Toye Faleye with BBC
South Africa and Israel have each expelled the other’s top envoy, making their ongoing diplomatic dispute even more tense.
The dispute began when South Africa’s foreign ministry declared Ariel Seidman, Israel’s chargé d’affaires in Pretoria, persona non grata and told him to leave within 72 hours.
Officials said Seidman had committed a “gross abuse of diplomatic privilege” by using official social media to criticise President Cyril Ramaphosa and by inviting Israeli officials to the country without permission.
A few hours later, Israel responded by expelling Shaun Edward Byneveldt, South Africa’s ambassador to Palestine and its top representative in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called South Africa’s action “unilateral and baseless” and said that “additional steps will be considered.
These back-and-forth expulsions show that neither country currently has a formal ambassador in place. South Africa pulled its envoy from Israel in 2018 because of civilian deaths in Gaza.
Israel recalled its ambassador from Pretoria in 2023 after South Africa brought a genocide case against it at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).f Justice (ICJ).
Relations have stayed tense since then. Pretoria has accused Israel of committing atrocities against Palestinians, but Israel firmly denies these claims. This latest dispute shows that the ICJ case is still affecting diplomatic ties.
Seidman, who took the post last year, also manages Israeli relations with Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Namibia. His connection with Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, a controversial South African monarch and Nelson Mandela’s nephew, has raised questions. Dalindyebo visited Israel in December without Pretoria’s approval and met with senior officials. Soon after, an Israeli delegation visited his province in the Eastern Cape and promised help with water, health, and agriculture.
A spokesperson for South Africa’s foreign ministry said Israel took advantage of “a farcical arrangement” to expel Byneveldt, pointing out that he is officially accredited through Palestine, not Israel.
These expulsions are a new low point in relations between the two countries, and both governments have suggested that more actions could come. For now, the standoff means Pretoria and Tel Aviv have no senior envoys, showing just how deep the mistrust runs.
