South Africa declares Israeli charge d'affaires persona non grata

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A general view of the Pretoria skyline in Pretoria, South Africa. /VCG

South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) on Friday declared Israeli Charge d'Affaires Ariel Seidman persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country within 72 hours.

DIRCO said the decision follows "a series of unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms and practice" by Seidman, which it described as posing "a direct challenge to South Africa's sovereignty."

"These violations include the repeated use of official Israeli social media platforms to launch insulting attacks against President Cyril Ramaphosa, and a deliberate failure to inform DIRCO of purported visits by senior Israeli officials," the department said.

DIRCO said Seidman's actions were "a gross abuse of diplomatic privilege and a fundamental breach of the Vienna Convention," adding that they have systematically undermined the trust and protocols essential for bilateral relations.

It urged the Israeli government to ensure that its future diplomatic conduct respects South Africa and established principles of international engagement.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency

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