South African activists on Gaza flotilla claim harsh treatment by Israel over genocide case

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Six South African activists who were detained by Israel while attempting to reach Gaza as part of an aid flotilla said Wednesday they were subjected to harsher treatment than other detainees because of South Africa's role in a genocide case against Israel.

Speaking after their return, the activists, which include a grandson of Nelson Mandela, said they were singled out after Israeli guards noticed that they were from South Africa. Two Muslim women among the group said they had their hijabs ripped off their heads and were forced to strip naked in front of Israeli soldiers.

Since 2023, South Africa has led a highly contentious case in the United Nations' top court accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.

Mandla Mandela, grandson of South Africa’s anti-apartheid icon and first Black president, said the South African activists on the flotilla were “harshly dealt with” because their country has confronted Israel over its actions in Gaza by launching the case at the International Court of Justice.

Their treatment was “because we are a nation that dared through our government to take apartheid Israel to the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court and hold them accountable,” Mandela said.

South African activists Fatima Hendricks and Zaheera Soomar told reporters at Johannesburg's OR Tambo airport on their return that their hijabs were forcibly removed from their heads while they were detained by Israel, which didn't happen to other Muslim female activists.

“Both of us were forced behind a screen, our heads pushed against the wall and completely stripped naked in front of Israeli soldiers. This did not happen to other women,” said Soomar. “When they saw our passports, this is how we were treated as South Africans.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry has denied any claims of mistreatment and noted that all activists were given the opportunity to voluntarily be deported without detention. It said Wednesday in response to the allegations by the South African activists that “all the legal rights of the participants in this PR stunt were and will continue to be fully upheld. The lies they are spreading are part of their pre-planned fake news campaign."

The six South Africans were among some 450 activists who were arrested as Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet of 42 boats seeking to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Palestinians in the famine-stricken territory. They were detained last week and brought to Israel.

Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg was among the activists arrested. Thunberg and activists from other countries have also claimed they were mistreated by Israeli guards, claims Israel has rejected as “brazen lies.”

The Israeli military intercepted another flotilla early Wednesday and detained scores more activists on board.

Mandla Mandela has previously been criticized over his alleged support for the Palestinian militant group Hamas and was denied a visa to travel to the U.K. last year.

South Africa has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause dating back to when Nelson Mandela was president. The country has compared Israel's treatment of Palestinians to the South African apartheid government's treatment of Black South Africans during its previous period of racial segregation. Israel has rejected that comparison.

South Africa lodged its case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza in late 2023. Several countries, including Nicaragua, Palestine, Turkey, Spain, Mexico, Libya and Colombia have supported South Africa's case, it said.

Israel has vehemently rejected the allegation it is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and has accused South Africa of being Hamas' "legal arm" by filing the case.

Activists prepare to welcome of members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, at OR Tambo International Airport, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Mandla Mandela with his wife Rabia, arrives with members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, at OR Tambo International Airport, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Mandla Mandela speaks to journalists after their arrival with members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, at OR Tambo International Airport, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Activists sing as they welcome the members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, at OR Tambo International Airport, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Mandla Mandela, showing victory sign and his fellow members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, at OR Tambo International Airport, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

ANTWERP, Belgium (AP) — Getting ready for the holiday season has never been stressful for Christel Dauwe — after all, her holiday period lasts all year long in her Christmas ornament shop in the Belgian city of Antwerp.

Her collecting began in her teenage years, and she now has more than 64,000 ornaments in her personal collection and another 18,000 displayed in her shop, the Christel Dauwe Collection.

“My personal wish is to have a Christmas museum, where ornaments and the idea of Christmas can be on permanent display,” she told The Associated Press. But until that day comes, her small shop uses every corner to display its vast inventory.

Its wares include birds of every feather, fruit arrangements, cars, angels, snowmen and other figurines, ranging from a few euros for a wood laser-cut Cathedral of Antwerp to more than 500 euros ($580) for a special ornament of Alexander the Great on horseback.

The store began 35 years ago as an antiques shop, selling a few ornaments on the side, but Dauwe wanted to try selling more.

On the suggestion of a Polish au pair, Dauwe and her husband traveled to Poland and found a factory that could produce exactly the ornaments she wanted. The only catch was that 200 pieces of each design had to be ordered at a time.

They returned home deflated.

“After second thoughts though, we decided to order 20 shapes of 200 each, and one day they arrived -- all 4,000 of them. We gave some away and the rest we put in the shop and, well … That’s the story from there,” she said.

The original Polish factory still supplies many of the shop’s ornaments, in addition to 32 other European companies.

“There is an ornament here for everyone. We’ve had people come in who say they have a new pet or even a new car and we try to match an ornament to them. In the end the goal is not to have some kind of posh tree decorated all with the same colors and Christmas balls. The goal of ornaments is to make you smile,″ she said.

Some ornaments are more personal. And one year there was an ornament of Christel herself, designed by her husband as a surprise.

She’s been asked to provide ornaments for weddings and other events as well.

As far as having Christmas all year round, Dauwe says she is never bored with it. Twice a year she goes around the shop and dusts each ornament individually. She has met people from all over the world, and entertains die-hard locals who stop into the store just for a morning chat.

“There are two ways to go with Christmas. It’s either the nostalgia of the past or the hope for the future,″ she said. ″Hope is what is the most important to me. It’s what keeps you going.”

Owner of the Christel Dauwe Collection ornaments shop, Christel Dauwe, shows an ornament of the Horse Bayard, a folkloric Belgian event, at her shop in Antwerp, Belgium, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Owner of the Christel Dauwe Collection ornaments shop, Christel Dauwe, takes a holiday ornament out of a display case at her shop in Antwerp, Belgium, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

A holiday ornament of a British phone cabin hangs on a shelf in the Christel Dauwe Collection ornaments shop in Antwerp, Belgium, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Holiday ornaments are seen through the window of the Christel Dauwe Collection ornaments shop in Antwerp, Belgium, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Owner of the Christel Dauwe Collection ornaments shop, Christel Dauwe, wraps boxes of holiday ornaments at her shop in Antwerp, Belgium, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)