South Africa expels top Israeli diplomat over ‘insulting attacks’ on president

South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa. His country and Israel have long been at odds, over the support of the Palestinian cause by the South African government. Photograph: Themba Hadebe/AP

South Africa and Israel have engaged in a tit-for-tat expulsion of senior diplomats, after South Africa ordered Israel’s chargé d’affaires to leave within 72 hours, citing “insulting attacks” on South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, on social media.

Ariel Seidman, the chargé d’affaires at Israel’s embassy in Pretoria, was declared persona non grata by South Africa’s department for international relations and cooperation (DIRCO) in a statement on its website on Friday afternoon.