African Union: full support for Palestine against occupation

In the summit declaration adopted at the end of its 36th regular session in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, the African Union reaffirmed its full support for the Palestinian people in their legitimate struggle against the Israeli racist colonial occupation. The Union condemned the continued intransigence of Israel and successive governments, rejecting repeated initiatives and calls from the Palestinian leadership and the international community to engage in peace talks, stressing its support for the request of the President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, to the Secretary-General of the United Nations to begin developing an international plan to end the occupation lands of the State of Palestine. The African Union welcomes the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly at its 77th session of the request for an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the nature of the Israeli colonial occupation of the territory of the State of Palestine and its illegal activities, calling on Member States to support the State of Palestine. The African Union stressed its support for the direction of the State of Palestine to renew its request for full membership in the United Nations, calling on all countries to accept this membership and support joining international organizations and agreements, as well as its rejection of the ongoing barbaric Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip, expressing concern about the deteriorating economic and the humanitarian situation in the sector. And after the expulsion of a senior Israeli diplomat from his annual summit in Ethiopia on Saturday, the African Union said a decision to grant Israel observer status with the organization was under consideration. Photos posted online show African Union security officials escorting diplomats from the summit hall during the opening of the meeting. Israel blamed the incident on South Africa and Algeria, saying that they were holding the African Union hostage and that they were driven by “hatred”. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that a charge d’affaires of the South African embassy would be summoned to reprimand him, noting that “an attempt to deprive Israel of observer status has no basis in the laws of the organization.” South Africa denied Israel’s allegations, saying the Union had not yet made a decision on Israel’s request for observer status. Notably, South Africa’s ruling party has historically been a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause.