A Syrian bid to have Israel's invitation to an "Africa-Israel" summit in Togo this October revoked has been thwarted by the host country. Israel's improving ties with African countries, a process Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu helped kickstart by visiting the continent earlier this month, appears to be making Arab countries anxious. After Israel was invited in January to take part in this October's AU summit in the Togolese capital of Lome, Arab League member states called for an emergency summit to impede Israel's participation. Syria, which was itself expelled from the Arab League amid the civil war there, submitted an official letter of protest over the conference. According to the document, which has been obtained by Israel Hayom, Syria is demanding that Israel's invitation be revoked. Syria also said it does not want Israel to regain observer status in the AU. The Syrian Embassy in Nigeria delivered the letter to the Togolese Embassy there on June 1. According to the Syrian letter, the pro-Israel initiative would "adversely affect the Palestinian cause and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the occupied Arab territories, including the Syrian Golan Heights, and could lead to a rift in the Arab-African relations." The letter said the planned conference is "illegal due to the lack of consensus among African countries" and "will give [a] false impression that all African countries, including the Arab and Islamic states, are having good relationships with [the] Israeli occupation government." Despite the Syrian demands, Togo reaffirmed Israel's invitation to the summit. Three days after the Syrians presented their letter of protest, Netanyahu met with Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe in Liberia, where Gnassingbe reissued the invitation.
