JOHANNESBURG — South Africa declared the top diplomat at Israel’s embassy persona non grata on Friday and ordered him out of the country within 72 hours, for what it called repeated violations of diplomatic norms, including insulting President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The South African Foreign Ministry accused embassy chargé d’affaires Ariel Seidman of “unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms and practice which pose a direct challenge to South Africa’s sovereignty.

“These violations include the repeated use of official Israeli social media platforms to launch insulting attacks” on Ramaphosa, as well as a “deliberate failure” to notify the South African authorities about visits by senior Israeli officials.

In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar decided on a reciprocal move, ordering South Africa’s ambassador in Ramallah, Shaun Edward Byneeldt, to “leave Israel” within 72........

© The Times of Israel