Israel slams 'severe' ejection of envoy from African Union summit

The ministry spokesman said it was saddening to see the African Union taken hostage by a small number of extremist states.

Israel on Saturday condemned the "severe" expulsion of a senior diplomat from the African Union summit, accusing arch-foe Iran of orchestrating the move with help from Algeria and South Africa.

A video circulating on social media shows guards escorting the Israeli foreign ministry's deputy director general for Africa, Sharon Bar-li, out of the AU assembly taking place in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

A spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry described the incident as "severe," noting Bar-li was "an accredited observer with an entry tag", a claim denied by an AU official.

The ministry spokesman said it was "saddening to see the African Union taken hostage by a small number of extremist states like Algeria and South Africa, which are driven by hatred and controlled by Iran".

African states should "oppose these actions, which harm the African Union movement and the entire continent," the spokesman added.

An AU official told AFP that the diplomat who was "asked to leave" had not been invited to attend the meeting, with a non-transferable invitation only issued to Israel's ambassador to the African Union, Aleli Admasu.

"It is regrettable that the individual in question would abuse such a courtesy," the official said.