clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Palestinians abroad condemn African Union’s decision to give Israel observer status

August 4, 2021 at 12:12 pm

Protest outside the Israeli Embassy in South Africa on 14 August 2020 [BDS South Africa]

Popular Conference of Palestinians Abroad (PCPA) yesterday condemned the African Union’s decision to grant Israel observer status, calling for the decision to be rescinded, Quds Press reported.

In a press release, the PCPA called on the AU not to give the “racist and colonial” occupation state observer status.

“Accepting the Zionist occupation as a member of the African Union is a condemned step that seriously harms the union and its members,” the statement said. “Such a step will absolutely not serve the real interests of the African nations.”

“The Zionist occupation entity attempts to show itself as a reliable partner to African countries,” the PCPA said, stressing this is a “deceptive attempt to falsify its reality, and to overcome the established positions adopted by the African countries towards the rights and freedoms of the Palestinian.

The PCPA called for the African Union to “repair this massive mistake.”

On 23 July, Israel obtained AU observer status after 20 years of diplomatic efforts. The new status could enable Israel and the AU to forge stronger cooperation on various aspects, including the fight against the coronavirus and the prevention “of the spread of extremist terrorism” on the African continent.

Report: 14 countries to form block against Israel’s membership of African Union