South African government kicks out top Israeli diplomat

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has declared the Charge d’Affaires of the Israeli Embassy, Ariel Seidman, persona non grata.

DIRCO has informed the Government of the State of Israel of its decision, which forced Seidman to leave the country within 72 hours. 

The drastic measure has been taken after Seidman and the Israeli Embassy undertook “unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms and practice, which pose a direct challenge to South Africa’s sovereignty,” DIRCO said. 

These alleged violations include the repeated use of official Israeli social media platforms to launch “insulting attacks” against President Cyril Ramaphosa. 

Most recently, following an announcement from the United States President Trump that the US would boycott South Africa’s G20 Leaders Summit, Ramaphosa posted a statement, warning that boycott politics is not effective. 

Seidman praised this as “a rare moment of wisdom and diplomatic clarity” from the president, which was regarded by the African National Congress (ANC) as “undiplomatic and disrespectful” conduct. 

Furthermore, the embassy is accused of a “deliberate failure to inform DIRCO of purported visits by senior Israeli officials.”

Earlier this month, the Israeli Embassy posted on the social media platform X that Israeli representatives visited the Eastern Cape to discuss assistance in water, health and agriculture. 

This included David Saranga from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Saranga met with “dozens of traditional leaders”, the Israeli Embassy said, to promote access to clean drinking water in remote villages.

Saranga then visited the Mthatha General Hospital and the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital, holding discussions with their CEOs on cooperation with Israel’s largest hospital, Sheba. 

The breakdown in relations between Israel and South Africa has deepened significantly in recent years, driven primarily by South Africa’s strong opposition to Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

Tensions escalated after South Africa filed a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in late 2023, accusing Israel of violating the Genocide Convention in Gaza.

This followed earlier steps like downgrading diplomatic ties in 2019, recalling its ambassador in 2018, and parliamentary calls in 2023 to close the Israeli embassy.

As of January 2026, South Africa maintains only limited political and diplomatic interaction with Israel.

Violations of diplomatic norms and practice – DIRCO

However, the Embassy later reposted an article from the Jewish Report, saying that the Eastern Cape Premier, Oscar Mabuyane, condemned the visit as a breach of diplomatic protocol. 

DIRCO agreed with the Eastern Cape premier, saying that “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. South Africa’s sovereignty and the dignity of its offices are inviolable.”

The Ministry said it urges the Israeli government to make sure that its future diplomatic conduct demonstrates a respect for South Africa and the established principles of international engagement. 

Seidman has previously published articles criticising the South African government for the “selective invocation of ‘sovereignty’.”

“South Africa maintains active diplomatic relations with numerous countries experiencing violent conflict, including Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, and Somalia,” said Seidman. 

“Engagement with these states is rightly understood as diplomacy, not endorsement.”

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies said that it is “outraged” by the declaration and said this stands in stark contrast to South Africa’s “willful blindness” to international atrocities.

Karen Milner, National Chair of SAJBD, said that, given the dire lack of basic services for countless South Africans, it is striking that the diplomat was removed days after Israel offered service delivery solutions to a desperate community.

“Unlike DIRCO, South Africa’s Jewish community remains committed to constructive dialogue on all matters affecting our country and global conflicts,” she said. “This is not the time to silence voices or close doors.”

Declaring Seidman persona non grata strips him of his diplomatic immunity and strips him of his status as a valid representative of his home nation in the eyes of the South African government.

Failure to comply with the order to leave the country may result in Seidman losing diplomatic protection and could even result in arrest.

Under the Vienna Convention, a country is entitled to make this declaration at any time without providing a specific reason.

The Israeli Embassy has not put out an official statement regarding the declaration yet. A Statement will be added when the Embassy provides more information.