‎South Africa expels Israeli ambassador ‎ ‎ ‎Israel has declared South Africa’s senior diplomatic representative persona non grata, ordering him to leave the country, in a direct retaliation to Pretoria’s expulsion of Israel’s chargé d’affaires. ‎ ‎The Israeli decision followed South Africa’s announcement on January 30, 2026, declaring Israeli chargé d’affaires Ariel Seidman persona non grata and giving him 72 hours to depart the country. South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said the move was based on what it described as violations of diplomatic norms, including alleged inflammatory remarks against President...