--- title: "SA-Israel diplomatic fallout, Steenhuisen’s DA exit and the Agoa trade reprieve" description: "From the SA-Israel diplomatic fallout and John Steenhuisen’s DA exit to the Agoa trade reprieve, we unpack the power shifts defining the week." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "THE WEEKEND WRAP" author: "Daily Maverick" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/dailymaverick/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-02-07-saisrael-diplomatic-fallout-steenhuisens-da-exit-and-the-agoa-trade-reprieve/" published: "2026-02-07T07:00:00" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 843 --- # SA-Israel diplomatic fallout, Steenhuisen’s DA exit and the Agoa trade reprieve > From the SA-Israel diplomatic fallout and John Steenhuisen’s DA exit to the Agoa trade reprieve, we unpack the power shifts defining the week. By Daily Maverick · Published 7 February 2026, 09:00 SAST ## Key points - South Africa and Israel’s diplomatic tensions escalate with tit-for-tat envoy expulsions, revealing deeper ideological divides surrounding the Gaza conflict. - Analysts suggest the expulsion of diplomats highlights a realignment of international relations amidst growing tensions over the Middle East. - The unfolding saga is set against a backdrop of local political shifts, economic factors, and the broader implications for South African foreign policy. - For a deeper understanding of this escalating ideological war and its broader impacts, read the full analysis. ## Content ### SA-Israel spat: Tit-for-tat envoy expulsions rooted in much bigger ‘ideological war’ over Gaza ![Illustrative image: Sandbox. (Photo: iStock) | Sand toys. (Photo: Freepik) | South African flag badge. (Image: iStock) | Israeli flag badge. (Image: Freepik) | (By Daniella Lee Ming Yesca)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/VeBTvar1y2svzm10GgIYd-W3WHw=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2987/brooks_162972_875137.jpg) *Illustrative image: Sandbox. (Photo: iStock) | Sand toys. (Photo: Freepik) | South African flag badge. (Image: iStock) | Israeli flag badge. (Image: Freepik) | (By Daniella Lee Ming Yesca)* ***By J Brooks Spector.*** South Africa’s expulsion of the Israeli chargé d’affaires and Israel’s reciprocal response emphasise a collapse in relations. These ‘persona non grata’ declarations are symptoms of an ideological war of attrition over the Gaza conflict. [Read more](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-02-02-saisrael-diplomatic-expulsions-a-squabble-between-two-kids-in-a-sandbox/)[.](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-12-10-inside-collen-mashawanas-political-connections/) ### How Steenhuisen broke the DA’s key rule and the difficult job ahead for his successor ![Illustrative image: John Steenhuisen. (Photo: Gallo Images / ER Lombard) | DA flag. (Photo: OJ Koloti / Gallo Images) | (By Daniella Lee Ming Yesca)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/V26B6IsuD3bYmvGHD05WZXJ0uek=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2987/ToriJohn_634436_833828.jpg) *Illustrative image: John Steenhuisen. (Photo: Gallo Images / ER Lombard) | DA flag. (Photo: OJ Koloti / Gallo Images) | (By Daniella Lee Ming Yesca)* ***By Stephen Grootes.***The chain of events that began with John Steenhuisen’s personal finances and his subsequent decision to remove Dion George from the Cabinet now appears to have reached its conclusion. His imminent departure as DA leader clears the way for a new leader – and for the party to now change direction. **[Read more.](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-02-04-how-steenhuisen-broke-the-das-key-rule-arule-and-the-difficult-job-ahead-for-his/)** ### Agoa extension offers relief to agricultural sector, but US tariffs still bite ![(Photo: iStock | Vecteezy | Rawpixel | Wikimedia)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/IqEYbkdXP0c3cGm175rs5A4_JAY=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Untitled-1-55.jpg) *South Africa’s agricultural sector has welcomed the US’ decision to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) to the end of 2026. (Photo: iStock | Vecteezy | Rawpixel | Wikimedia)* ***By Wandile Sihlobo.***South Africa’s agricultural sector has welcomed the US’ decision to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) to the end of 2026, offering temporary relief to exporters navigating a far tougher trade environment. While the extension prevents even higher tariffs on key products, US “Liberation Day” duties of 30% continue to erode SA’s competitiveness against rivals such as Chile and Peru, underscoring the urgency of securing a more durable trade agreement with Washington. [Read more.](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2026-02-05-agoa-extension-offers-relief-to-agricultural-sector-but-us-tariffs-still-bite/) ### Why the tribunal’s finding does not clear Judge Mbenenge, and what happens next ![Thamm-Selby Mbanange JCS](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/5I9gww6MLIerNinRXoGfF0DiOaQ=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2987/mbenengepic_605915_814952.jpeg) *Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge. (Archive photo: Office of the Chief Justice)* ***By Alison Tilley and Mbekezeli Benjamin.***Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge was found not guilty of gross misconduct, but he was not exonerated. [Read more.](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-02-05-why-the-tribunals-finding-does-not-clear-judge-mbenenge-and-what-happens-next/) ### Unlocking skills: how TVET and CET colleges can reshape South Africa's educational landscape ![Siya-DHET-Qualifications](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/L93LGVtdKSZcgEaQVtZ96RKHRBU=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2987/ED_155367_478529.jpg) *The Centre of Specialisation in Boilermaking at Ekurhuleni East Tvet College. (Photo: Gallo Images / Sowetan / Mduduzi Ndzingi)* ***By Siyabonga Goni.