South Africa’s top justice was ordered on Thursday to apologize and see comments he made back last year see support for Israel in a country outside Palestine.
Mogoeng Mogoeng, a devout Christian, began a riot in June last year reciting his love and prayers for Israel.
He said South Africa was missing out on “an incredible opportunity to become a game-player in the Israeli-Palestinian situation,”
South Africa is an open supporter of the Palestinian cause and in 2019 put down the embassy in Tel Aviv.
The country’s Judicial Conduct Committee, which examined the judge’s comments following a complaint, said the comments were “offensive” and “particularly serious”.
“It is important … that these statements must be withdrawn and removed in order to restore and maintain the judge’s public image to the right place,” the committee said in its decision.
The committee drafted its apology for bidding within 10 days.
The controversial judge in December came under heavy criticism when he publicly prayed against the “satanic” COVID-19 vaccines, calling on God to “destroy them with fire”.
Pro-Palestine local rights group # Africa4Palestine filed a formal complaint about its anti-Israel speech at a web conference hosted by the Jerusalem Post and South Africa’s chief rabbi, Warren Goldstein.