From BDS Activist to Israel Advocate: The Transformation of Klaas Mokgomole
In July 2015, Klaas Mokgomole, a South African university student and anti-Israel activist, arrived at Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv and asked a gate agent, “Can you please show me to the blacks only restroom?” according to a report by TPS. The agent, bewildered, directed him to a nearby bathroom, where Mokgomole encountered a mix of Jews and Arabs. This moment, he later said, shattered his long-held belief that Israel operated as an apartheid state, marking the start of his transformation from a vocal BDS movement leader to a pro-Israel advocate.
A 2015 Airport Encounter Shattered a BDS Leader’s Beliefs
Mokgomole, then a student leader at the University of Witwatersrand, had been deeply involved in the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. He recalled in an interview with TPS that he and his peers had accepted claims about Israel’s systemic racism without verification, including assertions that Arabs were barred from Israeli universities, beaches, and hospitals. “We didn’t authenticate the information, we just felt like it must be true,” he said.
From Activist to BDS Participant
Mokgomole’s radicalization began when BDS organizers at his university presented a PowerPoint and videos showing babies dying to explain why Israel was an apartheid state. Mokgomole helped pass a resolution banning anything connected to Israel from their campus, including the Jewish Student Union. His actions escalated to vandalism, such as placing a severed pig’s head in a kosher supermarket and disrupting an Israeli pianist’s performance, which led to his expulsion, according to Israel Today.
The Radicalization: Graphic Content and Campus Protests
After his expulsion, Mokgomole’s mother, who knew little about Israel beyond what she had read in the Bible, was devastated, and his brother urged him to research an issue before joining any movement. A friend later connected him with a trip to Israel organized by the South African-Israel Forum, which offered him a chance to see the country. Despite ridicule from former student leaders, Mokgomole traveled to Israel, where his airport encounter with the mixed-use restroom became a pivotal moment.
2014 Expulsion and a Mother’s Urging
During his visit, Mokgomole also toured Sderot, a city in southern Israel that had faced rocket attacks from Gaza. He learned that residents had 15 seconds to reach shelter, a detail absent from the narratives promoted by BDS groups. “I realized that BDS never told me that part of the story, and their campaign for Palestine was a mask for preaching hatred against Jews,” he said.
A Journey to Israel: ‘See the Other Side’
Since 2015, Mokgomole has worked to bridge divides, speaking at international events and leading educational programs in South Africa. He is set to publish a memoir, tentatively titled Klaas in Session. His journey reflects his shift from a hardcore anti-Israel activist to an advocate for Israel and coexistence.
Sderot’s Reality: A City Under Fire
Israel Today reported that Mokgomole’s current advocacy includes challenging antisemitism and promoting coexistence. His story underscores the complex interplay between historical grievances, ideological indoctrination, and personal exposure to conflicting narratives.
Post-2015 Advocacy and a Memoir in the Making
Israel Today reported that Mokgomole’s current advocacy includes challenging antisemitism and promoting coexistence. His story underscores the complex interplay between historical grievances, ideological indoctrination, and personal exposure to conflicting narratives.