Israel's Accreditation to the AU Is Dividing Africa

Many African states are digging their heels in at Israel's return to the African Union as an observer.  Israel has long sought to retake its position as an observer state at the African Union (AU). It had this status with the Organisation of African Unity until that continental body became the AU in 2002. AU Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat has now opened the door to Israel again - and not everyone is welcoming his decision.  But how important is this issue for Africa and the AU, and does it suggest any significant changes in the continent's relations with Israel?, Shewit Woldemichael writes for The Institute for Security Studies.

If its accreditation is not overturned, Israel will join a growing list of more than 90 external partners endorsed by the AU. It will have limited access to AU documents and sit as an observer when invited to meetings. Accredited non-African states and organisations are expected to support the AU's work in the spirit of its founding principles.

Meanwhile the new surge in conflict between Israel and Palestine is being covered widely by African media, with governments from North and Southern Africa condemning the Israeli incursion onto the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem - the third most holy site in Islam - and Israeli attacks on Gaza. The chair of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has strongly condemned Israeli attacks and bombardments in the Gaza Strip.