02/08/2026
According to Al-Jazeera reports, on January 30, 2026, South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) officially declared Israel's top diplomat, Chargé d'Affaires Ariel Seidman, persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country within 72 hours.
South African authorities stated that the decision followed repeated violations of diplomatic norms and protocols. Officials cited offensive remarks directed at President Cyril Ramaphosa through official Israeli embassy social media accounts, alongside the embassy's alleged failure to properly notify the South African government regarding visits by senior Israeli officials.
This significant move comes amid escalating diplomatic tensions between the two nations, particularly concerning the conflict in Palestine. South Africa had previously withdrawn its diplomats from Tel Aviv and filed a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In a retaliatory response, Israel has also declared South Africa's senior diplomatic representative persona non grata, instructing them to leave within 72 hours.
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