south africa safari attack

Videos show terrifying moment bull elephant lifts safari truck

The safari guide who warded off the elephant was praised by wildlife experts.

Frightened tourists can be seen ducking between seats during a tense standoff between a bull elephant and a safari truck in Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa.

Videos of Monday’s incident show a bull elephant lifting the 22-seat truck up several times with his trunk before letting it drop. The driver can be heard calling for the elephant to "go away" and slapping his hand against the side of the truck to scare away the animal.

Hendry Blom, a bystander who caught the incident on camera, told ABC News: "We were definitely scared, especially for the people in the truck because we thought they might die."

Another video from inside the truck shows frightened tourists cowering on the floor of the vehicle. One woman can be heard praying as the elephant approaches.

MORE: Global warming could increase risk of human-elephant conflict, researchers say

Poncho Mogodiri, field operations manager of Mankwe Game Trackers, the tour company involved in the incident, told ABC News the guide and guests were in animal hide when the bull elephant approached. "Hides provide you with the rare opportunity to unobtrusively view the wildlife and birds at close quarters," according to Pilanesberg National Park.

Mogodiri said some of the tourists "came too close to the elephant to take pictures and he started getting aggressive."

The guide's actions -- revving the engine, slamming car doors and shouting to ward the elephant away -- have been widely praised by wildlife experts. Mogodiri said the guide reacted "by the book."

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"Anyone that’s worked with elephants will tell you when a bull like that charges, you don’t turn and run, you need to make as much noise and stand your ground," said Ron Magill, communications director at Zoo Miami.

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Mogodiri confirmed the bull was in musth, or when an elephant "experiences an increase in reproductive hormones and becomes highly aggressive," according to the Pilanesberg National Park website.

No one was injured in the incident, though Mankwe Game Trackers told ABC News one family had been offered counseling after being left "extremely rattled." The Pilanesberg National Park said it will be conducting an internal investigation of the incident.

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American woman, 79, killed during African safari after elephant charges truck

A Minnesota woman died after her tour vehicle was charged by an elephant during a safari in Africa.

Gail Mattson, who was 79, was on safari at Kafue National Park in western Zambia on March 30 when a bull elephant approached her tour group’s truck, which was carrying six tourists and a guide.

The elephant ran toward the truck and flipped it over, as seen in a video shared on social media that appears to show the incident. 

Mattson’s daughter, Rona Wells, confirmed that her mother passed away while on safari, writing in an April 2 Facebook post that her mom “lost her life in a tragic accident while on her dream adventure.”

The tour company that operated Mattson’s tour, Wilderness, confirmed in an April 2 press release that an American tourist died after a tour vehicle was “unexpectedly charged” by an “aggressive bull elephant.’

“Our guides are extremely well trained and experienced, but sadly in this instance the terrain and vegetation was such that the guide’s route became blocked and he could not move the vehicle out of harm’s way quickly enough,” Keith Vincent, the CEO of Wilderness, said in a statement. 

Another female tourist was injured in the incident, and four other guests received treatment for minor injuries, according to Wilderness.

The tour company also said in a statement that Mattson’s body would be repatriated to the United States with help from Zambian authorities and the U.S. embassy in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital.

This incident came after another situation involving an aggressive elephant occurred in South Africa’s Pilanesberg National Park last month.

In a video captured by a tourist that appears to show the moment, the elephant can be seen charging a safari tour truck and lifting it with its tusks. No one was hurt in that incident. 

These types of frightening run-ins with wildlife are quite rare during safaris, Marlon du Toit, a professional safari guide and wildlife photographer, told NBC News. 

Commenting on the fatal incident in Zambia, du Toit said “it’s extremely rare to see an elephant that irate react so aggressively.” 

“I’ve been doing this for 20 years and I’ve never had an encounter as aggressive (as) that with elephants,” he added.

He also told NBC News that he had worked with the tour company involved in the Zambia incident for years, and called them one of the best in Africa.

“Across Africa, there are thousands and thousands  of guests on safari on a daily basis, with no negative consequences,” he said.

Lindsay Lowe has been a regular contributor to TODAY.com since 2016, covering pop culture, style, home and other lifestyle topics. She is also working on her first novel, a domestic drama set in rural Regency England.

Harrowing video shows elephant charging truck during African safari, killing American tourist

S hocking video captured the moment a 5-ton bull elephant in Zambia charged at a safari vehicle — flipping it over several times and killing an 80-year-old American woman during an expedition.

