Interview with Daniel Yakcobi
My name is Daniel Yakcobi, and I serve as the Executive Director of South African Friends of Israel (SAFI). I was born in Israel and have made South Africa my home, which gives me a deep personal connection to both nations and peoples. SAFI was established to be a bridge between South Africans and the Jewish community and Israel, a platform for friendship, understanding, and meaningful engagement.
Since October 7th, we have seen the ANC government of South Africa take a hostile and discriminatory stance towards Israel and the Jewish community, which are inseparable. While the relationship between the two countries is often framed in political or ideological terms, SAFI exists to bring the conversation back to people. We remind South Africans of our shared principles and values, and highligvision. We believe that genuine relationships, dialogue, and exposure are far more powerful than rhetoric.
From day one, our heart has been to create a faith-based movement where South Africans can experience Israel beyond the headlines and where Israelis can connect with the richness and diversity of South Africa.
What is SAFI’s core mission, and how does that translate into practical work on the ground?
SAFI’s core mission is to build friendship, foster understanding, and create meaningful partnerships between South Africans and Israel. On a practical level, this comes to life in several ways:
- Trips to Israel for faith leaders, community leaders, media voices, diplomats, and influencers. These visits allow people to encounter our shared Biblical heritage and experience Israel’s diversity and innovation firsthand. We have seen that seven days in Israel can equal several years of engagement.
- Faith-based diplomacy, providing political leaders with context, facts, and access to voices often missing from the public conversation, enabling more informed political action.
- Grassroots engagement across communities. We believe that poverty begins in the mind, not the pocket. Through education rooted in our shared Biblical heritage, we support socioeconomic development initiatives that strengthen community identity and church leadership.
- Public advocacy, not hostility. Through PR and media campaigns, we share factual information and counter propaganda and rhetoric with truth.
How has this season intensified SAFI’s calling?
This season has made our work more urgent than ever. We have seen a rise in misinformation, polarisation, and hostility, which can easily dehumanise people on all sides. For SAFI, this has reinforced our calling to be a voice of clarity and truth, inspired by Scripture. In difficult times, bridges matter more, not less. Rather than retreat, we have leaned in:
- Strengthening our engagement with faith leaders who want to stand for Israel from a place of Biblical conviction and moral clarity.
- Expanding opportunities for firsthand experience to visit Israel, because once someone has seen the reality on the ground—the diversity of Israeli society, the security challenges, and the desire for peace—their perspective becomes more informed and compassionate.
Supporting Israel does not mean rejecting others; it means standing for truth, security, coexistence, and dignity.
Can you share one or two moments where you have seen SAFI’s work make a real difference?
One of the most powerful moments is watching a delegation to Israel transform in real time. Leaders often arrive shaped by headlines, but after meeting Israelis from different backgrounds, visiting communities near conflict zones, and engaging with innovation and humanitarian work, they leave with a deeper understanding. Many go on to become informed voices within their own communities.
Another key impact has been relationship-building at leadership level here in South Africa. We have seen doors open between Israeli and South African stakeholders. Within Christian communities, deep divisions exist, yet we are witnessing SAFI’s potential to help unite the Church. That potential carries great responsibility. For us, success is when someone says, “I want to build, not break.”
SAFI is a platform for friendship, understanding, and meaningful engagement.
HOW CAN YOU STAND WITH ISRAEL?
- PRAYER
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray for wisdom for leaders, protection for civilians on all sides, and softened hearts where there is fear and division. Pray for doors of understanding and reconciliation to open. Prayer is not passive – it moves hearts, shapes history, and aligns us with God’s purposes.
- INVOLVEMENT
Stay informed with discernment and grace. Join SAFI gatherings, be open to future delegations, and create space for honest, respectful conversations in your church and community. When believers choose to listen, learn, and speak with love and truth, they become instruments of God’s peace in their own sphere of influence.
- FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Building bridges takes faith and practical resources. Educational initiatives, exposure visits, and relationship-building efforts make it possible for leaders and communities to encounter one another beyond headlines and assumptions. Financial partnership with SAFI is a seed sown into understanding, connection, and hope where division often tries to grow.
TOGETHER, WE CAN MOVE AS ONE BODY
We can help ensure that the story of Israel in South Africa is shaped not by noise or fear, but by truth, relationships, and the hope that flows from God’s love.
Our heart from day one has been to create a faith-based movement where South Africans can experience Israel beyond the headlines and where Israelis can connect with the richness and diversity of South Africa.
This article is featured in the February/March 2026 issue of JOY! Magazine. Read a digital version of this magazine here: joygifts.co.za
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Date published: 23/02/2026
Feature images sourced from article
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