South Africa Expels Top Israeli Diplomat, Gives Him 72 Hours to Leave

By Al Mayadeen English

30 Jan 2026 15:27

South Africa expels "Israel’s" chargé d’affaires Ariel Seidman over violations of diplomatic norms and rising tensions related to the Gaza genocide case at the ICJ.

South Africa has declared "Israel’s" chargé d’affaires, Ariel Seidman, persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country within 72 hours, the Foreign Affairs Ministry announced on Friday. The decision was published in a statement on the Ministry’s website.

The Ministry accused Seidman of “unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms and practice which pose a direct challenge to South Africa’s sovereignty,” citing the repeated use of official Israeli social media platforms to launch insulting attacks against President Cyril Ramaphosa, as well as a failure to notify the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of visits by senior Israeli officials.

Ties already strained

Relations between South Africa and "Israel" have been under significant strain, particularly following South Africa’s genocide case against "Israel" over its war on Gaza at the International Court of Justice.

South Africa formally instituted proceedings against "Israel" at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on December 29, 2023, accusing it of violating the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in its military actions in Gaza. The application argued that "Israel’s" conduct could amount to genocide and sought provisional measures to protect Palestinians, including calls to suspend military operations.

A timeline of hearings

The court held public hearings on January 11 and 12, 2024, to examine South Africa’s request for urgent measures. On January 26, 2024, the ICJ issued an interim ruling on those provisional measures, finding that some of South Africa’s claims were plausible and ordering steps to prevent further harm to civilians, though it did not order an immediate cease‑fire.

In the months that followed, South Africa returned to the court seeking additional urgent orders as fighting intensified, particularly around Rafah, arguing that conditions had worsened and required extra protection under the Genocide Convention. The case has involved multiple procedural filings and further hearings as the court considers evolving evidence.

Under the ICJ’s timetable, South Africa submitted its extensive legal memorial by October 28, 2024, and the court extended the deadline for "Israel’s" response, most recently to March 12, 2026. Legal experts stress that a final judgment on the merits of the genocide allegation could take years beyond these filings.

The case has drawn international attention and interventions by other states, such as Belgium, filing an Article 63 intervention on December 23, 2025, allowing it to participate in aspects of the proceedings. South African officials have said the ongoing ceasefire or political developments will not derail their pursuit of accountability through the ICJ.