An Israeli delegation was excluded from the opening ceremony of the African Union (AU) summit in Ethiopia this Saturday, denouncing the Israeli Foreign Ministry and accusing Iran of cooperating with South Africa and Algeria.
A video released to the press showed Israel’s Foreign Ministry Deputy Director General for Africa, Sharon Bar-Li, leaving the complex where the summit is taking place, in Addis Ababa, escorted by several security guards, with whom she pleaded for several minutes.
“Israel is taking seriously the incident in which the envoy to Africa, Sharon Bar-Li, was evicted from the African Union hall despite her status as an accredited observer with access,” an Israeli ministry spokesperson underlined in a statement.
“It is regrettable to see the African Union held hostage by a small number of extremist countries such as Algeria and South Africa, driven by hate and controlled by Iran,” he added, urging African countries to to oppose these actions.
Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit thanked the AU’s support for the Palestinian cause and “the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to end the Israeli occupation and establish their independent state” at the summit this Saturday. This is reported by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.
Israel gained AU observer status in 2021 after decades of diplomatic efforts, prompting protests from several members of the bloc of 55 countries, including South Africa and Algeria, who argue that it contradicts the AU’s principle of support for the Palestinians.
The Palestinian Authority has repeatedly called on African leaders to withdraw recognition of Israel from the AU, denouncing an “apartheid regime” in Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is looking to strengthen his country’s relations with African countries, having recently opened Chad’s first embassy.
Source: DN
