AuthorSteven Gruzd

Steven Gruzd is Head: African Governance and Diplomacy Programme at South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). He is the co-author of a recent study on Israel-Africa relations, which can be found on https://saiia.org.za.

Israel ends decades-long wait for observer status at the African Union

by Steven Gruzd

On 22 July 2021, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the country will become an observer state at the African Union (AU). Israel’s ambassador to Ethiopia, Aleleign Admasu, has submitted the country’s credentials to the AU Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat. Mahamat, for his part, emphasised support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The two agreed that combatting Covid-19 and counter-terrorism should be areas of collaboration. And Admasu invited Mahamat to visit Israel. “This is a day of celebration for Israel-Africa relations,” said Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.