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

South Africa accuses Israeli representative of ‘gross abuse of diplomatic privilege’ as Israel orders reciprocal move.Published On 30 Jan 2026South Africa is expelling Israel’s envoy to the country, the foreign affairs ministry announced, accusing the Israeli official of engaging in “unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms” that challenge South African sovereignty.The Department of International Relations and Cooperation said on Friday that it was giving Ariel Seidman, the charge d’affaires at the Israeli embassy, 72 hours to leave South Africa after declaring him persona non grata.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Will Gaza ceasefire change South Africa’s ICJ genocide case against Israel?list 2 of 3Israel ‘asphyxiating’ Palestinians for ‘apartheid system’ in West Bank: UNlist 3 of 3Is Israel’s current path setting it on course for collapse?end of listIt accused Seidman of launching “insulting attacks” against South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on social media as well as “a deliberate failure” to inform the ministry “of purported visits by senior Israeli officials”.“Such actions represent a gross abuse of diplomatic privilege and a fundamental breach of the Vienna Convention. They have systematically undermined the trust and protocols essential for bilateral relations,” the department said in a statement.“We urge the Israeli Government to ensure its future diplomatic conduct demonstrates respect for the Republic and the established principles of international engagement.”The announcement drew a rapid response from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which said it had declared senior South African diplomat, Shaun Edward Byneveldt, persona non grata and was giving him 72 hours to leave the country.“Additional steps will be considered in due course,” the Israeli ministry said in a statement shared on social media.Byneveldt is South Africa’s ambassador to the State of Palestine, working out of an office in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to a South African government website.