South Africa's Foreign Ministry today (Friday) declared Israeli Chargé d'Affairs Israel Seidman persona non grata and gave him 72 hours to leave the country due to "repeated violations of diplomatic norms, including insulting President Cyril Ramaphosa," according to a ministry statement.
In response to the move, Israel, for its part, declared the first diplomatic representative of South Africa a persona non grata and must leave within 72 hours.
Today (Friday), South Africa decided to expel the Chargé d'Affairs at the Israeli Embassy, ordering him to leave the country within 72 hours.
In response to the move, Israel, for its part, declared that the first diplomatic representative of South Africa was persona non grata and must leave within three days.
The relationship between the two governments has deteriorated since, in late 2023, Pretoria filed a complaint against Israel before the International Court of Justice, accusing it of committing “genocide” in Gaza.
The ministry stated in a statement on Friday that it “informed the government of the State of Israel of its decision to consider Ariel Seidman, the Chargé d’Affairs at the Israeli Embassy, as persona non grata.”
South Africa and Israel expel each other's diplomatic representatives due to the war in Gaza
