By: ThinkBusiness Africa
Relations between South Africa and Israel reached a new breaking point on Friday, as both nations engaged in a high-stakes “tit-for-tat” expulsion of their most senior diplomatic representatives.
The crisis began when Pretoria declared Israel’s chargé d’affaires, Ariel Seidman, persona non grata, giving him 72 hours to leave the country. Within hours, the Israeli government retaliated by ordering South Africa’s representative to Palestine, Shaun Edward Byneveldt, to depart Israel within the same timeframe.
The South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) cited a “series of unacceptable violations” as the grounds for Seidman’s expulsion.
Pretoria accused the Israeli embassy of using official platforms to launch “insulting attacks” against President Cyril Ramaphosa. While specific posts weren’t detailed in the formal statement, officials described the conduct as a systemic undermining of bilateral trust.
South African officials were reportedly incensed by a recent four-day visit by an Israeli delegation to the Eastern Cape. The delegation, led by David Saranga, met with AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo to discuss agricultural and healthcare aid without notifying the national government—a move Premier Oscar Mabuyane called a “sinister” breach of sovereignty.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry dismissed South Africa’s move as “unilateral and baseless.” In a statement released via X, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar finalized the decision to expel Byneveldt, characterizing the move as a response to South Africa’s “false attacks in the international arena.”
“Such actions represent a gross abuse of diplomatic privilege and a fundamental breach of the Vienna Convention,” DIRCO stated on Friday.
The diplomatic breakdown began in December 2023 when South Africa formally filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), alleging acts of genocide in Gaza.
This legal move prompted Israel to recall its ambassador for “consultations” in November 2023, leaving Ariel Seidman as the top envoy in Pretoria.
By January 2024, the ICJ issued a landmark preliminary ruling, finding the genocide claims “plausible” and ordering Israel to take all measures to prevent such acts.
The timing of the expulsion is particularly sensitive for South Africa’s standing with the United States. Under the current Trump administration, Washington has been increasingly critical of Pretoria’s foreign policy, specifically its ties to Iran and its vocal opposition to Israel.
Analysts suggest that this latest move could accelerate a shift in U.S.-South Africa relations, potentially impacting trade agreements or South Africa’s role in future G20 summits.
The U.S had boycotted the last G20 submit held in South Africa last year, with president Trump saying South Africa won’t be invited to the next G20 summit, scheduled for later this year in Miami, Florida, U.S.A.
