The diplomatic standoff between the United States, South Africa, and Israel has intensified, exposing widening fractures in global alignments over the Gaza war, international law, and the limits of diplomatic conduct. Washington’s sharp criticism of Pretoria’s decision to expel Israel’s top diplomat marks not only a bilateral dispute but a broader struggle over political identity, alliance loyalty, and the evolving norms of international diplomacy.

At the center of the controversy is South Africa’s declaration of Israel’s charge d’affaires in Pretoria, Ariel Seidman, as persona non grata. The decision, announced last week, required Seidman to leave the country within 72 hours. Pretoria said the move followed repeated violations of diplomatic norms, including what it described as “insulting attacks” on President Cyril Ramaphosa by the Israeli Embassy through social media posts.

The United States responded swiftly and critically. On February 4, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott characterized the expulsion as “another example of South Africa’s poor foreign-policy choices,” arguing that Pretoria was prioritizing “grievance politics” over national interest.

“Expelling a diplomat for calling out the African National Congress party’s ties to Hamas and other antisemitic radicals prioritizes grievance politics over the good of South Africa and its citizens,” Pigott wrote in a post on X, underscoring Washington’s growing frustration with Pretoria’s foreign policy posture.

Israel, for its part, wasted little time in responding. Its Foreign Ministry ordered Shaun Edward Byneveldt, South Africa’s representative to Palestine, to leave within a similar timeframe. Israeli officials accused Pretoria of conducting “false attacks against........

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