The unidentified woman was among six tourists with the group Wilderness Zambia who were out on a photography tour Saturday when they came under attack by the crazed beast, the Telegraph reported.

“At around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday morning the six guests were on the game drive when the vehicle was unexpectedly charged by the bull elephant,” Wilderness Zambia CEO Keith Vincent said in a statement.

One international client killed by elephant in Kafue National Park from lufupa Lodge during Safari. Two injured and being evacuated to Lusaka. Full details being awaited from the operator through the Senior Warden Kafue Region. Very unfortunate indeed. pic.twitter.com/4ntbyhec1G

Distressing footage captured by a passenger shows the elephant barreling toward the vehicle as it cruises along a bush-lined road before suddenly stopping when its path was blocked.

The passenger continues to record as the animal lunges at the vehicle and flips it over.

The elderly woman later died of her injuries while another woman remains hospitalized.

The other four guests were treated for minor injuries after the violent attack.

“Our guides are all extremely well-trained and experienced, but sadly in this instance the terrain and vegetation was such that the guide’s route became blocked and he could not move the vehicle out of harm’s way quickly enough,” Vincent said.

Kafue National Park’s management sent a helicopter to the scene to evacuate the victims.

 “This is a tragic event and we extend our deepest condolences to the family of the guest who died. We are also, naturally, supporting those guests and the guide involved in this distressing incident,” Vincent added.

The group was reportedly staying at the luxurious Lufupa Camp in the Kafue National Park, the largest game reserve in Africa.

African Parks, which manages the park, also controls 22 other wildlife sanctuaries in Africa.

The tour group was making arrangements to return the woman’s body to the US, the Nigerian Bulletin reported.

Watch CBS News

Elephant attack leaves American woman dead in Zambia's Kafue National Park

By Sarah Carter , Adam Duxter

Updated on: April 4, 2024 / 6:13 PM EDT / CBS News

Johannesburg — An elephant attack that left an American woman dead in Zambia was captured in harrowing cellphone video over the weekend. The clip, shot by tourists in Zambia's Kafue National Park, begins inside an open safari vehicle during a game drive.

In the distance, a large bull elephant can be seen coming toward the vehicle. The occupants of the vehicle cannot be seen in the video clip, but someone is heard, saying: "Oh my goodness," before a man says, "it's coming fast."

The vehicle stops and then another voice, presumably the game ranger, tries to ward off the elephant verbally as the large pachyderm hooks its tusks onto the vehicle and rolls it several times.

Family members  confirmed that Gail Mattson, a 79-year-old Minnesotan, was killed in the attack. In the post on Facebook, Rona Wells said her mother had died in "a tragic accident while on her dream adventure."

Mattson, a retired loan officer, was 11 days into a month-long vacation overseas, her family told WCCO, describing her as "adventurous" and "loved by everybody."

Wilderness Safaris, which operates the tour in the Zambian park, said in a statement that it was cooperating with national authorities to investigate the incident and it offered condolences to Mattson's family.

Wilderness said the other tourists traveling with Mattson were also Americans, four of whom sustained minor injuries in the attack.

"Our guides are extremely well trained, but sadly the terrain and vegetation was such that the route became blocked," the company said, explaining that the ranger "could not move the vehicle out of harm's way quickly enough."

Mattson was evacuated to a hospital in South Africa after the incident but succumbed to her injuries.

Kafue National Park is Zambia's largest national park at 8,650 square miles. It's a popular tourist destination as it's home to five of sub-Saharan Africa's iconic big animal species, lions, elephants, leopards, rhinoceros and buffalo.

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Wild safari stand-off caught on camera

Two men who were on a recent safari excursion in South Africa said all they could do was hide when a huge bull elephant attacked the tour truck they were travelling on.

Henry Blom and Taylor Fulmer had just stepped off the truck with some other passengers for a bathroom break when the in-heat animal struck.

They watched on just metres away, as the wild animal rammed and lifted the truck with the tour guide and others still on board.

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"We got off the truck with a bunch of other people to use the bathrooms and then we started hearing screaming," Henry told Today.

But as they watched on in horror, Taylor said the tour guide managed to stay calm and keep control of the vehicle as the large animal shook it around.

"We saw the elephant charge and my fear was that it was going to go through the window and then, when he picked the truck up for the first time, we thought he was going to completely flip it over, but the guy did a really an incredible job," he said.

READ MORE: School under fire for reportedly charging $9k for parents to take kids on holidays

The pair later found out the elephant was sweating, urinating and had excretions coming from its glands, which meant it was in a desperate search for a partner to mate with.

