THE relationship between SA and Israel has become frostier.
On Friday afternoon the department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) had declared the Israeli chargé d’affaires to South Africa, Ariel Seidman, persona non grata.
He has 72 hours to leave South Africa.
Seidman is accused of using official social media platforms to attack President Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa, and secondly, inviting Israeli officials to the country without permission.
Seidman had invited Israel officials, including David Saranga from Israel’s Foreign Ministry, visited the Eastern Cape to meet with the controversial King Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo, who had visited Israel in December.
This broke the protocols of SA, according to the spokesperson for the department Chrispin Phiri, who said his actions “represent a gross abuse of diplomatic privilege”.
“This decisive measure follows a series of unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms and practice which pose a direct challenge to SA’s sovereignty.
These violations include the repeated use of official Israeli social media platforms to launch insulting attacks against His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa, and a deliberate failure to inform Dirco of purported visits by senior Israeli officials,” says the department on Friday afternoon.
“Such actions represent a gross abuse of diplomatic privilege and a fundamental breach of the Vienna Convention. They have systematically undermined the trust and protocols essential for bilateral relations. SA’s sovereignty and the dignity of its offices are inviolable,” the statement continued.
The Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane, also condemned the “unauthorised” visit by Israeli officials to provincial institutions, calling the engagements a “breach” of diplomatic protocol and an attempt to undermine South Africa’s sovereignty, in a statement released on January 26.
He said the visits to healthcare facilities and Walter Sisulu University occurred without the “knowledge, consent or support” of the provincial government.
“Premier Mabuyane rejects the sinister deal between the King and Israel, and views these actions as an attempt by the Israeli government to undermine the sovereign right of the Republic of South Africa to manage its international affairs,” read the statement from Mabuyane’s office.
“The authority to negotiate such cooperation resides with… Dirco, and the King has no mandate to interfere in the management of hospitals, including the sourcing of foreign assistance. The cooperation between government and international partners, as a rule, should be initiated and managed by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation in conjunction with the National Treasury.
“The Premier views attempts to bypass established protocol as mischievous,” the statement read.
Shortly afterwards, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar hit back and announced that “following South Africa’s false attacks against Israel in the international arena and the unilateral, baseless step taken” against Seidman, Minister Shaun Edward Byneveldt is also persona non grata and would have to leave Israel within 72 hours.
Byneveldt is SA’s Ambassador to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah.
Image provided (No laughing matter. Ariel Seidman, Israeli chargé d’affaires to South Africa, has been declared persona non grata and ordered to vacate SA within 72 hours).
