South Africa has announced that Israel’s most senior diplomat in the country has been declared “persona non grata” and ordered to leave within 72 hours, according to a statement released by the foreign ministry on Friday, which cited a “series of violations”.
Relations between both countries have already been tense, particularly after South Africa approached the United Nations’ highest court in 2023, arguing that Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, an illegally occupied Palestinian territory, constituted genocide.
In its statement, the foreign ministry confirmed that Israel had been officially notified that its charge d’affaires, Ariel Seidman, had been “declared persona non grata” and was “required to depart from the Republic within 72 hours”.
“This decisive measure follows a series of unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms and practice which pose a direct challenge to South Africa’s sovereignty,” the ministry said.
Among the alleged violations, the ministry pointed to “the repeated use of official Israeli social media platforms to launch insulting attacks” against President Cyril Ramaphosa.
South Africa’s foreign ministry also accused the Israeli embassy of a “deliberate failure” to notify the government about “purported visits by senior Israeli officials” to the country.
‘Abuse Of Privilege’
Tensions reportedly escalated after a post shared by the Israeli embassy in November which read, “A rare moment of wisdom and diplomatic clarity from President Ramaphosa.”
The comment was made in response to a media report quoting Ramaphosa as saying “boycott politics doesn’t work”, in reference to US President Donald Trump’s decision not to attend the G20 summit held in Johannesburg.
Government officials in South Africa also criticised what they described as a breach of diplomatic protocol following a visit earlier this month by an Israeli delegation to the Eastern Cape province. The delegation reportedly offered assistance in water supply, healthcare, and agricultural development.
Authorities said the visit appeared to have occurred without prior notice and caught the government off guard. It was reportedly hosted by a traditional Xhosa king who had met Israeli President Isaac Herzog during a visit to Israel in December last year.
In its statement, the foreign ministry accused Israeli representatives of conduct that “represent a gross abuse of diplomatic privilege and a fundamental breach of the Vienna Convention”.
“They have systematically undermined the trust and protocols essential for bilateral relations,” the ministry added.
South Africa, home to the largest Jewish population in sub-Saharan Africa, has historically expressed strong support for the Palestinian cause and has been openly critical of Israel’s policies and military actions.
Pretoria closed its embassy in Tel Aviv on November 17, 2023.
In 2023, the South African government filed a case at the International Court of Justice, alleging that Israel’s war in Gaza — which followed the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas militants — violated the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention. Israel has rejected the allegation.
When more than 150 Palestinians arrived in South Africa in November without Israeli departure stamps on their passports, the foreign minister raised concerns over what he described as “a clear agenda to cleanse Palestinians out of Gaza and the West Bank”.
“We are suspicious as a South African government about the circumstances surrounding the arrival of the plane,” Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said.
South Africa has witnessed frequent protests condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza, including repeated demands for the closure of the Israeli embassy in Pretoria.
In a November editorial, Seidman criticised South Africa for maintaining diplomatic relations with Iran while portraying any engagement with Israel as “illegitimate”.
Relations between Pretoria and the Trump administration, a key ally of Israel, have also worsened in the past year, with South Africa’s ICJ case remaining a major point of contention.
What you should know
South Africa’s decision to expel Israel’s top diplomat reflects a deepening diplomatic rift driven largely by the Gaza conflict and broader disagreements over international law and sovereignty.
Pretoria has positioned itself as one of Israel’s most vocal critics on the global stage, particularly through its genocide case at the ICJ.
The move signals South Africa’s willingness to use diplomatic sanctions to protest perceived violations, while also highlighting growing global divisions over Israel’s military actions and the treatment of Palestinians.