"The little shed where we were all watching - the guide told us 'stay quiet and get ready to run,'" Henry said.

"He was so close we could smell him, it was crazy."

See the incredible footage in the video above

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80-year-old American tourist killed in elephant attack during game drive in Zambia

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HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — A bull elephant charged a truck that an 80-year-old American was riding in with other tourists on a game drive in a Zambian national park, flipping over the vehicle and killing her, a safari company said.

The attack injured five others on March 30 in the vast Kafue National Park , which covers 22,400 square kilometers (8,600 square miles) and is one of Africa’s largest animal reserves.

According to the safari company Wilderness, the “aggressive” bull elephant unexpectedly charged at the truck, which was carrying six guests and a guide on a morning excursion through wild areas.

It wasn’t clear what upset the bull. But in a video widely circulated online, the pachyderm is seen menacingly charging through the bushy terrain toward the tourists’ vehicle. A man is heard shouting “hey hey hey,” in apparent but futile efforts to scare it away. It reaches the truck and flips it over using its trunk.

Another female tourist was seriously injured and flown by helicopter to South Africa for treatment while the rest were treated for minor injuries, the company said.

“This is a devastating incident for everyone involved and we are doing our best to support the family and all affected,” Tarryn Gibson, the safari company’s head of communications told The Associated Press on Thursday. Gibson did not identify the tourist who was killed, and said her family wished for privacy. The company also asked people to not share the video of the attack online.

While many wildlife parks in southern Africa teem with dangerous animals like elephants and lions, such incidents are rare, although they sometimes do occur with fatal consequences due to the unpredictability of wild animals.

Keith Vincent, chief executive officer of the safari company, said rough terrain minimized chances of an escape.

“Our guides are all extremely well trained and experienced, but sadly in this instance the terrain and vegetation was such that the guide’s route became blocked and he could not move the vehicle out of harm’s way quickly enough” he said.

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Elephant attacks safari vehicle, killing american tourist; video, share this article.

Footage has surfaced showing the harrowing moments last Saturday as a massive bull elephant chased and flipped a safari vehicle in Zambia, causing the death of a U.S. tourist.

The accompanying footage , shared by Andrew Cash, shows the elephant closing on the vehicle, which had run out of road moments before the attack. As tourists express alarm, a guide repeatedly yells “Hey!” in an attempt to ward off the elephant.

Details are slow to emerge, but Wilderness Destinations issued a statement in the aftermath of the incident in Kafue National Park. It reads, in part:

“Wilderness can confirm that an 80-year-old female American guest was tragically killed by a bull elephant while on a game drive at its Kafue National Park destination in Zambia on Saturday.

“Another female guest was also injured in this incident, when an aggressive bull elephant charged the vehicle carrying six guests and a guide who were on a game drive from Lufupa Camp. The injured guest was taken to a private medical facility in South Africa while the other four guests received treatment for minor injuries.”

Elephant attacks are rare, but the docile-looking animals are unpredictable and should always be treated with respect.

Wilderness Destinations expressed “deepest condolences to the family of the guest who died” and addressed remarks on social media regarding why the vehicle had stopped:

“Our guides are all extremely well trained and experienced, but sadly in this instance the terrain and vegetation was such that the guide’s route became blocked and he could not move the vehicle out of harm’s way quickly enough.”

A helicopter was involved in the rescue of the injured tourists. Several agencies are involved in the investigation.

–Elephant image is generic

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Safari park worker mauled by lion relives moment big cat tore through her leg ‘like butter’

Laura fagen suffered 10 flesh wounds on her legs and feet as a result of the attack in south africa, article bookmarked.

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A safari park worker mauled by a lion has spoken of the moment the animal tore through her leg “like butter”.

Lauren Fagen, then 18, was cleaning out the cages of two lions at the Moholoholo rehab centre, South Africa in 2013 when they attacked her and one of them bit her leg .

Duma the lion reached through the bars of his cage and dragged Ms Fagen’s legs through an open gap.

Ms Fagen, who is from Quebec, Canada, was saved by fellow volunteer and British vet Natalie Bennett, who tried to fight off the lions with a broom.

In a new book called Bite Club , Ms Fagen told author Dougie Wight: “Duma stuck his entire leg through the bars, nearly the full length of it because of how far I was away.”

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“Before I could react he got me with the tip of his nail into the middle of my right calf,” she continued.

“It was like butter, it went right in. I felt a thud - he had pulled me on to my back, I hit the ground and was looking up at the ceiling..

