On Wednesday, South Africa strongly opposed last week’s unilateral “decision by the African Union (AU) Commission to grant Israel official observer status at the continental organization.
In a strongly worded statement, the Continental Power Station, which last year held the annual rotating AU presidency, said it was “appalled by the AU commission’s unfair and unjustified decision to grant Israel observer status in the African Union.”
The AU handed over Israel to observer status on Thursday, a move that the two parties expected would enable Israel to further help the AU fight the COVID-19 pandemic and terrorism on the continent.
“The decision to grant Israel observer status is even more shocking in a year when the oppressed people of Palestine were chased by destructive bombings and continued illegal settlements in the country,” South Africa’s foreign ministry said, blasting the move as “inexplicable” and “incomprehensible.”
South Africa supports the Palestinian cause with formal diplomatic relations established in 1995, a year after the end of apartheid, and downgraded its embassy in Tel Aviv in 2019. The Palestinian territories already have observer status at the AU, and the pro-Palestinian language is usually shown in statements delivered. at AU’s annual summits.
The AU Commission made “unilateral decision” without consulting its members, according to South Africa. South Africa will ask Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chair of the AU Commission, to inform the Member States of the decision and hopes that the issue will be discussed with Heads of State and Government.
“South Africa is convinced that as long as Israel is not willing to negotiate an unconditional peace plan, it should not have observer status,” the AU said.
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