S. Africa's ANC commend expulsion of Israeli envoy from AU summit

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
19 Feb 2023 15:56
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South Africa's ruling party, the ANC, commended the expulsion of the Israeli envoy from the African Union summit, saying doing so thwarted an attempt to undermine the Summit by the "apartheid state."

Supporters wave a flag during an African National Congress party event in Bloemfontein, South Africa (Bloomberg).

South Africa's social-democratic African National Congress (ANC) party dubbed the expulsion of the Israeli envoy to the African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa as an "encouraging" act.

In a statement on Sunday, the ANC compared "Israel" to an "apartheid state" and expressed clear support for the envoy's expulsion, which aimed at "thwarting an attempt to undermine the current sitting AU Summit from considering a report that is supposed to guide discussions on whether Israel must be granted an observer status."

@MYANC statement on the ousting of the Israeli delegation at the African Union Summit. pic.twitter.com/q0IoZZcFV1
— African National Congress (@MYANC) February 19, 2023

The Israeli occupation considered on Saturday that the expulsion of its senior diplomatic delegation from the AU summit was "severe" and "saddening."

The Israeli foreign ministry insisted in its statement that the occupation's deputy for Africa, ambassador Sharon Bar-Li, was an "accredited observer with an entry tag," but an AU official denied this claim.

An AU official confirmed to AFP that the top diplomat who was "asked to leave" was not invited to attend the meeting, except the Israeli ambassador to the union, Aleli Admasu, who was on the list.

"It is regrettable that the individual in question would abuse such a courtesy," the official said.

A spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Ministry replied to the development, saying it was "saddening to see the African Union be taken hostage by a small number of extremist states like Algeria and South Africa, which are driven by hatred and controlled by Iran," further calling on African countries to "oppose these actions, which harm the African Union movement and the entire continent."

In July 2021, "Israel" was granted the status of an observer member at the AU in a decision made by the AU's Chairperson, Moussa Faki. However, the observer status got suspended in February 2022 following efforts spearheaded by Algeria and South Africa.

Algerian media sources reported earlier this week that stripping "Israel" of its observer status at the union will be on the agenda of the regular African summit held on the 18th and 19th of February.