“He sliced open my leg. It looked like what you would see at the butcher, like something from a dead cow that would hang from the ceiling. I thought, That can’t be my leg because that’s not what … wait, it is my leg.

Ms Fagen started to scream for help and kicked with her other leg but the lion immediately pulled it through the bars up to the groin.

Duma’s female mate Tree then joined in the attack, gnawing at Ms Fagen’s feet.

The park worker suffered 10 flesh wounds on her legs and feet as a result of the attack.

She described how her left kneecap “nearly came completely off and was hanging by a piece of skin”.

Looking back at the attack 10 years on, the now 28 year-old said that while she suffered muscle and nerve damage “it could’ve been a lot worse.”

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Charging elephant kills an American woman on 'bucket list trip' in Zambia

An American woman who was on what she had called her "last big trip" was killed when a charging elephant flipped over the car she was traveling in at a national park in Zambia .

The “aggressive” creature buffeted the vehicle carrying six tourists and a guide, tour operator Wilderness said in a statement Tuesday. It said the 79-year-old victim died after Saturday's incident on a game drive at the Kafue National Park in western Zambia.

The company did not name the victim but Rona Wells, her daughter, identified her as Gail Mattson in a post on Facebook. She said her mother died in a “tragic accident while on her dream adventure.”

A video circulating on social media apparently showing the incident shows a large elephant running toward a car, which slows down as the animal approaches its left side. The elephant then flips the vehicle over and the passengers can be heard gasping as the car rolls over.

NBC News does not know the condition or identity of the person who filmed the video.

Photos shared online of the car, which is emblazoned with the logo of the tour operator, show it tipped onto its side after the incident, with a deep dent in two of its side doors.

Wilderness, which describes itself as a “leading conservation and hospitality company” operating in eight African countries, including Zambia, did not respond to NBC News when asked to confirm the authenticity of the video and the photos.

But the tour operator’s CEO, Keith Vincent, said in the statement that the company’s “guides are all extremely well trained and experienced.”

"Sadly in this instance the terrain and vegetation was such that the guide’s route became blocked and he could not move the vehicle out of harm’s way quickly enough,” he added.

Another woman was also injured in the incident and taken to a medical facility in South Africa, the Wilderness statement said, adding that four others were treated for minor injuries.

“It’s extremely rare to see an elephant that irate,” Marlon du Toit, a wildlife photographer and safari guide, told the “TODAY” show Thursday. “Across Africa, there are thousands and thousands of guests on safari on a daily basis with no negative consequences.”

The exact cause of Mattson’s death was unclear, but the company said her body would be repatriated to her family in the United States with the support of local Zambian authorities and the U.S. Embassy in the capital, Lusaka.

“This is a tragic event and we extend our deepest condolences to the family of the guest who died,” the statement added.

NBC News has reached out to Mattson's family for further comment.

Kafue National Park is Zambia’s largest and oldest national park, according to its website, and spans an area of more than 8,000 square miles. Vast regions of the park remain unexplored and the website says it is home to a variety of untamed wildlife.

A 'bucket list trip'

Mattson spent her winters in Sun City West, Arizona, playing bridge and cards, but during the rest of the year, she "travels all over the world," her friend Brenda Biggs told NBC News. Biggs and her husband, John Longabauth, became friends with Mattson when they moved to the area 6 ½ years ago.

Longabauth said Mattson spoke to the couple about her upcoming safari trip about two weeks ago, and called it "one of her bucket list trips." He said she was very excited for the adventure.

Before she left, she gave the couple concert tickets for a show that would happen while she was traveling, telling them to enjoy the concert and "I'll see you when I get back," Longabauth recalled of the conversation.

Biggs said Mattson, who was almost 80 years old, told her that the African safari was her "my last big trip." She said Mattson was "super excited because it was like the culmination of all the trips that she had gone on."

An avid traveler, Mattson took to trips to Europe and Asia, Longabauth recalled, noting that she might have been to South America, too.

Biggs called her friend "flamboyant," "friendly" and "fabulous" and said she loved bright colors. Mattson had taken over Biggs’ job as the event planner for their 200-member bridge club, she said.

"Gail was one of the more up people you'd ever want to meet," Longabauth said. "She was always up. She was always optimistic. She was always seeing the good side of everybody."

Yuliya Talmazan is a reporter for NBC News Digital, based in London.

Rebecca Cohen is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

Sun City woman killed by elephant in Zambia

A woman, 79, who had Arizona ties was killed after a bull elephant attacked a tour group in Zambia on March 30, according to local outlets.

