By Enyichukwu Enemanna
US President Donald Trump has named pro-Israel commentator Leo Brent Bozell III as ambassador to South Africa, as both countries record growing frosty relations.
The nomination of Bozell, a conservative media critic comes after Washington had expelled South Africa’s ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, for remarks US authorities said are critical of Trump.
Relations between the two countries deteriorated after Trump came to power in January.
Following the expulsion of Rasool, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described him as a “race-baiting politician”.
In an X post announcing that Rasool was “no longer welcome”, Rubio linked to an article from the right-wing outlet Breitbart that cited Rasool’s comments accusing Trump of trying to “project white victimhood as a dog whistle”.
In contrast to Washington’s position, Pretoria had initiated a legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice over the war in Gaza, accusing Israeli government of committing war crimes.
Trump administration in addition to kicking against South Africa’s action had accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of discriminating against the minority white South Africans by using a land administration law to seize their land.
Bozell, 69, was previously nominated to lead the US Agency for Global Media, a now-closed umbrella organisation that oversaw Voice of America and Radio Free Europe.
Earlier in his career, he founded the Media Research Center – which has the stated mission of identifying liberal bias and the Parents Television Council, among other conservative groups.
His son, Leo, was among those who stormed the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, protesting Trump’s election loss to Joe Biden.
He was convicted last year and sentenced to nearly four years in prison but pardoned by Trump days after his inauguration for a second term.
Rasool who was given 72 hours to leave the US has since been back, expressing no regret for his comments.
