President Cyril Ramaphosa is leading a continental campaign to cancel Israel’s status as an accredited observer at the African Union (AU) this weekend, prompting the South African Jewish community to accuse his government of an “obsession” and “relentless hostility” to Israel. African leaders will decide on Sunday if Israel should continue as an observer at the African Union.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is leading a continental campaign to cancel Israel’s status as an accredited observer at the African Union (AU) this weekend, prompting the South African Jewish community to accuse his government of an “obsession” and “relentless hostility” to Israel.
Israel was accepted as an observer to the AU by the chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat in August last year — joining more than 90 other countries, not all shining examples of democracy — which enjoy that status. Israel’s admission followed energetic diplomatic wooing of Africa particularly by former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Kenya had been one of the African states pushing hardest for Israel’s acceptance as an observer.
But South Africa in particular, leading the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Algeria, leading some African members of the League of Arab States, objected to Faki’s…
