You want to know what passes for leadership these days? You want to know what the people in charge of the world are doing while you struggle to pay your rent? They are fighting on their phones. That is it. That is the state of modern diplomacy. It used to be about guys in expensive suits meeting in quiet rooms to stop wars. Now? It is just high school drama with flags.

Here is the viral moment driving the search trends: **South Africa has expelled a top Israeli diplomat**. His name is **Ariel Seidman**. He was the "chargé d'affaires," which is a fancy French way of saying he was the guy in charge of the embassy. Well, not anymore. The South African government told him to pack his bags. They gave him seventy-two hours to get out. Three days. That is barely enough time to cancel your internet service, let alone move a diplomatic mission during a massive **diplomatic row**.

And why is he getting the boot? Was he caught spying? Did he steal state secrets? Did he commit a crime? No. That would be too interesting. He is getting kicked out because of "insulting attacks" on social media. You heard me right. He posted some mean things online about **South Africa's President, Cyril Ramaphosa**.

Let’s really think about how stupid this is. A diplomat is supposed to be diplomatic. It is literally in the job title. Your one job is to smooth things over. Your job is to talk nicely so that countries don't start shooting at each other. But this guy? He decided to act like an internet troll. He went online and started trash-talking the president of the country where he was a guest. It is arrogant. It is childish. It is exactly what I expect from these people.

But let’s not pretend the other side is innocent here. South Africa isn't kicking him out just because their feelings are hurt. They are doing it because it looks good for them. It is all a show. They get to stand up and look tough. They get to say, "Look at us, we don't let anyone talk bad about our leader." It is performative nonsense. They call it **persona non grata**. That is Latin for "we don't like you anymore." It sounds serious, but it is just a breakup text sent on official letterhead.

This is what they call a "tit-for-tat" expulsion. That means one side hits, and the other side hits back. Israel does something, South Africa gets mad. South Africa does something, Israel gets mad. It goes in a circle. It is a playground fight. "He started it!" "No, he started it!" Except these are not toddlers fighting over a toy truck. These are nations. These are governments that control millions of lives. And they are acting like teenagers who got unfriended on Facebook.

Think about the timeline here. We have real problems in the world. The economy is a mess. People are hungry. There is violence everywhere. And what are our "leaders" focused on? Tweets. They are obsessed with what is said on a screen. The South African department for international relations got so worked up they had to issue a formal statement on a Friday afternoon. They couldn't even wait for the weekend. They had to make sure everyone knew they were angry right now.

The Israeli diplomat, Seidman, obviously forgot where he was. Or maybe he didn't care. That is the arrogance I am talking about. He probably thought he could say whatever he wanted because he feels superior. That is the problem with all of them. They think they are untouchable. They think the rules of politeness don't apply to them. He thought he was being clever online, and now he has to find a moving company in a hurry.

But does this actually fix anything? Does kicking this one guy out solve the war? Does it help the people suffering in Gaza? Does it fix the crime rate in South Africa? No. Of course not. It does nothing. It is empty air. It is noise. Seidman goes home, maybe gets a pat on the back for being a "fighter," or maybe he gets yelled at. South Africa feels big and strong for a news cycle. And then what? Nothing changes. The hate stays the same. The suffering stays the same.

This is why I don't pick sides. Why would you? One side is rude and arrogant, thinking they can insult a host nation without consequences. The other side is thin-skinned and focused on symbols instead of solutions. Both of them are wasting time. Both of them are playing a game of optics while the real world falls apart.

So, goodbye, Ariel Seidman. Enjoy your flight. And congratulations to the South African government for successfully winning a Twitter war. I am sure that will put food on the table for your citizens. It is all a joke. A sad, expensive, useless joke. And we are the punchline.

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### References & Fact-Check * **Event:** Expulsion of Israeli Chargé d'Affaires Ariel Seidman from South Africa (Jan 2026). * **Reason Cited:** Disparaging social media posts targeting President Cyril Ramaphosa. * **Source Authority:** [South Africa expels top Israeli diplomat over ‘insulting attacks’ on president](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/30/south-africa-expels-israel-diplomat-insults-president) - *The Guardian*