Israel’s ‘Scramble for Africa’ Is Slowly Reaping Benefits

Israel’s ‘Scramble for Africa’ Is Slowly Reaping Benefits
Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta hold the flags of their countries after a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, July 5, 2016 (AP photo by Sayyid Abdul Azim).

Editor’s Note: This is the web version of our subscriber-only weekly newsletter, Africa Watch, which includes a look at the week’s top stories and best reads from and about the African continent. Subscribe to receive it by email every Friday. If you’re already a subscriber, adjust your newsletter settings to receive it directly to your email inbox.

Last month, the African Union granted observer status to Israel, after nearly 20 years of Israeli diplomatic efforts to that effect. Israel had previously held observer status in the Organization of African Unity, or OAU, the AU’s predecessor. But it lapsed after the OAU was disbanded in 2002 and replaced by the AU, and Israel’s efforts to get it back have been stymied since then.

Almost immediately, the decision was met with considerable pushback from a coalition of AU member states, primarily from the continent’s north and south. The government of South Africa released an official statement condemning the decision in uncharacteristically blunt language, describing it as “unjust and unwarranted.” Namibia echoed those sentiments, calling the announcement “contrary to the principles and objectives of the Constitutive Act of the African Union.” And last Sunday, Botswana joined the chorus, distancing itself from the decision and reaffirming its solidarity with the Palestinian Authority. 

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article by submitting your email address below. You'll also get access to three articles of your choice each month and our free newsletter:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having a personal curator and expert analyst of global affairs news. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of tens of thousands of articles.
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday.
  • Regular in-depth articles with deep dives into important issues and countries.
  • The Daily Review email, with our take on the day’s most important news, the latest WPR analysis, what’s on our radar, and more.
  • The Weekly Review email, with quick summaries of the week’s most important coverage, and what’s to come.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review