South Africa Expels Israeli Diplomat Amid Rising Tensions

Pretoria: South Africa's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has directed the Israeli chargé d'affaires, the highest-ranking Israeli diplomat in Pretoria, to vacate the country within 72 hours, prompting a mirrored response from Tel Aviv. According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the diplomatic rift has intensified following Pretoria's legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice in late 2023. South Africa has accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, further straining bilateral relations. The South African Foreign Ministry issued a statement declaring Ariel Seidman, the chargé d'affaires at the Israeli embassy, as persona non grata. The ministry cited repeated violations of diplomatic norms that they believe undermine South Africa's sovereignty. The violations reportedly include the use of Israeli official social media channels to disparage President Cyril Ramaphosa and a failure to inform the ministry of visits by senior Israeli officials. The ministry has demanded Seidman's depar ture within 72 hours and urged Israel to ensure respectful diplomatic engagement in the future. In retaliation, Tel Aviv announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar declared the South African diplomatic representative persona non grata, ordering his exit from Israel within the same timeframe. The statement from Tel Aviv also suggested that further measures might be considered in response to South Africa's actions against the Israeli diplomat.