Overview
- South Africa declared Israel’s chargé d’affaires, Ariel Seidman, persona non grata and gave him 72 hours to leave, citing violations of diplomatic norms that it says challenged national sovereignty.
- Israel ordered South Africa’s senior representative, Shaun Edward Byneveldt, to depart within 72 hours in a reciprocal move announced by its Foreign Ministry.
- Pretoria’s action followed Israeli outreach in the Eastern Cape led by envoy David Saranga, whose visits and social‑media videos highlighted water and medical aid efforts without prior notification to authorities, according to South African officials.
- The expulsions arrive days before a U.S. Congressional vote on renewing AGOA, with reporting that the Trump administration has weighed removing South Africa from the trade program and analysts warning of possible targeted measures.
- Relations were already downgraded after South Africa’s 2019 mission shift in Tel Aviv and legal steps against Israeli leaders in 2023, as domestic Jewish organizations criticized Pretoria’s move as politicizing aid and deflecting from service‑delivery failures.