South Africa has expelled Ariel Seidman, Israel's chargé d'affaires, for violating diplomatic norms. The country's foreign ministry said Seidman made "insulting remarks" about South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and abused diplomatic privileges. Seidman was also accused of using official social media to attack Ramaphosa and of inviting Israeli officials to South Africa without permission. He has been declared persona non grata and given 72 hours to leave. Relations between South Africa and Israel have been tense, especially after South Africa accused Israel of genocide against Palestinians at the International Court of Justice — a claim Israel rejects. Currently, Israel does not have an ambassador in South Africa. Seidman was appointed last year and also covers nearby countries such as Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Namibia. South Africa's foreign ministry commented, "His actions represent a gross abuse of diplomatic privilege." The BBC has reached out to the Israeli embassy in Pretoria for comment.