The country that accused Israel of genocide - and is now catching fire in return

South Africa's ambassador to the US, Abraham Mayer, rejects the Trump administration's claims of genocide against Afrikaners, calling them a distortion of reality. Tensions between the countries are escalating amid the absorption of approximately 13,000 Afrikaner refugees in the US and visa restrictions imposed by the administration on South African citizens.

South Africa's ambassador to the US, Abraham Mayer, strongly rejects the Trump administration's claims of genocide against Afrikaners, calling them a distortion of reality. Mayer, who served in the 1990s as one of the key mediators for ending the apartheid regime, was appointed to his current position last April amid a sharp decline in diplomatic relations between the two countries. Tensions escalated last year when President Trump accused South Africa of genocide against whites, and the administration opened a dedicated refugee pathway for Afrikaners. Since then, nearly 13,000 refugees have been accepted, all but three from South Africa, and the administration plans to approve the entry of up to 17,500 more in the coming year. A White House spokesperson stated that "Trump provided a lifeline to Afrikaners, who are being raped and murdered across South Africa." The administration also imposed visa restrictions on South African citizens it claims are responsible for race-based discrimination. Mayer acknowledged that South Africa has challenges in fighting crime but emphasized that the highest crime rates are in black townships. He criticized Afrikaners protesting in Washington and placing white crosses, saying that protest abroad is not helpful without a commitment to action within the country.