South Africa Expels Israeli Ambassador Amid Diplomatic Row Over Gaza

South Africa has expelled Israel’s ambassador, Ariel Seidman, declaring him persona non grata and giving him 72 hours to leave over alleged violations of diplomatic norms. The government accused him of insulting President Cyril Ramaphosa on official Israeli platforms and failing to properly notify authorities about visits by Israeli officials, actions it said breached the Vienna Convention. The move comes amid worsening relations since South Africa filed a genocide case against Israel at the ICJ over Gaza, and it may further strain ties with the United States.

South Africa has taken the significant diplomatic step of expelling Israel’s ambassador to the country, Ariel Seidman, formally declaring him persona non grata. The announcement was made on Friday, with the South African government stating that the envoy has been given 72 hours to leave the country.
According to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), the decision followed what it described as a series of unacceptable actions by the ambassador that violated established diplomatic norms and practices. The department said these actions posed a direct challenge to South Africa’s sovereignty and left the government with no option but to act decisively.
In a detailed statement, DIRCO said the violations included the repeated use of official Israeli government social media platforms to launch what it described as insulting and disrespectful attacks against South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. The ministry stressed that such conduct was incompatible with the responsibilities and expectations placed on diplomatic representatives.
The foreign ministry further accused Seidman of failing to properly inform South African authorities about what it referred to as purported visits by senior Israeli officials to the country. DIRCO said this omission constituted a serious breach of diplomatic protocol and amounted to a gross abuse of diplomatic privilege.
The department added that the ambassador’s actions were in clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which sets out the rules governing the conduct of diplomats and their obligations to respect the laws and sovereignty of host countries.
At the time of reporting, Israel’s diplomatic mission in South Africa had not issued any official response to the expulsion or the accusations made by the South African government.
Diplomatic relations between South Africa and Israel have been deteriorating for some time, particularly since South Africa filed a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of committing genocide in its military actions in Gaza. Pretoria has consistently argued that Israel’s conduct in the conflict violates international law.
Israel has strongly rejected the case, insisting that the allegations are unfounded and claiming that the legal action “makes a mockery” of the definition of genocide.
Tensions had already been high in 2023, when South African lawmakers voted in favour of shutting down Israel’s diplomatic mission in Pretoria and suspending all diplomatic relations in response to the war in Gaza. However, that parliamentary decision was never implemented by the government.
The latest diplomatic fallout with Israel is also likely to further strain South Africa’s relations with the United States. Earlier this month, US officials criticised Pretoria, saying South Africa could not claim moral authority on global issues while strengthening ties with Iran, one of Israel’s long-standing adversaries.
In recent weeks, South Africa has hosted naval exercises in its territorial waters involving several countries. The drills included the presence of Iranian warships and also involved China, Russia and the United Arab Emirates, developments that have drawn international attention and added to the broader geopolitical tensions surrounding South Africa’s foreign policy stance.