JOHANNESBURG: South Africa has declared Israel’s top diplomat in the country “persona non grata” and given him 72 hours to leave, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday, citing a “series of violations.” Ties between the two nations are already strained, with South Africa bringing a case before the UN top court in 2023 to argue that Israel’s war on Gaza, an illegally occupied Palestinian territory, amounted to genocide.

Ariel Seidman declared persona non grata and given 72 hours to leave country after remarks on social media

South Africa on Friday declared Israel’s top diplomat persona non grata and ordered him to leave within 72 hours, escalating tensions that could further...