Israel Looking To Boost Relations with Rising Ethiopia

Mesle A.

"Greetings from Jerusalem, the city I grew up in and where King Solomon met the Queen of Sheba" was how Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu started his address to the Ethiopian parliament last week. He was mentioning Ethiopian monarchial legend based on biblical story to highlight the long connection.

He also said, "The two countries have enjoyed old relations," and in honor of such historic relations, he added, "a street in the center of Jerusalem is named after Ethiopia. In his opening remarks, Netanyahu said, Ethiopia has “a place in the heart of Israel” in an apparent response to Prime Minister Hailemariam’s earlier statement that “Israel in the heart of Ethiopia.”

Last week saw the height of Ethiopian Israeli relations as Benjamin Netanyahu became first Prime Minister of Israel to have a state visit of Ethiopia. The Prime Minister of Israel visited Ethiopia in his four-country state visit to East Africa, which aimed at strengthening diplomatic and economic ties.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by some 40 huge transnational companies and about 80 businesspeople in order to forge commercial ties with Ethiopian counterparts. Netanyahu held discussions with President Mulatu Teshome and Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and discussed bilateral cooperation in the fields of water, agriculture, communications, tourism, and education. Hailemariam said Ethiopia wants to learn a lot from Israel’s rich experience in agriculture, irrigation and water use in particular.

Netanyahu on his part said he wanted “integrated teams that are working on a government to government level but also the businesses that have created their own abilities in this field, proven abilities, in Israel and worldwide, to work with you and Ethiopian companies.” The two countries signed agreements that enable to elevate their bilateral ties to a higher level and to cooperate in science, technology and tourism. Based on the agreements, Israel will share its rich experiences in space science, bioscience and nanotechnology to Ethiopia.

While the two prime ministers didn’t discuss military cooperation, the head of Elbit Systems, one of Israel’s largest defense contractors, was reported to be accompanying him on his visit to Ethiopia. Ethio-Israel Business Forum will also be held under the auspices of Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam and Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Israel’s push to be granted “observer status” at the African Union has gained Ethiopia’s backing. “Israel is working very hard in many African countries. There is no reason to deny this observer position to Israel,” Hailemariam Desalegn said. The position of observer is granted to some non-African countries who wish to engage with the AU, follow proceedings and address its gatherings. Israel had been an observer at the AU’s predecessor organization but its status was not renewed at the AU’s founding in 2002.

Prime Minister Netanyahu asked Hailemariam for assistance in securing the release of Avraham Mengistu, an Ethiopian Israeli held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Mengistu, who entered the Gaza Strip in September 2014, is one of two Israelis held captive by Hamas, which also holds the bodies of two Israeli soldiers killed during Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014. “We always raise the issue of our citizens at various opportunities, including here, of course,” Netanyahu told reporters after the meeting.

The Prime Minister of Israel also stated Israel was working to bring the remaining 9,000 Ethiopian Jews, who have for long been waiting for Aliyah, to Israel. “We have a commitment and we are honoring it on a humanitarian and family reunification basis,” he said. The prime minister, in his address, mentioned the name of Neguise, an Ethiopian Israeli member of Knesset (Israeli parliament), in his speech to the parliament, as well as former MK Penina Tamanu-Shata, and the current ambassador to the country, Belaynesh Zevadia as examples of the impact Ethiopian-Israelis are having on society. Neguise said that he sat with spokesman of the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry who said, “We are proud of you, that you reached this level – you are a bridge between Ethiopia and Israel, and this is important.” No one, Neguise said, views the Jews who left the country to move to Israel as people who abandoned the homeland.

According to Israeli Ambassador to Ethiopia, Belaynesh Zevadia, who is of Ethiopian origin, the visit will lend a significant boost to relations between the two countries and would advance the long-standing relations between the countries in trade and investment. “This will create an opportunity to further bolster the cultural, historical, trade and investment ties between the two countries,” she said.

Ambassador Zevadia, who pointed out that Ethiopia is a strategic partner to Israel, revealed that the embassy here has been exerting efforts to make businesspersons in the agriculture, science and technology, health, flower, and other sectors invest in Ethiopia. She also recalled that there are over 140,000 Israelis of Ethiopian origin that follow and are pleased to see the day-to-day growth, peace and security of Ethiopia.

Noting that Ethiopia is on the rise, Netanyahu stressed that his country is ready to work with Ethiopia and the rest of Africa in his address to Ethiopia’s parliament. The Prime Minister also said his country is keen to cooperate with Ethiopia in a bid to equip Ethiopian farmers with necessary technology. As security remains to be a concern for both countries, Prime Minister Netanyahu said Ethiopia and Israel should work together to fight terrorism.

He said, "You in Ethiopia, you fought for your freedom for millennia. We respect you, we admire you. You resisted foreign rule and lived as a free independent homeland. We too live as a free independent homeland."

“Ethiopia is on the rise, Africa is on the rise, and the relationship between us is soaring to new heights,” Netanyahu said. “Ethiopia is moving in the right direction, and we will support it by enforcing its development projects,” he said.

The visit highlighted Ethiopia’s rising profile in the international arena due to its astonishing economic growth and her role as regional stabilizer. The visit came on the heels of Ethiopia being elected by the UN general assembly to take a seat at the Security Council.