The South African government has declared Israel’s Chargé d’Affaires in Pretoria, Ariel Sidman, persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country within 72 hours.
The move reflects escalating diplomatic tensions between the two countries. South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation said the decision comes in response to repeated official Israeli social media posts containing insults against President Cyril Ramaphosa, which it described as breaches of standard diplomatic norms.
The ministry also cited “deliberately incomplete notifications” regarding visits by Israeli officials to South Africa, calling such actions unacceptable violations of diplomatic practice that undermine mutual respect and the rules of international relations.
