Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh on Saturday called on the African Union (AU) to withdraw Israel’s observer status, stressing that accepting it as an observer in the AU will be an unmerited reward for its violations and for the apartheid regime it imposes on the Palestinian people, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
Shtayyeh Urges #AfricanUnion to Withdraw Israel’s Observer Status https://t.co/qgqaTRkTlv
— Asharq Al-Awsat English (@aawsat_eng) February 5, 2022
Addressing the African Union summit meeting in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, Shtayyeh said:
“Our faith lies in your alignment with the principles of truth, freedom, peace, and justice. We are confident in your willingness to support the Palestinian people under Israel’s prolonged occupation. Israel should never be rewarded for its violations and for the apartheid regime it imposes on the Palestinian people. As an entity, Israel has progressed from a victim complex to paranoia, extremism, militarism and colonial expansion. This must stop.”
“Based on your stated historical positions and your support for the Palestinian right, and per relevant decisions of the UN and previous African Union Assemblies, we call for the withdrawal and objection of Israel’s observer status at the African Union,” he added.
Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh on Saturday urged the African Union to withdraw Israel's accreditation to the bloc, bringing simmering tensions to a head as the 55-member organisation opened a two-day summit in Addis Ababa https://t.co/g3LP3Jg2Fl
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 5, 2022
Shtayyeh called on the AU, instead, to condemn Israel for its crimes of persecution and apartheid against the Palestinian people.
“The African Union has constantly resisted colonialism and apartheid. It has continually rejected and condemned Israel’s discriminatory policies and practices. The time is right to condemn Israel for its crimes of persecution and apartheid.”
Last July, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that its ambassador to Ethiopia, Admasu Al-Ali, had submitted his credentials as an observer member to the AU.
South Africa’s President @CyrilRamaphosa explains why Israel is not welcomed in the African Union. pic.twitter.com/ZqIukkNjle
— Afro-Palestine Forum (Afropal) (@AfroPal_Forum) July 29, 2021
Later, Arab media reported that seven Arab countries had informed the AU of their objection to granting Israel an observer status in the continental organization, a position endorsed by the League of Arab States.
(The Palestine Chronicle, WAFA, Social Media)
