South Africa declares Israeli envoy persona non grata, orders expulsion
South Africa accuses Israeli representative of ‘gross abuse of diplomatic privilege’ as Israel orders reciprocal move
South Africa has ordered the expulsion of Israel’s top diplomat in the country, accusing him of serious breaches of diplomatic conduct that it says undermine national sovereignty.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation announced that Ariel Seidman, Israel’s chargé d’affaires in Pretoria, had been declared persona non grata and given 72 hours to leave the country. The ministry accused Seidman of engaging in “unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms,” including launching “insulting attacks” on President Cyril Ramaphosa via social media and failing to formally notify authorities of visits by senior Israeli officials.
“These actions constitute a gross abuse of diplomatic privilege and a fundamental violation of the Vienna Convention,” the department said, adding that such conduct had “systematically eroded the trust and protocols essential to bilateral relations.” South Africa urged the Israeli government to ensure future diplomatic engagement respects international norms and the country’s sovereignty.
Israel responded swiftly, announcing reciprocal measures against senior South African diplomat Shaun Edward Byneveldt, declaring him persona non grata and granting him 72 hours to depart Israel. “Additional steps will be considered in due course,” Israel’s foreign ministry said in a statement shared on social media.
Byneveldt serves as South Africa’s ambassador to the State of Palestine and is based in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. Commenting on Israel’s move, South African foreign ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said Israel’s actions force a “farcical arrangement” in which South Africa’s envoy to Palestine must be accredited through the occupying power. He said this reflected Israel’s continued refusal to recognise international consensus on Palestinian statehood.
The diplomatic escalation comes amid months of heightened tensions between Pretoria and Tel Aviv over Israel’s war on Gaza. In December 2023, South Africa filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing it of committing genocide against Palestinians in the besieged enclave.
At the time, South Africa said it was “gravely concerned” by Israel’s indiscriminate use of force and the forced displacement of civilians. United Nations experts and leading human rights organisations have since echoed allegations of genocide, noting that Israeli military operations have killed at least 71,660 people since October 2023 and triggered a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
South African civil society groups have also drawn sharp criticism from Israeli officials for accusing Israel of operating an apartheid system against Palestinians, drawing parallels with South Africa’s own past. Earlier this month, the UN’s human rights chief said Israel maintains “a particularly severe form of racial discrimination and segregation” reminiscent of apartheid.
The decision to expel Israel’s envoy was welcomed by the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters party, which described Israel as a “rogue state” that routinely violates international law and targets diplomats, journalists, aid workers, and civilians. The party urged the South African government to go further by severing all diplomatic and economic ties with Israel.
