LETTER: Foreign policy is a liability

I was surprised at Anthony Butler’s conclusion that President Cyril Ramaphosa had arrived at a foreign policy position that was in the interests of the country, citing a neutrality with regard to Russia and an international law motivation regarding his International Court of Justice (ICJ) case against Israel (“Ramaphosa follows Mbeki’s playbook over foreign policy”, March 14).

Regarding Russia, was he referring to a Keystone Cops peace mission, or the belated and meaningless invitation to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky? Or maybe that our alliance with Russia has taken a back seat after Donald Trump switched sides to join Vladimir Putin?

I have yet to hear anybody characterise the ICJ case as anything but the ANC’s usual sympathy for any anti-West terrorist organisation, in particular the anti-Jewish Hamas on speed dial with Naledi Pandor and Zane Dangor, or as a paid-for favour to Iran. 

Sydney Kaye
Cape Town

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