The South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) on Monday said that the country’s Sunday Times newspaper had cancelled an advertisement revealing the truth about Hamas.

The group posted on its Facebook page that the advertisement was paid for and was supposed to appear in the newspaper this week.

“On Friday afternoon at 3 PM, the Sunday Times pulled the advert and cancelled publication,” said the South African Zionist Federation.

The ad reads, “According to Hamas, jihad is the only way to achieve ‘peace’ – and it gets worse.”

“Unlike South Africans, who achieved peaceful resolutions to conflict through dialogue, negotiation, truth and reconciliation, the Political Head of Hamas, Khaled Mashaal, emphatically insists: ‘Jihad and armed resistance are the true and correct way… There will be no concession on an inch of the land,’” the ad says, according to SAZF.

The group further pointed out that Hamas’s charter “openly and brazenly rejects peace initiatives and claims that jihad is the only solution.”

As well, noted SAZF in the ad, “In direct opposition to the South African Bill of Rights, Hamas has openly declared homosexuality a crime punishable by death. Freedom of religion is treated with equal contempt.”

It also noted that Mashaal is denied entry to almost every country in the world, including most Arab states, yet he “warmly welcomed in South Africa”, a reference to the country’s ruling party recently hosting a rally in Cape Town for Mashaal.

“We urge the ANC (African National Congress -ed.) to act as a credible mediator for peace in the Middle East and not to embrace a violent Jihadist organization, by welcoming them into our midst,” said SAZF.

The ANC late last month Mashaal and colleagues from the Islamist terror group on a three-day visit to South Africa, sparking strong criticism from Israel.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry summoned South Africa’s Deputy Ambassador to Israel for a reprimand in protest of the visit.

Mashaal’s visit followed a controversial call by ANC’s National General Council that travel to Israel be discouraged unless it promotes solidarity with the “Palestinian struggle”.

The recommendation was the latest in a series of anti-Israel moves by the government in South Africa, which has frequently accused Israel of applying a policy of “apartheid” towards Palestinian Arabs. 

The latest example came in September when ANC proposed new rules regarding dual citizenship meant to stop South African citizens from joining the IDF.

South Africa’s Chief Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein issued a stinging response to the proposed rules, calling out the ANC party on its hypocritical and “obsessive” stance vis-a-vis the State of Israel.