{"id":75689,"date":"2023-02-21T06:58:34","date_gmt":"2023-02-21T04:58:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/?p=75689"},"modified":"2023-02-21T06:58:34","modified_gmt":"2023-02-21T04:58:34","slug":"israeli-diplomat-removed-from-african-union-summit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/israeli-diplomat-removed-from-african-union-summit\/","title":{"rendered":"Israeli diplomat removed from African Union Summit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za<\/a><\/p>\n

3-minute read
\n21 February 2023 | 6:55 CAT<\/p>\n

\"Image:

Image: Al-Jazeera<\/p><\/div>\n

A Senior Israeli diplomat has been removed from the African Union\u2019s annual summit in Ethiopia as a dispute over Israel\u2019s accreditation to the bloc escalated.<\/p>\n

A video posted on social media showed security personnel walking Ambassador Sharon Bar-Li out of the auditorium during the opening ceremony of the summit in Addis Ababa on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Allie Komape, from the Africa4Palestine, told Radio Islam International<\/em> the diplomat \u201casked to leave\u201d had not been invited to the meeting, nor were they welcome.<\/p>\n

Israel blames the incident on South Africa and Algeria, the two key nations in the 55-country bloc, alleging they are behind this.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsrael 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,\u201d the Israeli foreign ministry said.<\/p>\n

Vincent Magwenya, the spokesman for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa present at the summit, demanded that Israel \u201csubstantiate their claim\u201d after the latter accused arch-foe Iran of orchestrating the move with help from Algeria and South Africa.<\/p>\n

South Africa\u2019s governing party has historically been a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause.<\/p>\n

\u201cMinister Naledi Pandor has been very vocal at the AU and other platforms as well. She stated South Africa cannot stand having Israel in any form at the African Union,\u201d says Komape.<\/p>\n

In a statement on Sunday, the African National Congress (ANC), which compares Israel to an \u201capartheid state\u201d, clearly supported Bar-li\u2019s ousting.<\/p>\n

Palestinian groups on Sunday hailed Bar-li\u2019s removal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe expulsion is consistent with the AU support for our people and their legitimate rights,\u201d the Fatah movement, led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Listen to the full interview on Your World Today with Mufti Yusuf Moosagie.<\/p>\n