South Africa has ordered the expulsion of Israel’s top diplomatic representative, declaring him persona non grata and giving him 72 hours to leave the country, in a sharp escalation of already strained relations between the two states.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation said on Friday that Ariel Seidman, Israel’s charge d’affaires in Pretoria, had committed “unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms” that undermined South Africa’s sovereignty, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.
According to the ministry, Seidman launched what it described as “insulting attacks” against Cyril Ramaphosa on social media and failed to properly notify authorities about visits by senior Israeli officials.
“These actions represent a gross abuse of diplomatic privilege and a fundamental breach of the Vienna Convention,” the ministry said, adding that the conduct had damaged trust essential to bilateral relations.
Israel responded swiftly. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it had declared a senior South African diplomat, Shaun Edward Byneveldt, persona non grata and ordered him to leave Israel within 72 hours.
Byneveldt serves as South Africa’s ambassador to the State of Palestine, operating from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. South Africa’s foreign ministry spokesperson said the arrangement highlighted Israel’s refusal to recognise Palestinian statehood and its control over diplomatic access to Palestinian territories.
The diplomatic tit-for-tat comes amid months of heightened tension between South Africa and Israel over the war in the Gaza Strip.
In December 2023, South Africa filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing it of committing genocide in Gaza. Israel has rejected the accusation, while the case has drawn global attention and intensified diplomatic pressure.
United Nations experts and major human rights organisations have also accused Israel of grave violations of international law in Gaza, where more than 71,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, according to local health officials.
The dispute has also revived long-standing accusations by South African activists and politicians that Israel maintains an apartheid-like system in its treatment of Palestinians, a comparison Israeli officials strongly deny.
South Africa’s opposition Economic Freedom Fighters welcomed the government’s decision, calling on Pretoria to take further steps, including cutting diplomatic and economic ties with Israel.
The expulsions mark one of the most serious diplomatic confrontations between South Africa and Israel in recent years, with officials on both sides signalling that further measures remain possible.