14 African states agree to reject ‘Israel’ membership in African Union

Algeria has officially started forming an African block to reject Israel’s membership in the African Union, Algerian and international media outlets reported.

The online newspaper Rai Al-Youm reported that 14 African states, including: South Africa, Tunisia, Eritrea, Senegal, Tanzania, Niger, ‌ the archipelago of Qamar, Gabon, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Liberia, and the Seychelles have all agreed with forming a block to reject the occupation state membership in African Union.

Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra is expected to discuss the issue of Israel’s membership in the African Union in his upcoming trips to the four African states of Tunisia, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt, the newspaper also reported.

Lamamra has stressed that these diplomatic moves are in fact a reaction to the occupation state’s membership in the African Union as an observer member and that this is a development that Israeli diplomats have been working on for years.

Lamamra has also noted that ‘Israel’ had previously gained membership as an observer in the Organization of African Unity, but in 2002, the title was taken back from the regime as the African Union replaced the Organization of African Unity.

The African Union is a representative body of 54 African nations whose majority object to Israel’s illegal occupation, unjust oppression of Palestinians and annexation of their land.

The occupation state had submitted a letter of credence to rejoin the AU as an observer — which was accepted — 19 years after the occupation state lost its status.

After the submission, Yair Lapid, the Israeli foreign minister, attributed the milestone to the efforts of the foreign ministry, noting that the “diplomatic achievement” will correct the anomaly that has existed in the apartheid state’s relationship with Africa.

“This is a day of celebration for Israel-Africa relations. This diplomatic achievement is the result of efforts by the Foreign Ministry, the African Division, and Israeli embassies on the continent,” he had said.