women, children, civilians, and soldiers who were murdered, raped, and kidnapped during the October 7 terrorist attack. Government and national leaders from all over the world gathered to remember the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Several ceremonies were held, with flags flying at half-mast and moments of silence observed at various state institutions and IDF bases. The 50 Christian leaders from South Africa and Lesotho formed part of the larger global group.
Holocaust Remembrance Centre
One of the most poignant moments of the trip was the visit to Yad Vashem, Israel’s World Holocaust Remembrance Centre, located in Jerusalem. At Yad Vashem, one is able to see the Hall of Remembrance memorial, where an eternal flame burns over a tomb containing ashes of victims brought from Nazi concentration camps. Another important feature is the children’s memorial area, which is lit by one candle to honour the 1,5 million Jewish children brutally murdered in the Holocaust. The Avenue of the Righteous is an area lined with trees planted to honour non-Jews who risked their lives to rescue Jews during the Holocaust.
Critical meetings
Other highlights included meetings with former Israeli ambassadors to South Africa and Ministry of State Affairs officials responsible for the Africa Division. Delegates were updated on the current state of diplomatic relations between Israel and Africa, and discussions were held on the future.
The duty to dispel the apartheid narrative
South Africa has a critical role to play in dispelling the false apartheid narrative being spun by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Palestinian propaganda machine. The policies and movement restrictions in the West Bank are a result of armed conflict and not institutionalised racism, as was the case in South Africa. Using racist terminology to describe an armed conflict issue is manipulative and deceptive at best. Arab Israelis not only serve as members of the Israeli parliament (Knesset), but they also sit on the Supreme Court and work in various public and professional sectors. All public spaces are shared without any discriminatory segregation practices. Israel has a clear policy of equal rights for all citizens. BDS knows that by using the word “apartheid” to describe Israel, it triggers the hearts and emotions of South Africans and brings back bad memories. The use of the word “apartheid” is a deliberate ploy to manipulate South Africans.
We remember and must never forget
Tata Nelson Mandela coined the phrase “never and never again” in reference to South Africa’s horrific racist past. Those same words must be applied to the October 7 events. We must say “never and never again” to the October 7 events, remember the fallen, and stand united against every act of terror and antisemitism!
The full article appears in the November 2026 issue of JOY! Magazine. Read the digital version of this magazine here: joygifts.co.za
Click here to KEEP UPDATED on the latest news by subscribing to our FREE weekly newsletter.
> Please support Christian media and journalism in South Africa. Help us to spread the Word of God and take a stand for the truth by making a donation to our ministry. We appreciate your support. Click here to take hands with JOY! Magazine.
Date published: 06/11/2026
Feature image: Sourced from article originally published in the November 2026 issue of JOY! Magazine
DISCLAIMER
JOY! News is a Christian news portal that shares pre-published articles by writers around the world. Each article is sourced and linked to the origin, and each article is credited with the author’s name. Although we do publish many articles that have been written in-house by JOY! journalists, we do not exclusively create our own content. Any views or opinions presented on this website are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company.
