Ismail Coovadia made the statement in a letter to pro-Palestinian activists.

In his statement, Coovadia explained his decision to reject a symbolic gift from the Israeli government — planting trees in his honor in a national park named after South Africa.

He said the Zionist regime’s policies that discriminate against Palestinians appeared to be reminiscent of his experiences under South Africa's apartheid system. South Africa's post-apartheid government frequently identifies with the Palestinians.

Coovadia, who completed his four-year term in January, confirmed the letter's contents on Tuesday.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said Coovadia did not made such complaints during his term.

This is while the Zionist regime has decided earlier in June 2013 to send thousands of African migrants to an undisclosed country in an attempt to stem the influx of migrants.

According to a court document, an Israeli lawyer said that a deal was reached with an unidentified country to absorb the migrants. The lawyer stated that the absorption of the migrants would be “gradual.”