Palestine welcomes AU expulsion of Israel delegation

Palestinian movements have welcomed the expulsion of the Israeli delegation to the African Union Summit in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, and called on countries that have recently normalised ties with the occupation state to correct their course and end the process.

On Saturday morning, an Israeli diplomatic delegation was kicked out of the African Union conference hall in Addis Ababa, triggering a fierce denunciation from Tel Aviv. The team included Sharon Bar-Li, the deputy director for Africa at the Foreign Ministry, as well as other participants.

The Fatah movement lauded the positions of South Africa and all African countries, which it said “stood by the Palestinian right and opposed Israel’s accession to the African Union.”

The movement also praised the efforts of all countries that prevented Israel from participating in the African Union (AU) summit, saying it was in line with the African Union support for the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights.

The statement called on all friendly African countries to take such steps and to renounce and besiege Israel and pressure it to stop its crimes against the Palestinian people, their land and sanctities, as well as preventing it from becoming an AU member.

For its part, the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas also welcomed the expulsion.

READ: Israel summons South Africa envoy after Israeli diplomat expelled from AU meeting

Hamas spokesperson Jihad Taha hailed all efforts exerted to block the “Israeli occupation” from attending the annual summit in a move that is “in line with the values and principles of the African Union.”

In a press statement, Taha lauded the AU’s stance in support of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights to end the occupation and establish a fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

The Hamas spokesperson called on the “brotherly and friendly” African states to embrace such honourable positions and alienate the Israeli occupation and its racist and fascist government from the AU.

The Islamic Jihad Movement described the expulsion as “an important step that reflects the strength of the African countries’ positions, particularly Algeria and South Africa.”

The pressure to prevent the Israeli delegation from attending the summit was led by Algeria and South Africa.