A former Hamas hostage said she was motivated to visit the nation of South Africa despite its government accusing Israel of "apartheid" earlier this year.
Although Sapir Cohen said she was warned several times not to visit the Palestinian-sympathetic country, it made her visit "all the more critical," she said, according to the Jerusalem Post. "I wanted to share the truth of October 7 and to campaign for the release of all hostages including my boyfriend Sasha Trupanov."
Trupanov was featured in a hostage video released Tuesday by The Al-Quds Brigades. "In the next few days, you will hear the truth of what happened to me, as well as the other prisoners in Gaza," he said.
Upon her return this week, Cohen described her trip as "a very positive experience," during which she delivered a speech to 600 people, including South Africa's Rabbi Warren Goldstein, as well as German and Israeli officials.
Saul Jassinowsky, who helped organize the visit, said, "South Africa's warm and Zionist Jewish community and the country's natural beauty offer Sapir a warm and safe embrace. It is a special place for former hostages to visit and exhale after experiencing unimaginable trauma. We are working tirelessly to bring out more hostages in the future and facilitate whatever we can do for them."
Jewish National Fund Chairman Michael Kransdorff reaffirmed Jassinowky's sentiment, stating, "The South African Jewish community and many sectors of South African society stand with Israel. We are doing all we can to raise awareness of the hostages and to secure their release."
Earlier this year, South Africa accused Israel of apartheid against Palestinians.
During a hearing at the International Court of Justice in February, South African ambassador to the Netherlands, Vusimuzi Madonsela, said his country, "bears a special obligation, both to its own people and the international community, to ensure that wherever the egregious and offensive practices of apartheid occur, these must be called out for what they are and brought to an immediate end," the Associated Press reported.
Israel denied the accusations.
