Rabat – The African Union said that it has suspended Israel’s observer status, after videos on social media showed Israeli ambassador Sharon Bar-li being removed from the union’s annual summit in Ethiopia on Saturday.
Bar-li was denied access after she attempted to use a non-transferable invitation that was issued only to Aleli Admasu, Israel’s ambassador to the African Union.
“The status is suspended until such time as this committee can deliberate,” AU Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat told reporters on Saturday, referring to an investigation into the day’s incident. “And so we did not invite Israeli officials to our summit.”
Israel’s foreign ministry said that Bar-li was “an accredited observer with an entry tag,” and accused states like Algeria and South Africa of being against the country’s presence in the African Union.
Israel was granted observer status in 2021, following decades of diplomatic efforts, with the country’s foreign ministry boasting strong cooperation on issues such as the Coronavirus pandemic and terrorist threats.
The decision caused some controversy as some states, including South Africa, said they had not been properly consulted.
Following Israel’s admission, Faki had reiterated the bloc’s position on the Israel-Palestine conflict, confirming their support for a two-state solution.
The issue caused a debate during last year’s summit, causing the AU to postpone discussion on the topic to avoid a rift among its member states.
