South Africa expels top Israeli diplomat over social media posts
South Africa expelled Israel’s chargé d’affaires on Friday over what it said was a series of unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms and practices.
South Africa has expelled Israel’s most senior diplomat in the country, escalating already tense relations between the two nations. The government declared Ariel Seidman, Israel’s chargé d’affaires in Pretoria, persona non grata and ordered him to leave within 72 hours, citing what it described as unacceptable conduct and repeated breaches of diplomatic norms.
Authorities said the decision followed a series of controversial social media posts made using official Israeli platforms, which were seen as insulting to President Cyril Ramaphosa, as well as failures to properly notify South Africa about visits by senior Israeli officials.
The move comes against the backdrop of deepening political tensions, with South Africa being one of Israel’s most vocal critics over the war in Gaza and having taken Israel to the International Court of Justice on genocide allegations, which Israel denies.
In a swift response, Israel retaliated by expelling South Africa’s top diplomat, giving him the same deadline to leave.
The diplomatic standoff marks one of the sharpest breaks in relations between the two countries in years and underscores how sharply divided they have become over Middle East politics and international law.
