South Africa Expels Israeli Diplomat Over Diplomatic Norm Violations

Sun Feb 01 2026 12:56:12 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Tensions escalate as South Africa expels Israel's chargé d'affaires for making derogatory remarks about President Cyril Ramaphosa and violating diplomatic protocols.

In a significant diplomatic move, South Africa has declared Ariel Seidman, Israel's chargé d'affaires, persona non grata, giving him 72 hours to leave the country. This action comes after Seidman was accused of insulting President Cyril Ramaphosa and misusing official channels to criticize the South African leadership. The relations between South Africa and Israel have been strained, especially following allegations of genocide against Palestinians presented by South Africa at the International Court of Justice.

South Africa has expelled Israel's top diplomat in the country for violating diplomatic norms, including making insulting remarks about South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Ariel Seidman, chargé d'affaires at the Israeli embassy, has been declared persona non grata and given 72 hours to leave the country, according to South Africa’s foreign ministry.

He has been accused of using official social media platforms to attack Ramaphosa and of inviting Israeli officials to South Africa without permission.

Relations between the two nations have been tense since South Africa accused Israel of genocide against Palestinians at the International Court of Justice, a claim that Israel has vehemently rejected.

In a statement, South Africa’s foreign affairs ministry remarked that Seidman's actions represent a gross abuse of diplomatic privilege. His tenure as chargé d'affaires began last year, and his diplomatic responsibilities also covered Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Namibia.

The BBC has reached out to the Israeli embassy in Pretoria for comments. It should be noted that there is currently no ambassador representing Israel in South Africa.