‘Persona Non Grata’ – South Africa Orders Israeli Diplomat to Leave Within 72 Hours
South Africa has ordered Israel’s chargé d’affaires to leave the country within 72 hours, citing repeated violations of diplomatic norms and attacks on the presidency.
South Africa has declared the chargé d’affaires of the Israeli Embassy in Pretoria, Ariel Seidman, persona non grata, ordering him to leave the country within 72 hours, Anadolu news agency reported on Friday.
South African Foreign Ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said Israel had been formally notified of the decision, describing it as a response to “a series of unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms and practice which pose a direct challenge to South Africa’s sovereignty.”
According to an official statement, the violations include Seidman’s repeated use of official Israeli social media platforms to launch insulting attacks against South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, as well as a failure to inform the foreign ministry of visits by senior Israeli officials.
Pretoria said Seidman’s conduct amounted to a gross abuse of diplomatic privilege and a fundamental breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
“Mr. Seidman is required to depart from the Republic within 72 hours,” the statement said, adding that his actions had “systematically undermined the trust and protocols essential for bilateral relations.”
South Africa also urged Israel to ensure that its future diplomatic conduct demonstrates respect for the Republic and the established principles of international engagement.
Sharply Deteriorating Relations
The move comes amid sharply deteriorating relations between South Africa and Israel, following Pretoria’s decision to file a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in December 2023.
South Africa has accused Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention in its actions against Palestinians in Gaza. Despite the court’s subsequent issuance of a series of provisional measures ordering Israel to take steps to prevent acts of genocide, Israel has continued its genocidal campaign in Gaza.
In 2023, South Africa had already summoned Israel’s then-ambassador to Pretoria, Eliav Belotserkovsky, over disparaging remarks targeting those who speak out against Israeli attacks on Palestinians.
Israeli Response
Meanwhile, the BBC reported that Israel responded within hours by declaring South Africa’s ambassador to Palestine, Shaun Edward Byneveldt, persona non grata, giving him 72 hours to leave.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar reportedly described South Africa’s action as “unilateral” and “baseless,” adding that further steps may follow.
BBC also noted that Seidman was Israel’s highest-ranking representative in South Africa, as Israel has not appointed a full ambassador since Pretoria downgraded diplomatic ties. South Africa, for its part, withdrew its ambassador from Israel in 2018 and Israel recalled its ambassador from Pretoria in 2023 after the ICJ case was filed.
Seidman, appointed last year, was also accredited to several neighboring countries, including Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Namibia.
(PC, South African media, BBC, Anadolu)