South Africa has expelled Israel’s Chargé d’Affaires, Ariel Seidman, ordering him to leave the country within 72 hours.
The government said the decision follows a series of unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms and practices that 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 His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa, as well as a deliberate failure to inform the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) of purported visits by senior Israeli officials,” said DIRCO spokesperson Chrispin Phiri.
Phiri stated that such actions constitute a gross abuse of diplomatic privilege and a fundamental breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
“They have systematically undermined the trust and protocols essential for bilateral relations,” he said.
According to Phiri, the South African government had on several occasions admonished Seidman over what it described as negative and condescending remarks about President Ramaphosa and the country.
The envoy was also accused of showing disrespect to the government by failing to notify authorities of visits by senior Israeli officials, who recently travelled to the Eastern Cape at the invitation of AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo.
Phiri emphasised that South Africa’s sovereignty and the dignity of its constitutional offices are inviolable.
“We urge the Israeli government to ensure that its future diplomatic conduct demonstrates respect for the Republic of South Africa and the established principles of international engagement,” he said.
