Palestinians welcome Israel’s expulsion from African Union summit

By Nour Abu Eisha

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – Palestinian groups on Sunday hailed the expulsion of an Israeli delegation from the African Union (AU) summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

Israel said Saturday that an Israeli delegation led by Deputy Director for Africa at the Foreign Ministry Sharon Bar-li was kicked out from the AU conference hall in Addis Ababa.

Tel Aviv accused Algeria and South Africa of being behind the move.

“The expulsion is consistent with the AU support for our people and their legitimate rights,” Fatah movement said in a statement.

The group, led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, praised efforts of all countries “that prevented the Israeli participation in the AU summit.”

It also called on all African countries “to take similar steps to besiege Israel to force it to halt its crimes against the Palestinian people, their territories and holy sites.”

Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, also welcomed efforts that blocked Israel’s participation in the AU summit.

"These efforts are consistent with the values and principles of the AU," Hamas spokesman Jihad Taha said in a statement.

Islamic Jihad group gave tributes to efforts of South Africa and Algeria for expelling the Israeli delegation.

“This step was necessary to close the door to Israel’s attempts to have a foothold in Africa,” spokesman Tarek Salmi said.

The Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), for its part, called for annulling Israel’s observer status in the AU.

Israel was granted observer status in the AU in July 2021.

According to Israeli media, Israel holds formal relations with 46 African nations.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar