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Today, Wednesday, South Africa condemned the unilateral decision taken last week by the African Union (AU) Commission to grant “Israel” an observer status in the AU.

The AU Commission took the decision unilaterally without consulting its members, according to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation in South Africa (the Foreign Ministry) that also described the decision as "inexplicable".

South Africa objects to the African Union Commission Decision to grant Israel Observer Status. pic.twitter.com/DSPwJYjnme

— DIRCO South Africa (@DIRCO_ZA) July 28, 2021

"The decision to grant ‘Israel’ observer status is even more shocking in a year in which the oppressed people of Palestine were hounded by destructive bombardments and continued illegal settlements of the land," South Africa's Foreign Affairs Ministry said. 

Pretoria, South Africa’s capital, that took the leadership of the AU last year, stated tha “the Government of South Africa is appalled at the unjust and unwarranted decision of the AU Commission to grant ‘Israel’ observer status in the African Union.”

The AU had granted “Israel” last week the observer status after it was demanding the position for years. The decision was marked as “diplomatic victory for Israel”, and according to both the AU and “Israel”, this position should enable the latter “to further help the African Union battle the coronavirus pandemic and terrorism on the continent.”

Earlier, the Algerian Foreign Ministry had affirmed that the decision taken by the AU Commission to grant “Israel” observer status was “taken without the benefit of broad prior consultations with all member states”. In addition, the Foreign Ministry added, “The recent decision of the President of the Commission of the African Union (AU) to welcome a new observer who falls under its administrative prerogatives is not likely to alter the constant and active support of the continental organization to the just Palestinian cause.”