‘UNINVITED’ 🇮🇱 DIPLOMAT GETS AU BOOT

With South Africa recently hauling Israel to the International Court of Justice on charges of genocide against Palestinians, it might be worth mentioning that South Africa’s principled stance is just a number of many including this flash from the past.

Tel Aviv’s deputy boss for relations with Africa (Sharon Bar-li) was an unwelcome guest at last year’s African Union summit, instead of Israel’s ambassador to Ethiopia - who was the only one of the two on the guest list. When she was spotted, she was manhandled out of the hall - prompting accusations of a stitch-up by vocally pro-Palestinian Algeria and South Africa.

South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor has also previously threatened the withdrawal of South Africa from the continental body had the unilateral decision to admit Israel as an observer not been rescinded.

As things stand, Israel’s observer status at the AU bloc is still currently suspended, with no signs of the suspension being lifted anytime soon.