South Africa orders expulsion of Israeli envoy, declared persona non grata

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Al Jazeera StaffJanuary 30, 2026 at 06:00 PM

AI Summary

short article 2 min

In January 2026, South Africa expelled Israel's envoy, Ariel Seidman, declaring him persona non grata and giving him 72 hours to leave the country. The South African foreign affairs ministry accused Seidman of "gross abuse of diplomatic privilege," citing insulting social media attacks against President Cyril Ramaphosa and failure to inform the ministry of visits by senior Israeli officials. Israel responded by declaring senior South African diplomat Shaun Edward Byneveldt, the ambassador to the State of Palestine, persona non grata and ordering his expulsion within 72 hours. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that additional steps would be considered. The reciprocal expulsions highlight escalating tensions between the two nations.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Ramallah 30% State of Palestine 40% West Bank ×240% Vienna Convention 40% Cyril Ramaphosa 50% Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs 60% Department of International Relations and Cooperation 60% Shaun Edward Byneveldt 70% Ariel Seidman ×270% South Africa ×690% Israel ×690%

Keywords

israel 90% south africa 90% diplomatic expulsion 90% persona non grata 80% diplomatic privilege 70% bilateral relations 60% diplomatic norms 60% international relations 60% cyril ramaphosa 50% vienna convention 50%