Ordinary South Africans are not the only ones confused by the government's policy on Israel — MPs are also unclear, and want international relations and co-operation minister Naledi Pandor to explain government's position.

EFF MP Thembi Msane suggested that the portfolio committee on international relations and co-operation needed to take a stand on the matter after President Cyril Ramaphosa accepted the Israeli ambassador-designate's credentials last week.

She said the country and the committee needed to take a stance.

“We cannot have our cake and eat it, because even if you look at the communication by Dirco ... there had to be an explanation by Dirco to the public on why the Israeli ambassador was being welcomed to SA,” Msane said.

Msane said there have been many calls to shut down the Israeli embassy in SA. Msane said SA needed to make a solid decision in the same way other countries previously shunned the country due to its apartheid laws.

“They [other countries] made a decision to say, 'Let us shut out SA whether they have anything to give us or not because of what they are doing to their people. Let us shut them out until we find democracy in SA,'" she said.

In the context of Dirco's Naledi Pandor saying “yes we stand in solidarity with Palestine” and for the country to pull its support for Miss SA because she was participating in the Miss Universe as a country, but not take a strong stance, was hypocritical, she said.

Msane said SA was also failing the people of Eswatini by not taking a firm stance or advocating democracy in that kingdom.

ANC MP Skhumbuzo Mpanza agreed that the matter was “critical” and “political in nature”.

He suggested that the matter be raised in a special session with Pandor, who was absent from Wednesday's meeting. The committee was in any case planning to meet Pandor to discuss issues that needed her attention.

Mpanza said MPs needed to be “on the same wavelength” as the executive on the matter and on how to deal with it.

They also need the clarity before communicating publicly on the matter as a portfolio committee.

He said the Dirco press statement on the matter was “relatively OK” but not 100% satisfactory.

For Al Jamah's Ganief Hendricks, it was the glee with which Ramaphosa welcomed Eliav Belotsecovsky which was concerning — and suggested it went against acceptable protocols.

“The smile of the president caused a lot of controversy when he accepted the letter of introduction by the Israeli ambassador. Maybe protocol officers of Dirco should advise the president when he smiles. I have never seen him smile so generously before,” said Hendricks.

Committee chairperson Supra Mahumapelo confirmed to TimesLIVE that they are planning to meet Pandor soon to discuss the matter.

Ramaphosa told parliament while answering questions in March 2019 that SA would downgrade its diplomatic relations with Israel.

“Government is in the process of giving effect to a resolution of the governing party that SA should downgrade its embassy in Israel. As such, the South African government remains seized with the modalities of downgrading the South African embassy in Israel, and we will communicate once cabinet has fully finalised on this matter,” he said.

At its Nasrec conference in December 2017, the ANC resolved on the immediate and unconditional downgrade of SA's embassy in Israel to a liaison office.

The international relations department responded by recalling Ngombane in May 2018, while Lindiwe Sisulu was international relations minister.

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