An Africa-based Task Force has been established to address concerns about terrorism from Iran and jihadi organizations.

South Africa's chief rabbi is establishing a task force to address the perceived threat of terror from Iran and jihadi groups.

Dr. Warren Goldstein, the Chief Rabbi, established the group following a recent bomb attack at a Jewish center in Cape Town. An improvised explosive device was thrown at the Samson Community Center, but it failed to detonate. The center houses various South African Jewish organizations.

The "Counter-Terror Task Force" will propose safeguarding measures for places of worship, schools, and community centers.

"The Jewish community in South Africa, like other Jewish communities worldwide, faces a heightened risk of terror attacks due to the Iranian regime's state-sponsored terror strategy, which targets Jewish communities globally. The task force's findings will be applied not only in South Africa but globally."

Over the past decade, Africa has become a hub for global jihadi terror, with the threat indices dramatically increasing as groups such as al-Shabab, Boko Haram and ISIS operate throughout the continent.

The task force is made up of global experts on terror, including Admiral Mike Hewitt, former deputy director for Global Operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the U.S. Defense Department, Dean Haydon, former senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism in the United Kingdom, Major General David Tsur, former commander of the counter-terrorism unit in the Israeli Police, and Andre Pienaar, co-founder of South Africa’s Directorate of Special Operations, also known as the Scorpions.

The chief rabbi stated that additional resources and personnel will be marshaled as needed.

Jihadist terror has a greater impact on Christians than Jews in Africa, with thousands of Christians being killed annually for their faith.

The stance of the South African government at the International Court of Justice, where it has accused Israel of genocide over the war in Gaza, has "stigmatized Jews not only within the country but globally," as stated by Goldstein to Planet Chronicle Digital.

The government's views on Israel in South Africa may not necessarily reflect the views of the general public, who tend to hold moderate and pragmatic views on the issue. Despite this, levels of domestic antisemitism in South Africa remain low compared to Western standards.

In 2024, South Africa recorded 128 antisemitic incidents, the second-highest number since record-keeping began in 1998. The highest number of incidents was recorded in 2023 (182). Notably, 63% of these incidents occurred immediately following the events of October 7, the Hamas attack in Israel.

"The wave of antisemitism that occurred in the early months of 2024 was greatly impacted by the October 7 attacks in Israel. Notably, the majority of the antisemitic incidents recorded in 2024 were verbal assaults, targeted hate mail, or antagonism, with very few incidents escalating into physical assault."

Milner concluded that, although antisemitism exists in South Africa, it is lower compared to other countries, and Jews can safely identify as Jewish and practice their religion with relative security.