{"id":18679,"date":"2026-02-04T11:57:05","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T11:57:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=18679"},"modified":"2026-02-04T11:57:05","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T11:57:05","slug":"us-criticizes-south-africas-expulsion-of-top-israeli-diplomat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=18679","title":{"rendered":"US criticizes South Africa\u2019s expulsion of top Israeli diplomat"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The US rebuked South Africa for expelling a top Israeli diplomat, the latest flare-up in tensions between the two nations.<\/p>\n

South Africa\u2019s recent decision to expel Ariel Seidman \u201cis another example of its poor foreign-policy choices,\u201d Tommy Pigott, the State Department\u2019s deputy spokesperson, said in an X post on Wednesday. \u201cExpelling a diplomat for calling out the African National Congress party\u2019s ties to Hamas and other antisemitic radicals prioritizes grievance politics over the good of South Africa and its citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n

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South Africa\u2019s recent decision to expel Israel\u2019s top diplomat is another example of its poor foreign policy choices. Expelling a diplomat for calling out the African National Congress party\u2019s ties to Hamas and other antisemitic radicals prioritizes grievance politics over the\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 Tommy Pigott (@StateDeputySpox) February 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Senior South African officials met with Seidman last week to notify him that he\u2019s been designated persona non grata. The measure was taken after the authorities in Pretoria issued him with two diplomatic rebukes in as many months.<\/p>\n

Read: South Africa expels top Israeli diplomat, risking US ire<\/p>\n

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The violations included using social-media platforms to insult President Cyril Ramaphosa and failing to inform the South African government of purported visits by senior Israeli officials, Chrispin Phiri, spokesman for South Africa\u2019s Department of International Relations and Cooperation, said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Israel responded by ordering South African diplomat Shaun Byneveldt to leave the country. Pretoria said Byneveldt was its charg\u00e9 d\u2019affaires to Palestine, not Israel.<\/p>\n

Read: Israel recognises breakaway Somaliland region<\/p>\n

The US has objected to South Africa\u2019s high-profile genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, legal action that challenges a close American ally. At least 25 countries have since joined the application.<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump last year froze almost all aid to Pretoria, claiming it had taken \u201caggressive positions\u201d toward the US, including its close ties with Iran and Hamas, along with the ICJ case. Newly appointed US Ambassador to South Africa Leo Brent Bozell has said that defending Washington\u2019s stance on Israel will be a \u201ctop priority\u201d when he takes up the post.<\/p>\n

South African lawmakers voted to downgrade the nation\u2019s embassy in Israel in 2023 and its cabinet was poised to take a decision on the closing of the mission in 2025, though this hasn\u2019t yet happened.<\/p>\n

Read: Netanyahu tells military to strike Gaza, jeopardising ceasefire<\/p>\n

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South Africa\u2019s ties with Israel have been strained by the ANC\u2019s strong backing for Palestinian independence and its attempts to view that struggle through the lens of its own fight against White-minority rule. Officials have consistently accused Israel of practicing apartheid in its treatment of Palestinians, an allegation that\u2019s been vehemently rejected.<\/p>\n

Seidman\u2019s expulsion also drew the ire of South Africa\u2019s chief rabbi.<\/p>\n

\u201cSouth Africa\u2019s expulsion of Israel\u2019s senior diplomat is one of the most extreme diplomatic actions a government can take,\u201d Warren Goldstein said in an X post on Tuesday. \u201cIt shows how much President Ramaphosa and his government hate Israel and the Jews.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read: Israel, Hamas reach deal to free hostages in Gaza milestone<\/p>\n

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies also condemned the move, calling it \u201ca troubling escalation in South Africa\u2019s increasingly hostile diplomatic posture,\u201d according to a statement.<\/p>\n

\u00a9 2026 Bloomberg<\/p>\n

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