***As the 2026 academic year begins, Technical and Vocational Education Training and Community Education and Training colleges are vital for developing employable skills and supporting the economy. [Read more.](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-02-05-unlocking-skills-how-tvet-and-cet-colleges-can-reshape-south-africas-educational/) ### We fear the violence but ignore the missing fathers who shaped it ![(Photo: iStock)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/IOtEQ6bTo7oAcCIYSCkxlBl7i5o=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Caryn-SA-gun-problem-MAIN.jpg) *(Photo: iStock)* ***By Themba Dlamini.*** Violence often looks impulsive. It rarely is. More often, it is the final eruption of something that has been forming quietly for years – unprocessed humiliation, fear, anger and grief. It arrives suddenly only because no one has been watching what has been building underneath. [Read more.](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2026-02-04-we-fear-the-violence-but-ignore-the-missing-fathers-who-shaped-it/) ### How to resuscitate South Africa's film and television industry ![Illustrative Image: South African flag. (Photo: Gallo Images / Frennie Shivambu) | Vintage movie camera. (Image: iStock) | (By Daniella Lee Ming Yesca)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/NlI4ymGLSchB-SLKlbVGjVko7Lg=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2987/diane2_598311_245044.jpg) *Illustrative Image: South African flag. (Photo: Gallo Images / Frennie Shivambu) | Vintage movie camera. (Image: iStock) | (By Daniella Lee Ming Yesca)* ***By Richard Poplak and Diana Neille.*** In Part 1 of this gripping whodunnit, we’ve established that the South African government has helped murder the film industry. Now, we try to figure out what can be done to bring it back from the dead. [Read more.](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-02-02-how-to-resuscitate-south-africas-film-and-television-industry/) ### Nobody Told Me: A gripping holocaust tale brought home to Johannesburg ![Themes of noble service, betrayal, humour and horror unfold as the narration moves from contemporary Johannesburg to 1940s Warsaw. (Photo: Thom Pierce)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/ZM51EVkzrVNb8CSVV8CDByjCqAM=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2987/Themes-of-noble-service-betrayal-humour-and-horror-unfold-as-the-narration-moves-from-contemporary-Johannesburg-to-1940s-Warsaw_Theatre-on-the-Square_174800_596061.jpg) *Themes of noble service, betrayal, humour and horror unfold as the narration moves from contemporary Johannesburg to 1940s Warsaw. (Photo: Thom Pierce)* ***By Douglas Mason.***Nobody Told Me powerfully intertwines past and present, revealing the haunting legacies of Holocaust survival. [Read more.](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-02-05-nobody-told-me-a-gripping-holocaust-tale-brought-home-to-johannesburg/) ### Teen sensation Lara Markthaler takes South Africa to the Olympic slopes ![South Africa’s Lara Markthaler competes in the first run of the women’s slalom event at the Saalbach 2025 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Hinterglemm, Austria, on 15 February 2025. (Photo: Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/kwOoNe5NmJe472sEeVBxA6VlaNY=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2987/AFP_20250215_36XW44X_v1_HighRes_SkiAlpineWorldAutWomenSlalom_582575_363566.jpg) *South Africa’s Lara Markthaler competes in the first run of the women’s slalom event at the Saalbach 2025 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Hinterglemm, Austria, on 15 February 2025. (Photo: Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP)* ***By Annemieke Thomaidis.***At 18, Lara Markthaler is already carving her name into Olympic snow. Nicknamed Spunkiiiiii and recognisable by her trademark pink hair, Lara heads to Milano Cortina to race the slalom and giant slalom, carrying the hopes of the country as one of only a handful representing South Africa. [Read more.](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-02-03-teen-sensation-lara-markthaler-takes-south-africa-to-the-olympic-slopes/) ### The Blesbokspruit wetland: a national ecological treasure under siege ![The Blespokspruit catchment area, a critical wetland under threat. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/xPpm4wGC3oWQXZbqgRq2DHWUyxw=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2987/WFD_4187_472906_137721.jpg) *The Blespokspruit catchment area, a critical wetland under threat. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)* ***By Ed Stoddard.*** This mirrors the unfolding tragedy of many other South African waterways in the age of state failure, including the sewer that is running through the Cradle of Humankind. [Read more.](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-02-02-the-blesbokspruit-wetland-a-national-ecological-treasure-under-siege/) ### What makes a restaurant perfect? It’s not what the restaurant guides think it is ![Just look at that colour. That depth comes from time and patience, and the art of an instinctive chef. I have never eaten a more delicious bisque. (Photo: Tony Jackman)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/lIqBa5-HRUgtQwFTtvCwN3FWpZc=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2987/noop-bisque_774116_563313.jpg) *Just look at that colour. That depth comes from time and patience, and the art of an instinctive chef. I have never eaten a more delicious bisque. (Photo: Tony Jackman)* ***By Tony Jackman.*** Some meals are worth a drive, although this place is a neighbourhood eatery. I just don’t happen to live nearby. Maybe I should relocate… because that’s how good it is.**[Read more.](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-01-30-what-makes-a-restaurant-perfect-its-not-what-the-restaurant-guides-think-it-is/)** ![Image](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/qNt194fMYpIuWSaCC197h9SE0J0=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2986/DM168_21Nov_315117_11ebe90365c2f9ead68eb3533b92336c.png)