An Israeli delegation led by the Deputy Director of the Israeli Foreign Ministry's Africa Division, Sharon Bar-Li, was removed from Saturday's 36th ordinary session of the Assembly of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the delegation was removed despite "its status as an observer with entrance badges." The ministry added that "Israel views the incident harshly."
The Foreign Ministry assumes that the Israel representatives were removed due to pressure from Algeria and South Africa. Due to the incident, negotiations are being held, so the representatives will be allowed to return to the session, which will continue on Sunday.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat stated: "Israel looks harshly upon the incident in which the deputy director for Africa, Ambassador Sharon Bar-Li, was removed from the African Union hall despite her status as an accredited observer with entrance badges.
It is dismaying to see that the African Union was taken hostage by a small number of extremist nations like Algeria and South Africa, which are driven by hate and are controlled by Iran. We call on the African nations to stand up against these actions which harm the African Union itself and the entire continent."
The Foreign Ministry commented on the removal of the Israeli delegation: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes seriously the incident in which the Israeli representative was removed from the discussion of the Organization of the African Union. The person in charge at the South African embassy in Israel will be summoned this week for reprimand by the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ronen Levy. The attempt to cancel Israel's observer status has no basis in the organization's laws. In the round of talks held today by the representatives of Israel with the political members of the Organization of the African Union, there is a clear majority that supports Israel's observer status in the organization."
According to Reuters, Ebba Kalondo, the spokesperson for the African Union's commission chairman, said the diplomat had been removed because she was not the duly accredited Israeli ambassador to Ethiopia, the official who was expected.
South Africa rejected the claim it stood behind the ejection, telling Reuters that Israel's application for observer status at the African Union has not been decided upon by the bloc.
"Until the AU takes a decision on whether to grant Israel observer status, you cannot have the country sitting and observing," Clayson Monyela, head of public diplomacy in South Africa's department of international relations, stated. Adding, "So, it's not about South Africa or Algeria, it's an issue of principle."