Israeli Ambassador Expelled Again from African Union Meeting Amid Genocide Talks
Addis Ababa (Quds News Network)- The African Union has expelled Israel’s ambassador to Ethiopea, Avraham Neguise, from the Mandela Hall at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa on Monday, according to Al Jazeera. The meeting was discussing the genocide in Rwanda.
The ambassador’s removal came after several African countries objected to his presence. The meeting focused on the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, and many participants considered Israel’s participation inappropriate. Diplomats said the meeting paused until Neguise left the hall.
AU sources told Al Jazeera that the ambassador’s participation was unexpected. The African Union is now investigating how he was invited in the first place.
This is not the first time Israel faced rejection from the AU. In February 2023, an Israeli delegation was removed from the African Union Summit’s opening ceremony in Addis Ababa. At the time, Israel blamed South Africa and Algeria, calling the incident a ‘diplomatic violation’.
Israel had gained AU observer status in 2021 after years of lobbying. But strong opposition from several African nations—especially due to Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories—led to a revocation of that status in 2022. Many African leaders see Israel’s actions in Gaza as incompatible with the AU’s founding values.
Hamas praised the AU’s latest move. In a statement, the Palestinian resistance movement said:
“This bold stance reflects the values of the African Union and its historic support for Palestine. It is outrageous that a state committing genocide in Gaza would seek to attend a meeting on genocide.”
The movement also urged global organizations to boycott Israel and stop giving it platforms to whitewash its crimes. They called for legal action against Israeli leaders responsible for civilian deaths in Gaza.
The African Union, founded in 2002, allows observer status to non-African countries under strict conditions. Palestine received this status in 1973 and retains broad support across the continent. Israel’s attempts to counter Palestinian influence at the AU continue to meet strong resistance.
