The South African government has declared Ariel Seidman, Israel's deputy ambassador, persona non grata, requiring him to leave the country within 72 hours due to diplomatic violations. Activist group Africa4Palestine welcomed the move as overdue and called for further action against the Israeli embassy.
On January 30, 2026, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) informed Israel of its decision to declare Ariel Seidman, the Chargé d’Affaires at the Israeli Embassy in South Africa, persona non grata. This action requires Seidman to depart within 72 hours, following what DIRCO described as unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms that challenge South Africa's sovereignty.
The violations cited include the repeated use of official Israeli social media platforms to launch insulting attacks against President Cyril Ramaphosa. Additionally, there was a deliberate failure to notify DIRCO about visits by senior Israeli officials.
Africa4Palestine, an activist group advocating for Palestinian rights, praised the decision. Spokesperson Alie Komape stated, “It’s well overdue we think it’s good riddance we have been calling for the closing of the Israeli embassy to begin with for expulsion of all diplomatic staff, personnel of Israel from this country. We are quite pleased that he’s been kicked out of SA but we want more to be done. We want the SA govt to fulfill its commitment to severe and cut all ties with the apartheid state of Israel.”
The group has long demanded the complete shutdown of the Israeli embassy in South Africa. DIRCO's statement underscores the seriousness of the diplomatic breach, marking a significant escalation in tensions between the two nations.