Rona Wells posted on Facebook saying her mother, Gail Mattson, was on a trip to South Africa with friends and family that she described as a "dream adventure."

Fox 10 reported that Mattson lived part-time in Sun City.

Mattson sustained injuries when an "aggressive" elephant charged a vehicle carrying six guests and a guide in Kafue National Park in Zambia, according to a statement provided to multiple outlets including NBC News   and People . She was among a group staying at the Lufupa Camp and had ventured out for a photography tour.

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Zambia is a landlocked country located in southern Africa, bordered by countries including Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania.

Another woman who was injured was taken to a private hospital in South Africa, conservation and safari company Wilderness told multiple outlets. Four other people also received treatment for minor injuries.

"The six guests were on the game drive when the vehicle was unexpectedly charged by the bull elephant," Keith Vincent, Wilderness' chief executive officer, said in a statement to ABC News. He added that the safari guide's vehicle was "blocked" by the terrain at the time of the attack.

Mattson's body will be returned to her family in the U.S., Wilderness said in a statement to media.

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American Woman Killed by Lion Attack in South African Safari Park

The 29-year-old Katherine Chappell was killed when a lion jumped through an open window of her car driving through Lion Park early Monday

A lion killed a 29-year-old American woman and injured a man at a wildlife park in South Africa early Monday.

The attack took place at Lion Park – a wildlife park located between Johannesburg and Pretoria that offers self-driven and guided tours.

The woman – who ABC News has identified as Katherine Chappell – was riding in the passenger seat of an SUV taking photos when a lion jumped through the open window and mauled her, Johannesburg’s Eye Witness News reports . The driver, a tour guide, was injured while trying to rescue the woman.

“They had their windows all the way down, which is strictly against policy,” Scott Simpson, assistant operations manager at Lion Park told the Associated Press . “The lion bit the lady through the window.”

While park staff were able to chase the lion away, Simpson told ABC News that the woman died while receiving treatment from emergency services.

“We can confirm that a U.S. citizen was killed in Lion Park in Johannesburg on June 1,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson said in an email to PEOPLE. The spokesperson added that they are providing all possible services, but would not comment further out of respect for the privacy of the family.

PEOPLE has reached out to Lion Park for comment.

Lion Park was featured in a November 60 Minutes story as one of dozens of parks in South Africa where tourists pay to pet lion cubs. The story alleged that once these lions reach maturity, they are sold off for “canned hunts” – where people pay to shoot lions in an enclosed area – as they are too dangerous to be around tourists.

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Toddler killed and mother critical after giraffe attack in South Africa safari park

A toddler has been crushed to death and her mother critically injured when a giraffe thought to be protecting its calf attacked them in a safari park .

The attack on the mother, 25, and her 16-month-old daughter took place at the Kuleni Game Farm 170 miles north-east of Durban , famed for its nature trails.

Local media reported that the woman was working at the lodge as a tour guide.

The park is home to giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, impala, nyala and duikers with strictly no predators and promises guests at the £150-a-night lodges a “safe environment”.

The tragedy is being investigated by South African Police and animal experts to discover exactly what happened when the mother and daughter were attacked without warning.

After the giraffe was driven off the critically injured mother and daughter were rushed to a doctor but nothing could be done to save the toddler who died in his surgery.

The young mum was transferred in critical care unit to hospital where she is fighting for her life and the 14-lodge game farm were not making any comment to the media.

Police spokesman Lieut-Colonel Nqobile Gwala said: “The 25-year-old mother and her 16-month-old child were at Kuleni Game Farm in Hluhluwe when they were trampled by a giraffe.

“The child was taken to the nearest doctor’s room where she died and the mother was rushed to hospital for medical attention and is reported to be in a critical condition.

“The circumstances surrounding the attack are still under investigation” she said.

In 2018 British scientist Dr Katy Williams, 36, and her son Finn, 3, were both attacked by a female giraffe protecting its calf and left critically injured in South Africa.

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Only the intervention of her husband Dr Sam Williams, 36, who was out jogging on the wildlife estate where they lived and work saved them both from being killed.

After bravely driving off the protective giraffe he called the emergency services and both were airlifted from the Blyde Willdlife Estate in Hoedspruit in Limpopo province.

They were both in comas for a month and it was feared Finn would be brain damaged by the severe head injuries but both made a long but remarkable and full recovery.

