Kicked out of the African Union: how Israel fluffed 20 years of diplomatic efforts
Claiming it would revitalise local economies and fight desertification, Israel was looking to make money and political friends – in Addis Ababa, that dream just came crashing down in spectacular fashion, reports RAMZY BAROUD

THE scene of Israeli diplomat Sharon Bar-Li, along with other Israeli delegates, being escorted out of the opening ceremony of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, last month was historic.
The very moment that was meant to crown 20 years of Israeli diplomacy in Africa turned, in a few seconds, into a representation of Tel Aviv’s failure on the continent.
Unable to fathom the breakdown of its diplomatic and political efforts, Israel responded to Bar-Li’s removal by waging a war of words against African countries, accusing them of spearheading a campaign aimed at blocking Israel’s observer status.
More from this author

Once able to defy a US president before Congress, Netanyahu now finds himself weakened by military setbacks and facing a populist Trump who may yet put ‘America first’ instead of Israel, writes RAMZY BAROUD

Netanyahu’s failed attempt to replace Shin Bet’s chief violates longstanding Israeli political taboos, as the apartheid state’s internal power struggle spirals to a new level of crisis while Gaza burns, writes RAMZY BAROUD

Israel’s crimes in Gaza have forced a reckoning with international law’s selective application as Western nations sanction ICC prosecutors and attack UN officials who demand accountability, writes RAMZY BAROUD

Will 2025 be a year of combat for Israel, as promised by the new IDF chief of staff, wonders RAMZY BAROUD