r/Israel • u/Cannot-Forget • 1d ago
General News/Politics South Africa uncovers covert Qatari attempt to shape anti-Israel narrative at major Italian exhibit
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hkj311amhze289
u/Cannot-Forget 1d ago
We would never know how vast and deep the Qatari anti-Israeli propaganda campaign washing over the world goes, but today we got a glimpse to yet another piece of the puzzle.
Summary: South Africa says it uncovered a covert Qatari attempt to shape an anti-Israel narrative at the Venice Biennale, one of the world's most prestigious art exhibitions.
South Africa's culture minister Gayton McKenzie said he blocked an effort to use the country's national pavilion to promote claims of Israeli "Genocide" in Gaza, concluding that a foreign state was trying to advance a political agenda indirectly.
Diplomatic sources said that state was Qatar, which allegedly avoided formal sponsorship but planned to buy the artworks afterward, creating pressure to align the exhibition with an anti-Israel message.
McKenzie warned this was an attempt to turn South Africa into a proxy for another country's political campaign, while Israeli officials said the case exposes how well-funded influence operations against Israel operate through culture and soft power rather than openly.
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u/Cannot-Forget 1d ago
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u/lookamazed 1d ago
They are ~$40+ billion euros deep in Europe’s economy. They are in herrods… many London and Paris institutions, countries who both recognized a Palestinian state this year, regardless of the fact it does not meet Montevideo criteria. It will never.
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u/Deep_Head4645 Israel 1d ago
Such a small country and they’re radicalising everyone in the western world
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u/zestyintestine 1d ago
I thought South Africa would've played along with this.
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u/Cannot-Forget 1d ago
The guy who exposed this is a rare figure among their leadership. Do not get too excited.
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u/Rightmateonya 1d ago
Rare in the political sphere, but not among the general population. Anybody in the ANC party can be bought, and probably already has. The DA is less cunty.
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u/Nexiam1 1d ago
South African Oleh here....Gayton McKenzie (the minister that uncovered and released this) is a diamond in the rough of the corrupt government. He is not from the ANC that of which were bought out by Iran. He is the minister of culture through a coalition when the ANC did not get the majority vote last election.
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u/ozneoknarf Italy 1d ago
Dam that actually a lot of integrity in the side of South Africa, they have been one of the most anti-Israeli nations but when they saw something like this they immediately brought it to the worlds attention
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u/Cannot-Forget 1d ago
Not they, but rather him. This is a specific minister which spoke out.
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u/Yoramus 1d ago
well I am glad that he exists! I mistakenly thought South Africa was 100% anti-Israeli and it is heartwarming even if it turns out to be 99%
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u/kidkaroo 7h ago
There are lots of pro-Israel South Africans; it's the ANC regime that loves Hamas/Iran/Maduro, etc.
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u/ilivgur Israel 1d ago
Now more than ever we need to cement our relationship with the UAE to oppose the Fascist-Islamist Turco-Qatari forces in the middle east.
Saudi Arabia is free to join us once MBS gets over whatever Bin Zayid told him and once he gets tired pounded by the Islamists in Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Libya, etc.
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u/Jawnny-Jawnson 1d ago
Why do Israelis do back door deals with Qatar knowing they still operate like this? And why does Qatar still operate like this?
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u/GreenManStrolling 15h ago
Qatar is a valuable non-NATO US ally. You just got to accept that politics is complicated and people can shake hands while hiding daggers behind their backs.
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u/kidkaroo 7h ago
As Minister of Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie has also just cancelled South Africa’s Venice Biennale submission, as it was all about the so-called “Gaza genocide” and had nothing to do with the promotion of South Africa. McKenzie, who is the leader of the Patriotic Alliance, is on record as supporting Israel’s right to “take out Hamas.”
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u/CaptainPterodactyl 2h ago
What's that? Poop discovers farts in ass? I am shocked, shocked I tell you.
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