Members of the Israeli delegation were expelled from the hall where the meeting of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa was held. This is reported by The Times of Israel with reference to the representative of the country’s Foreign Ministry, Lior Hayat. 

At the beginning of the opening ceremony of the summit, a security officer approached the Israeli delegates and asked them to leave the hall. The delegation was headed by the Deputy Foreign Minister. The agency called ‘Iran-controlled’ Algeria and South Africa responsible.

The Israeli portal Walla was the first to report the incident, the newspaper notes. He posted a video from the meeting room. It shows how a security representative talks to several people, and then escorts them to the exit.

FOLLOW US AND NEVER MISS AN IMPORTANT STORY AGAIN

The delegation was headed by Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister for Africa Sharon Bar-Lee, the newspaper notes. According to her, Israeli diplomats left the event a few minutes after it began. The incident occurred at the opening ceremony of the summit, security officials themselves approached the delegates and asked them to leave, Walla notes.

Hayat said after the incident that Israel is serious about the incident, since Bar-Lee officially had observer status. The diplomat has accreditation, she was also given a pass to the event, he stressed.

‘It is sad to see the African Union being held hostage by a small number of extremist countries such as Algeria and South Africa, driven by hatred and controlled by Iran,’ the spokesman said. He called on African countries to condemn these actions and said that they damage the reputation of the association and the entire continent.

The African Union is the legal successor of the Organization of African Unity. The association was founded in 2002. The main governing bodies of the union are based in Addis Ababa. The highest of them is the assembly, consisting of the heads of state and government or their accredited representatives. The organization includes 55 states.

READER COMMENTS ON OUR STORIES ARE WELCOME

The Union is engaged in the peaceful settlement of conflicts between the participants, the establishment of cooperation with international partners, the protection of sovereignty and the maintenance of the territorial integrity of states. In addition, it promotes the integration of these countries, cooperation in the field of defense and the ‘eradication of colonialism.’

If you care you should share this story on social media: