South Africa has declared Ariel Seidman, the Israeli chargé d’affaires in Pretoria, persona non grata and ordered him to depart the country within 72 hours, escalating already strained relations between the two nations amid ongoing disputes over Israel’s actions in Gaza. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) announced the decision in a media statement on Friday, accusing Seidman of “a series of unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms and practice which pose a direct challenge to South Africa’s sovereignty.”
These violations include the repeated use of official Israeli social media platforms to launch insulting attacks against President Cyril Ramaphosa and a deliberate failure to inform DIRCO of purported visits by senior Israeli officials.
Such actions, DIRCO stated, represent “a gross abuse of diplomatic privilege and a fundamental breach of the Vienna Convention.”
Under Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961), a receiving state may declare any member of a diplomatic mission persona non grata at any time without explanation, requiring the sending state to recall the individual or terminate their functions. If not complied with, the receiving state may refuse to recognize the person as a member of the mission, stripping them of diplomatic immunity. Seidman, who has served as Israel’s top diplomat in South Africa since the ambassador’s position became vacant, has been at the center of controversy. One notable instance cited by South African officials involves a post from the Israeli Embassy’s official X account in November 2025, which described a statement by Ramaphosa—that “boycott politics doesn’t work”—as “a rare moment of wisdom and diplomatic clarity.”
The comment, made in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a boycott of South Africa’s G20 Leaders Summit, was interpreted by the African National Congress and others as undiplomatic and disrespectful, implying that wisdom from Ramaphosa is uncommon. Additionally, DIRCO highlighted unauthorized visits by Israeli officials to provincial institutions earlier this week, including healthcare facilities and Walter Sisulu University, facilitated by Abathembu king Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo without notifying the provincial government or DIRCO.
These actions were deemed a breach of protocols essential for bilateral relations, further undermining trust.
The expulsion comes against the backdrop of South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, filed in late 2023, which has severely strained ties. Israel has rejected the allegations as baseless.
A spokesperson for the Israeli embassy declined to comment on the declaration.
This move echoes recent diplomatic expulsions involving South African envoys. In March 2025, the United States declared South Africa’s ambassador to Washington, Ebrahim Rasool, persona non grata and expelled him. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Rasool of being a “race-baiting politician who hates America and hates President Donald Trump.”
The decision followed Rasool’s comments during a webinar hosted by the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection, where he described Trump’s mobilization of support as driven by a “supremacist instinct” and “projecting white victimhood as a dog whistle” amid demographic shifts in the U.S. Broader U.S. concerns included South Africa’s land expropriation laws, which Trump viewed as an “injustice to white Afrikaners,” leading to a suspension of U.S. aid, as well as Pretoria’s anti-Israel positions and the ICJ case.
Rasool later described the expulsion as a “badge of dignity,” attributing it partly to South Africa’s stance against Israel. Rasool’s diplomatic privileges expired shortly after, and he was required to leave by the end of that week.
DIRCO urged Israel to ensure future diplomatic conduct respects South Africa’s sovereignty and international engagement principles.