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South Africa Battles to Keep Israel Out of African Union Summit

(South African Jewish Report) Steven Gruzd - While Israel was granted observer status in 2021, it's unlikely to be allowed to attend the African Union (AU) annual summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this month. South Africa has reportedly threatened the AU Commission chairperson, Chad's Moussa Faki Mahamat, not to dare let Israel in. At the 2020 summit, the AU appointed a seven-country committee to deliberate the issue of Israel's status. This committee has never met. Benji Shulman, director of public policy at the South African Zionist Federation (SAZF), said, "The SAZF calls on the African National Congress government to end its campaign against Israel's observer status in the AU as its participation continues to benefit the continent in a number of innovative ways." Shulman cited several recent projects to help communities across South Africa and Africa with solar energy, water, and technology, and noted that 46 of the 55 states in Africa have diplomatic relations with Israel. "Logically, Israel's entry into the organization is simply an extension of what's happening at the bilateral level." Terence Corrigan, project manager at the Institute of Race Relations, said, "Israel's advances on the continent have been remarkable, and the doubtful value of anchoring a Middle East policy on this intractable conflict hasn't been lost on many African states. South Africa has no influence over the conflict but only stands to deprive itself of whatever benefits engagement might bring."
2023-02-06 00:00:00
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