South Africa cuts all diplomatic ties with Israel amid rising tensions
In a significant diplomatic move, South Africa has taken steps that amount to a breakdown in formal relations with Israel.
The South African government recently declared the senior Israeli diplomat in Pretoria persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country, escalating an already strained relationship between the two states. Israel responded in kind by declaring South Africa’s senior diplomatic representative persona non grata and giving him the same deadline to depart.
This tit-for-tat comes against a backdrop of long-running tensions: Pretoria has openly criticised Israel’s military actions in Gaza and at the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of violations of international law and supporting Palestinian rights. Parliament previously passed motions to suspend diplomatic ties and shut down the Israeli embassy, though the full implementation of those decisions has been contested and remains complex.
The diplomatic rupture marks a major turning point in South Africa–Israel relations and could have broad implications for foreign policy and regional diplomacy.