CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South Africa ordered Israel’s deputy ambassador to leave the country within 72 hours on Friday, accusing him of undermining relations between the countries with social media posts that insulted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and violating diplomatic protocols.
The South African Foreign Ministry said that it was expelling Ariel Seidman, the chargé d’affaires at the Israeli Embassy, and declared him persona non grata — a diplomatic term indicating the person is no longer welcome in a country.
Seidman is the most senior Israeli diplomatic figure in South Africa after Israel recalled its ambassador in 2023.
Hours later, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on X that it was expelling a senior South African diplomat, Shaun Edward Byneveldt, in response and ordered him to leave Israel within 72 hours.
Diplomatic relations between South Africa and Israel were already severely strained after South Africa — a longtime supporter of the Palestinian people — accused Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza in a case at the United Nations’ top court.
Israel has strongly denied the allegations and accused South Africa of acting as the legal arm of the Palestinian militant group Hamas by bringing the highly emotive case before the International Court of Justice.
Seidman’s expulsion was likely to provoke a strong reaction from the United States, a close Israeli ally that under President Donald Trump has already been especially critical of South Africa.
The Trump administration has characterized South Africa as a support …