South Africa Expels Israeli Diplomat for Insulting President on Social Media

Original article: Sudáfrica expulsa a diplomático israelí por insultar al Presidente del país en redes sociales

The South African government has expelled Ariel Seidman, the Israeli chargé d’affaires, giving him 72 hours to leave the country after he was declared «persona non grata.»

According to reports from various international agencies, the Israeli official allegedly used the official social media accounts of the Israeli Embassy to insult South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

As reported by the Associated Press, the South African government accused Seidman of «undermining relations between the two countries through social media posts,» thereby violating diplomatic protocols.

South African authorities stated that this behavior «constitutes a serious abuse of diplomatic privileges and a blatant violation of the Vienna Convention,» asserting that «Seidman’s offensive posts aimed to systematically undermine the dignity of state institutions.»

It is worth noting that Seidman was the highest-ranking Israeli diplomat in South Africa after Israel withdrew its ambassador in 2023.

Furthermore, South Africa has previously denounced Israel for genocide before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The Citizen