Hamas official says revoking Israel observer status in African Union is top priority

A member of the Hamas Political Bureau and head of the International Relations Office, Dr. Musa Abu Marzouk, said that revoking Israel’s observer status in the African Union should be a top priority for the upcoming African summit, given its danger on the African continent, in general, and the Palestinian national cause, in particular.

“Granting the [Israeli] occupation any status in a large international organisation such as the African Union makes it more persistent in committing more crimes against our Palestinian people in the Occupied Territories, claiming that it gets political cover and diplomatic immunity,” Abu Marzouk said in  a statement on Wednesday.

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He noted that Israel is seen as a pariah state in the region and in Africa, adding that “Israel is a continuation of the settler colonial era of which the African continent has suffered for decades, especially South Africa, which had suffered from the apartheid system”.

Abu Marzouk stressed that the Israeli Occupation constitutes the ugliest version of that regime, according to reports of respected human rights organisations and international institutions.

He lauded the great efforts exerted by a number of African countries, especially Algeria and South Africa, to strip Israel of any status in the African Union.

READ: Hamas official says revoking Israel observer status in African Union is top priority