Sam, now 40, was jogging on the wildlife estate where both wildlife scientists live and work and stumbled across the horrific attack just a few hundred yards from home.

A few months earlier a wildlife cameraman working on TV’s Wild at Heart was attacked and killed by an agitated giraffe when it battered him with a swipe with its long neck.

South African Carlo Carvalho, 47, was knocked 16 foot through the air at the Glen Africa game park in Broederstroom, North West province where the series was filmed.

He was rushed to hospital but died from severe head injuries.

In 2019 Swiss tourist Roland Koller was killed by a giraffe in the Kruger National Park when a speeding minibus hit the young female and knocked it up into the air

The giraffe landed on the front of Koller’s Ford Ranger safari truck coming in the opposite direction and crushed the cab critically injuring him behind the wheel.

He died three days later in hospital and the giraffe was also killed.

In 2015 a South African cyclist was believed to have been trampled to death by a giraffe at the Thabato Game Lodge in Limpopo province.

Braam Bosse, 45, was found crushed and stamped to death beside his bicycle after going for a ride on a game trail on his own and experts blamed a giraffe attack

The herbivores are gentle creatures but can become killers when females protect their young or when adult males often fight to the death to prove which one is dominant.

They have two large bony horns known as ossicones on the top of their heads which they use as weapons using their six-foot-long 600lb necks.

A male giraffe grows to 18 feet tall and weighs 3000lbs and a female grows to 14 foot tall and weighs 1500lbs but attacks by them on humans are said to be very rare.

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On Dec. 29, 2023, South Africa filed a lawsuit in the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, accusing Israel of committing genocide, pointing to the scores of dead Palestinians that have resulted from Israel’s campaign against Hamas.

While the case is still pending as of this writing, the court issued an order on Jan. 26 ordering Israel to take measures to prevent acts that would be considered genocidal under the 1948 Genocide Convention. The court also said that at least some acts that South Africa alleged fall under the Genocide Convention. However, it did not order Israel to cease its military campaign in the Gaza Strip. Both sides hailed it as a victory.

But South Africa wasn’t done there. Now the country’s foreign minister, Naledi Pandor, has made a new startling announcement that citizens who fought in the Israeli Defense Forces and return to South Africa will be arrested. He said in his statement, “I have already issued a statement alerting those who are South African and who are fighting alongside or in the IDF. We are ready. When you come home, we’re going to arrest you.”

This came after a warning in December when South Africa’s foreign ministry stated, in response to its citizens serving in the IDF, “Such action can potentially contribute to the violation of international law and the commission of further international crimes, thus making them liable for prosecution in South Africa.”

Now campaigns supporting the same type of action in France are underway, though the French government is being far more reasonable on the matter. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine answered a question regarding it, stating, “They have not yet committed these crimes, so if they do commit these crimes and it is proven, I will answer you when the time comes.” He also stated that “dual citizenship implies dual loyalty, so, we will not investigate what French-Israeli citizens do regarding their military obligations in Israel.”

South Africa is setting an extremely dangerous precedent, using its prosecutorial powers to punish dual citizens who serve in the army of a non-terrorist state. It is particularly troubling when you consider the fact that Israel heavily relies on foreign-born soldiers to serve in their already relatively small — but effective — army.

It would be one thing if a South African pledged their allegiance to ISIS, al-Qaeda, Hezbollah or another terrorist outfit internationally recognized as a terrorist outfit that regularly commits heinous acts against innocent people. But it is an entirely different thing to serve in the IDF.

Israel is not a terrorist outfit. It is a peaceful nation that has taken great efforts to ensure its campaign against Hamas does not affect innocent people. After all, Israel can hardly be blamed for killing innocent civilians, for example, in a hospital when Hamas intentionally stores their weapons there and refuses to allow innocent people to leave when Israel warns them of an attack.

South Africa does not understand this, and I can perhaps guess the reason why. Because South Africa, like most developed nations, has not, since its formation, been under constant threat of destruction by neighboring countries.

South Africa lives in relative peace. It hasn’t seen a war in over a century.

That’s why we have a specific definition of genocide. That’s why the definition is not “the killing of an innocent person.” Instead, genocide is defined as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.” By no stretch of the imagination is Israel intentionally attempting to kill all Palestinians.

South Africa must cease its dangerous public campaign against Israel, lest it allow a terrorist group at Israel’s borders to flourish and expand past its own borders. South Africa is making itself an unwitting pawn in Hamas’ war against Israel, and it doesn’t seem like South Africa is willing to change course.

Armstrong Williams is a syndicated columnist.

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