Israeli delegation removed from African summit (video)

[yankeedoodle]

Israeli delegation removed from African summit
Israel blamed the incident on South Africa and Algeria, but African Union officials say they were just following protocol
https://www.rt.com/news/571715-israel-ambassador-african-union/

A senior Israeli diplomat and her delegation have been expelled from the African Union's annual summit in Ethiopia. Video footage showed the Israelis being escorted out by security guards.

Sharon Bar-li, the deputy director of the Israeli foreign ministry's Africa division, was removed from the premises in Addis Ababa along with her team on Saturday. The Israeli Foreign Ministry condemned the expulsion, arguing that Israel is an accredited observer at the African Union's annual meeting, and Bar-li had her paperwork in order.

"Israel looks harshly upon the incident in which the deputy director for Africa, Ambassador Sharon Bar-Li, was removed from the African Union hall despite her status as an accredited observer with entrance badges," spokesperson Lior Hayat said.

Hayat blamed "a small number of extremist countries such as Algeria and South Africa" for the decision to boot Bar-li, claiming that these nations are "driven by hatred and controlled by Iran."

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Israel was granted observer status at the African Union in 2021, although the decision was bitterly opposed by some members of the 55-country bloc, including South Africa and Algeria. The union responded by setting up a committee to re-evaluate Israel's status, which is due to give its recommendations at this year's summit.

A spokesperson for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa denied any responsibility, while an African Union spokesperson Ebba Kalondo told Reuters that the union was expecting Israel's ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union, Aleli Admasu, instead of Bar-li.

Regardless, South Africa backed the decision to expel the diplomat. "It's not about South Africa or Algeria, it's an issue of principle," Ramaphosa's spokesperson told Reuters. "Until the AU takes a decision on whether to grant Israel observer status, you cannot have the country sitting and observing."

[yankeedoodle]

African Union says Israel's observer status suspended
AU Commission chief confirms Israel was not invited to the weekend summit where Israeli ambassador was removed.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/2/20/african-union-says-israels-observer-status-suspended

The African Union has said that Israel's observer status at the bloc was suspended which is why it was not invited to attend the weekend summit.

The news comes after Israeli ambassador Sharon Bar-li was removed from the African Union's annual summit in Ethiopia on Saturday as she attempted to attend using a non-transferable invitation issued only to Israel's ambassador to the African Union, Aleli Admasu.

Video circulating on social media showed guards escorting Bar-li out of the AU assembly hall in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

"The status is suspended until such time as this committee can deliberate ... and so we did not invite Israeli officials to our summit," AU Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat told reporters on Sunday, adding that an investigation was being conducted into Saturday's incident.

A spokesperson for Israel's foreign ministry said Bar-li was "an accredited observer with an entry tag", and accused the AU of being taken hostage by a "small number of extremist states like Algeria and South Africa, which are driven by hatred and controlled by Iran".

The incident highlighted a spat within the pan-African bloc over a unilateral 2021 decision by Mahamat to give Israel observer status, triggering protests by several member states.

Israel obtained observer status after two decades of diplomatic efforts. It had previously held the role at the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) but was long thwarted in its attempts to regain it after the OAU was disbanded in 2002 and replaced by the AU.

The Israeli foreign ministry said at the time that the new status could enable Israel and the AU to forge stronger cooperation on various aspects, including the fight against the coronavirus and the prevention "of the spread of extremist terrorism" on the African continent.

Last year's AU summit suspended a debate on whether to withdraw the accreditation and established a committee of heads of state to address the issue.

The South African government said the African Union's decision to award Israel the status was "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 backs the Palestinian cause, with formal diplomatic relations established in 1995, a year after the end of apartheid. It downgraded its embassy in Tel Aviv to a liaison office in 2019.