I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7256 
To require a full review of the bilateral relationship between the United 
States and South Africa. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 6, 2024 
Mr. JAMES (for himself and Mr. MOSKOWITZ) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To require a full review of the bilateral relationship between 
the United States and South Africa. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘U.S.-South Africa Bi-
lateral Relations Review Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The actions of the African National Con-
gress (‘‘ANC’’), which since 1994 has held a gov-
erning majority and controlled South Africa’s execu-
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tive branch, are inconsistent with its publicly stated 
policy of nonalignment in international affairs. 
(2) In contrast to its stated stance of nonalign-
ment, the South African Government has a history 
of siding with malign actors, including Hamas, a 
U.S. designated Foreign Terrorist Organization and 
a proxy of the Iranian regime, and continues to pur-
sue closer ties with the People’s Republic of China 
(‘‘PRC’’) and the Russian Federation. 
(3) The South African Government’s support of 
Hamas dates back to 1994, when the ANC first 
came into power, taking a hardline stance of consist-
ently accusing Israel of practicing apartheid. 
(4) Following Hamas’ unprovoked and unprece-
dented horrendous attack on Israel on October 7, 
2023, where Hamas terrorists killed and kidnapped 
hundreds of Israelis, members of the South African 
Government and leaders of the ANC have delivered 
a variety of antisemitic and anti-Israel-related state-
ments and actions, including— 
(A) on October 7, 2023, South Africa’s 
Foreign Ministry released a statement express-
ing concern of ‘‘escalating violence’’, urging 
Israel’s restraint in response, and implicitly 
blaming Israel for provoking the attack through 
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‘‘continued illegal occupation of Palestine land, 
continued settlement expansion, desecration of 
the Al Aqsa Mosque and Christian holy sites, 
and ongoing oppression of the Palestinian peo-
ple’’; 
(B) on October 8, 2023, the ANC’s na-
tional spokesperson, Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, 
said of the devastating Hamas attack, ‘‘the de-
cision by Palestinians to respond to the bru-
tality of the settler Israeli apartheid regime is 
unsurprising’’; 
(C) on October 14, 2023, President Cyril 
Ramaphosa of South Africa, accused Israel of 
‘‘genocide’’ in statements during a pro-Pales-
tinian rally; 
(D) on October 17, 2023, South African 
Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor accepted a call 
with Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh; 
(E) on October 22, 2023, South African 
Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor visited Tehran 
and met with President Raisi of the Islamic Re-
public of Iran, which is actively funding Hamas; 
(F) on November 7, 2023, in a parliamen-
tary address Foreign Minister Pandor called for 
the International Criminal Court to charge 
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 
with war crimes; 
(G) on November 17, 2023, South Africa, 
along with 4 other countries, submitted a joint 
request to the International Criminal Court for 
an investigation into war crimes being com-
mitted in the Palestinian territories; and 
(H) on December 29, 2023, South Africa 
filed a politically motivated suit in the Inter-
national Court of Justice wrongfully accusing 
Israel of committing genocide. 
(5) The South African Government has pursued 
increasingly close relations with the Russian Federa-
tion, which has been accused of perpetrating war 
crimes in Ukraine and indiscriminately undermines 
human rights. South Africa’s robust relationship 
with Russia spans the military and political space, 
including— 
(A) allowing a United States-sanctioned 
Russian cargo ship, the Lady R, to dock and 
transfer arms at a South African naval base in 
December 2022; 
(B) hosting offshore naval exercises, enti-
tled ‘‘Operation Mosi II’’, carried out jointly 
with the PRC and Russia, between February 17 
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