Issue no. 5
29 July 2021
African Union (AU) has granted Israel an observer status.
South Africa and Algeria were amongst the first member states to object to the decision by the AU Commission to grant Israel an observer status. What are the implications:
1. This could be Israeli’s own goal if the decision is reverse. It could be a huge embarrassment for Israel.
2. Should the decision remain, it is likely to create tensions within the AU and could impact on the future of the AU Commission’s chairperson Mousa Faki Mahamat.
3. AU observer status is likely to grant Israel proximity to discussions and workings of the AU. This could allow Israel to lobby individual states for favourable voting on Israel in the AU and at other multilateral platforms.
4. On the other hand South Africa has to win the argument to reverse the decision, if It doesn’t it might loose face within the AU.