South Africa has declared Israel’s top diplomat in the country persona non grata and ordered him to leave within 72 hours, intensifying already strained relations between the two governments.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) in Pretoria said on Friday, January 30, 2026, that Ariel Seidman, the charge d’affaires at the Israeli embassy, had breached diplomatic norms through a series of actions that challenged South African sovereignty and protocol.
DIRCO officials said the envoy’s use of official Israeli diplomatic social media platforms to launch what they described as “insulting attacks” on South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
They also said the failure to properly notify the ministry of visits by senior Israeli officials, amounted to violations of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations.
“These violations represent a gross abuse of diplomatic privilege and a fundamental breach of accepted diplomatic practice,” the ministry said, adding that Seidman must depart South Africa within three days.
Hours after Pretoria’s announcement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem declared South Africa’s senior diplomatic representative, Shaun Edward Byneveldt, persona non grata and also ordered him to leave within 72 hours.
Israeli officials described South Africa’s action as “unilateral and baseless” and said the reciprocal expulsion was necessary to protect Israel’s national interests.
The expulsions come amid a broader deterioration in diplomatic ties, largely linked to South Africa’s outspoken criticism of Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip and its decision to take Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention.
South Africa first filed its case against Israel at the ICJ in late 2023, arguing that actions by Israeli forces in Gaza amounted to genocide — allegations Israel strongly denies.
Relations have remained tense since South Africa withdrew its embassy from Tel Aviv in 2023 and aligned itself politically with Palestinian institutions.
As both countries prepare for their diplomats’ departures, it remains unclear what further diplomatic measures they may take in the coming days.
