According to the statement, the decision followed “a series of unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms and practice which pose a direct challenge to South Africa's sovereignty.”
South Africa has declared the Israeli Chargé d'Affaires, Mr Ariel Seidman, persona non grata, ordering him to leave the country within 72 hours following what the home government described as serious violations of diplomatic norms.
In a media statement issued on Thursday by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), the South African government said it had formally informed the Government of the State of Israel of its decision, describing the move as a “decisive measure” taken to defend the country’s sovereignty.
The statement was issued on Friday.
According to the statement, the decision followed “a series of unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms and practice which pose a direct challenge to South Africa's sovereignty.”
DIRCO accused the Israeli diplomat of engaging in conduct that undermined established diplomatic protocols and bilateral trust.
“These violations include the repeated use of official Israeli social media platforms to launch insulting attacks against His Excellency, President Cyril Ramaphosa,” the department said.
It also cited “a deliberate failure to inform DIRCO of purported visits by senior Israeli officials” as part of the conduct that led to the decision.
The department said such actions amounted to “a gross abuse of diplomatic privilege and a fundamental breach of the Vienna Convention,” the international treaty governing diplomatic relations between states.
It added that the conduct had “systematically undermined the trust and protocols essential for bilateral relations.”
Reaffirming the government’s position, DIRCO stated that “South Africa's sovereignty and the dignity of its offices are inviolable.”
As a result, Mr Seidman has been instructed to leave the Republic within 72 hours of the notification.
The South African government also urged Israel to ensure that its diplomatic representatives adhere strictly to international norms in the future.
“We urge the Israeli government to ensure its future diplomatic conduct demonstrates respect for the Republic and the established principles of international engagement,” the statement said.
While Israel has yet to publicly respond to the declaration, the move marks a significant escalation in diplomatic tensions between Pretoria and Tel Aviv, particularly amid South Africa’s increasingly critical stance toward Israel’s actions in the Middle East.
In November 2025, the Israeli embassy took a thinly veiled jab at President Cyril Ramaphosa, calling his remark that “Boycott politics doesn’t work” a “rare moment of wisdom and diplomatic clarity."
Ramaphosa commented while responding to US President Donald Trump’s decision to skip the G20 summit in Johannesburg, calling the boycott “their loss” and saying it would not stop the meeting from going ahead.
Diplomatic relations between South Africa and Israel have not been at its best since South Africa brought a genocide case over Israel's actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.
In 2023, South African lawmakers voted in favour of closing down the Israeli embassy in Pretoria.
They also voted for suspension of all diplomatic relations over the war in Gaza, but that decision never saw the light of the day.