Africa Union Conference Expulsion Of Israel Diplomat – A Moral And Diplomatic Victory
We congratulate the African Union (AU) for courageously and as a matter of principle expelled the Israel Deputy Director to Africa, from the conference hall at the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethopia, yesterday.
It is indeed a moral and diplomatic victory to assert AU’s right to decide on Israel’s position in the region.
The Deputy Director for Africa at the Foreign Ministry Sharon Bar-li and the other members of the Israeli delegation were expelled from the African Union conference hall in Addis Ababa, where Israel was participating as an observer, on Saturday morning.
The observer status claimed by Israel in the AU since 2021 has not be unanimously agreed.
Whatever argument posed by Israel, the invitation was a non-transferable condition which Israel must respect.
The accusation that South Africa and Nigeria, influenced by Iran was behind the move, is a narrative by Israel to distract the real issue of legitimacy.
Israel obtained AU observer status in 2021 after 20 years of diplomatic efforts, in a decision that has created a rift in the 55-member bloc.
Israel had previously held the role in the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) but was frequently thwarted in its attempts to regain the position after the OAU was disbanded in 2002 and replaced by the AU.
Since 2021, Israel has had observer status in the African Union, but Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Mauritania have officially objected to that status.
Israel holds all records of hypocrisy and double standard with its apartheid policy towards the Palestinian people. In its pursuit for international recognition, it is desperate to position itself in various regional grouping of nations.
The international community must now move towards isolating Israel for its decades of illegal occupation on the Palestinian land.
AU should be congratulated for taking the brave move, signaling that Israel must be internationally pressured to resume the Palestine territory status as rightly belonging to Palestinians.
This is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the opinion of samudera.my
