A striking feature of white political sentiment in post-apartheid South Africa is its consistent support for Ukraine and Israel, alongside hostility toward Palestine and Russia. This pattern cannot be explained by geopolitical logic alone. Rather, it reflects deeper psychological and cultural alignments rooted in colonial identity, media priming, selective empathy, and residual religious ideologies. The argument presented here is that such allegiances are less about informed analysis than about inherited worldviews that code whiteness, order, and Western power as morally superior—regardless of the facts on the ground.
1. Ingroup Identification and “Whiteness as Global Norm”
Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979) shows people derive self-esteem from group membership. Many white South Africans still subconsciously align with Western identity—viewing Ukraine and Israel as culturally “closer” or more “civilised,” and Russia and Palestine as “other,” chaotic, or threatening. This is not always explicit racism but is often rooted in postcolonial identification with whiteness, order, and liberal-capitalist statehood.
Reference: Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W.G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 33–47). Brooks/Cole.
2. Media Priming and Moral Framing
Western media—consumed by many white South Africans—routinely portrays:
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Ukraine as a democratic underdog,
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Israel as a rational state defending against irrational terror,
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while Russia and Palestinians are cast as aggressors or extremists.
This produces cognitive heuristics (mental shortcuts) where moral evaluations follow emotional framings. The media primes viewers to see suffering as either “deserved” or “unfortunate but necessary.”
Reference: Entman, R. M. (2004). Projections of power: Framing news, public opinion, and U.S. foreign policy. University of Chicago Press.
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226210735.001.0001
3. Colonial Guilt Displacement and “Good vs Evil” Narratives
Some white South Africans unconsciously deflect their own historical guilt by aligning themselves with “good guys” in global conflicts. Supporting Israel or Ukraine can serve as moral displacement—a way to feel righteous without addressing apartheid complicity. This allows a simplified Manichaean worldview (good vs evil) that preserves ego and avoids complex moral introspection.
Reference: Fanon, F. (1961). The Wretched of the Earth. Grove Press. [Fanon discusses internalised colonial guilt and projection.]
4. Selective Empathy and Racial Coding
Western audiences, including many white South Africans, often extend empathy more readily to groups that look like them or reflect their cultural symbols. Studies show that race-coded empathy affects how violence is perceived: a bombed white neighbourhood evokes horror, while a bombed Arab or African city may evoke resignation or moral rationalisation.
Reference: Gawronski, B., & Bodenhausen, G. V. (2006). Associative and propositional processes in evaluation: An integrative review of implicit and explicit attitude change. Psychological Bulletin, 132(5), 692–731. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.132.5.692
5. Zionism and Christian Zionist Influence
A significant segment of older white South Africans grew up in Christian evangelical traditions that teach the restoration of Israel as a prerequisite for the return of Christ. These religious frameworks deeply influence support for Israel, often overriding any political analysis.
Reference: Wagner, D. (2014). Evangelicals and Israel: The Story of American Christian Zionism. Westminster John Knox Press.
