Ambassador of South Africa to Lebanon and Syria Sean Benfeldt said his country would boycott the upcoming African-Israeli summit to be held in Togo, describing the event as a step to normalize African relations with the occupation state.

The ambassador made his remarks during his meeting on Friday in Beirut with a delegation from the general secretariat of the Popular Conference of Palestinians Abroad.

He received a file from the delegation about the summit and another one on the latest report issued by ESCWA about Israel’s apartheid practices.

Benfeldt affirmed that his country would not participate in the summit and would make contacts with other countries to urge them to boycott the meeting.

He highlighted Israel’s inhumane blockade on the Gaza Strip, stressing the need for practical solutions to the humanitarian suffering of the population in the besieged territory.

The ambassador also adopted the delegation’s proposal to invite ambassadors of the African countries in Lebanon to a special meeting soon to talk about the summit with Israel and the need to boycott it.

At the end of the meeting, the delegation expressed its thanks for South Africa for its strong support for the Palestinian cause and its intention to boycott the summit.