THE call by the Israeli administration to be readmitted into the African Union (AU) cannot be allowed — not under our watch.
Israel has been accused of bribing African leaders — or what the US would rather term ‘lobbying’.
This is despite the same country having a bad track record in Africa.
Israel has surreptitiously attempted to gain entry into the AU through the backdoor, a move other African countries have described as a coup d’état.
It is reported that Ghana has joined the bandwagon of African countries such as Kenya and Egypt lobbying for Israel’s admission into the AU as an observer, akin to its former role in the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), where it was an observer until the OAU was dissolved in 2002.
With destructive elements like Israel meddling in its affairs, no wonder the OAU was such a failure!
Muammar Gaddafi was right to block Israel from joining the AU.
Israel, which has long proven its allegiance to the US, is part of the bigger plot to entrench US hegemony, and giving it observer status is tantamount to signing away the African continent for recolonisation.
This is why.
Israel had a hand in the murder of the late Libyan leader, and should be dragged to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its involvement, together with the US, in violating the sovereignty of Libya.
If the ICC was a properly constituted court whose mandate was not blinkered by those whose interests it was set up to serve, then the Israeli presidency should have long been held accountable for the litany of human rights abuses committed by this ‘darling’ of the West.
These include human rights abuses on the African continent, which are well-documented.
Recently, The Southern Times published an article, ‘Should Israel be given an observer member status in the African Union?’ which chronicled Israel’s dark past on the continent.
“There are numerous allegations of Israeli co-operation with the South African apartheid regime which have been documented,” reads the article in The Southern Times.
The Guardian also carried a piece which stated: “Israel was South Africa’s principal and most dependable arms dealer. It even offered to sell the South African regime nuclear weapons.”
More recently, in 2014, Israel erected a 242km electric fence, ostensibly to keep out illegal immigrants, much in the same way US President Donald Trump is building a wall along the US border with Mexico.
What with Israel cancelling a deal between Israel and the UN to resettle 16 250 African immigrants stranded in European countries!
The deal would have gone a long way in alleviating the plight of these disadvantaged members of society, but premier Benjamin Netanyahu would have none of that.
So, what does Israel want to observe in Africa?
One wonders the connection between Israel’s toxic relations with progressive African countries and beleaguered MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa of the ‘dira jecha brigade!’
Chamisa hinted that he wished to improve relations between Zimbabwe and Israel during the MDC Alliance manifesto launch.
He even took a sojourn to Israel as election preparations reached fever pitch.
Israel has no place observing elections in Africa and African states need to join hands to bar this divisive element that fronts for the US.
No amount of bribe money should be enough to allow a nation to sell-out to the highest bidder.