In an escalating diplomatic row, South Africa has expelled Ariel Seidman, the top Israeli diplomat in the country, for allegedly breaching diplomatic norms and making derogatory comments about President Cyril Ramaphosa. Seidman has been declared persona non grata and must leave South Africa within 72 hours, as announced by the foreign ministry.
Seidman, who serves as chargé d'affaires at the Israeli embassy, is accused of using official social media channels to criticize Ramaphosa and invite Israeli officials to South Africa without proper authorization. The expulsion comes in the wake of heated debates concerning Israel's military actions in Palestinian territories.
Relations between South Africa and Israel have deteriorated sharply since South Africa formally accused Israel of genocide against Palestinians at the International Court of Justice—a charge that Israel vehemently denies.
The Israeli embassy in Pretoria has been contacted for further comment, but as it stands, Israel currently does not have an ambassador in South Africa.
Seidman's tenure began last year, encompassing diplomatic responsibilities not just in South Africa but also neighboring nations such as Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Namibia. South Africa's foreign ministry concluded the announcement of his dismissal by emphasizing that Seidman's actions constituted a grave misuse of diplomatic privileges.
