South Africa expels Israel’s top diplomat, prompting tit-for-tat retaliation

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – South Africa declared the top diplomat at Israel’s embassy persona non grata on Friday and ordered him out within 72 hours, a move that could worsen strained relations with the United States. Israel promptly retaliated by declaring South Africa’s senior diplomatic representative, Minister Shaun Edward Byneveldt, persona non grata and giving him the same deadline to leave. Relations between the countries have been strained since South Africa brought a genocide case over Israel’s actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.

Israel has rejected the case as baseless. The genocide case has also contributed to U.S. President Donald Trump’s attacks on Pretoria, including verbal scolding, trade sanctions and an executive order last year cutting all U.S.

The South African statement also accused Seidman of a “deliberate failure” to notify South African authorities about visits by senior Israeli officials. Israel’s foreign ministry posted on X that it was expelling South Africa’s representative “following South Africa’s false attacks against Israel in the international arena and the unilateral, baseless step taken against (Israel’s) Chargé d’Affaires”. South African lawmakers in 2023 voted in favour of closing the Israeli embassy in Pretoria and suspending diplomatic relations over the war in Gaza, but that decision was never implemented.

[paywall]

“We do hope that the Israeli embassy will engage with us in a respectful manner, and (that) they will send someone who will engage respectfully and who will uphold and pursue diplomacy. That is what we intend to do,” said Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for South Africa’s foreign ministry, on the television channel Newzroom Afrika.

[/paywall]