In a swift tit for tat response to South Africa’s expulsion of its top diplomat, Israel has declared South Africa’s senior diplomatic representative, Minister Shaun Edward Byneveldt, persona non grata and ordered him to depart within 72 hours. The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced the decision on X, stating that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar made the move “following South Africa’s false attacks against Israel in the international arena and the unilateral, baseless step taken against the Chargé d’Affaires of Israel in South Africa.” The statement added that “additional steps will be considered in due course.” This reciprocal action invokes Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961), which permits a receiving state to declare a diplomat persona non grata without providing justification, requiring the sending state to recall the individual or end their functions. Failure to comply allows the host to revoke diplomatic status. Byneveldt serves as South Africa’s ambassador to the State of Palestine, with his mission based in Ramallah in the West Bank, not as a direct envoy to Israel.
The ambassadorial post to Israel has been vacant since South Africa downgraded ties in 2023 amid the Gaza conflict. The expulsion follows South Africa’s earlier declaration on the same day that Ariel Seidman, Israel’s chargé d’affaires in Pretoria, was persona non grata due to “unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms,” including social media posts insulting President Cyril Ramaphosa and unauthorized visits by Israeli officials. One cited incident involved a November 2025 post from the Israeli Embassy’s X account describing Ramaphosa’s comment on boycott politics as “a rare moment of wisdom and diplomatic clarity,” which was perceived as derogatory. Additionally, Israeli officials visited South African institutions without notifying DIRCO, breaching protocols.
In response to Israel’s move, Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation, posted on X: “Mr Shaun Byneveldt is ambassador to the State of Palestine not Israel, Israel’s obstructionism forces a farcical arrangement where he is accredited through the very state that occupies his host country. This underscores Israel’s refusal to honour international consensus on Palestinian statehood.” Phiri’s statement highlights that Byneveldt’s accreditation is to Palestine, with operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and criticizes Israel’s control as an occupying power.
The diplomatic spat intensifies amid South Africa’s ongoing genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, initiated in late 2023, accusing Israel of violations in Gaza, a claim Israel denies as baseless. Israel’s expulsion of Byneveldt, while framed under the Vienna Convention, raises legal questions due to his accreditation to Palestine.
As the occupying power in the West Bank since 1967, Israel controls entry and movement, enabling it to effectively expel foreign diplomats by revoking permissions.
However, under international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, occupying powers must facilitate access and not impede third states’ activities without military necessity.
The International Court of Justice has ruled Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories unlawful, requiring withdrawal.
Critics argue the expulsion may violate obligations to respect Palestinian self-determination. This is not the first such incident for South African diplomats. In March 2025, the United States declared South Africa’s ambassador to Washington, Ebrahim Rasool, persona non grata. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited Rasool’s “race-baiting” remarks, including descriptions of Trump’s support base as driven by “supremacist instinct” and “white victimhood.” The expulsion was also linked to South Africa’s land policies and anti-Israel stance.