Israel joining African Union will not affect group’s support for Palestine, Algeria FM says

Algerian Foreign Ministry has said that accepting Israel as an observer state of the African Union will not affect the organisation’s support for Palestine.

In a statement, the ministry noted that the decision to accept Israel as a new observer was taken without consulting all member states, adding that the move would not affect the body’s consistent support for the Palestinian cause.

Meanwhile, the statement reiterated the AU’s commitment to embodying the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

“Algeria, which largely contributed to the establishment and consolidation of the strategic partnership between Africa and the Arab world, will continue its efforts to strengthen solidarity between the two groups for the benefit of all their peoples,” the statement said.

On Thursday, Israeli Ambassador Aleli Admasu presented his credentials to Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairman of the African Union Commission, at AU headquarters in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.

“This is a day of celebration for Israel-Africa relations,” Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said.

READ: The African Union is self-destructing by letting Israel have observer status