The “Israeli-African” relations have experienced periods of rise and fall. However, in recent years, Israel has renewed its interest in the continent due to its great significance in Israeli foreign policy. Africa has always been and continues to be a vital continent that Israel seeks to enhance cooperation with and build new partnerships. Israel exerts strenuous efforts, both political and diplomatic, to strengthen its relations with African countries, particularly those in North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, in a variety of key areas, from trade to defense. This comes in the context of Israel’s attempt to expand its diplomatic network.
Israel’s efforts to strengthen relations with African countries have been notably evident under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He was the first Israeli prime minister to visit the African continent in 2016, after a gap of five decades, and worked on re-establishing relations with African countries, leading to diplomatic and economic gains for both parties. During the 2017 summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Israel in Liberia, Netanyahu announced the slogan “Israel Returns to Africa, and Africa Returns to Israel” for several key objectives, the most prominent being obtaining the status of “observer” in the African Union. He also worked on restoring relations with former partners.
