(African Union) African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki - "As I received the request for granting Observer Status to Israel...I carefully considered the number of states that recognized the State of Israel in the Continent. The number does not leave any doubt. 44 members of our Organization [out of 54 member states] recognize Israel and have established diplomatic relations....Not to mention that a large number of African states have opened their markets and economic space to Israeli enterprises and signed cooperation agreements....The list is long, very long." "The obligation to take account of the national choices and interests of the member states...left me no choice but to grant Observer Status to the country with which all these states, more than four-fifths of the members of our Union, maintain...such a diversity of relations." [In addition] "the number of member states which expressly asked for the granting of Observer Status to the State of Israel appeared to me larger than that of the member states that did not recognize Israel. Which number should I comply with? The majority or the minority?"
2022-02-07 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive