Israel embarks on a diplomatic charm offensive: Kenneth Kgwadi
Key topics:
Israel strengthens ties with Zambia and DRC through historic presidential visits
Focus on agriculture, trade, security, and economic cooperation in Africa
African nations balance Israel relations while voicing Middle East concerns
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By Kenneth Kgwadi*
The State of Israel has this week embarked on a diplomatic charm offensive, with its President, Isaac Herzog, becoming the first leader to undertake a presidential visit to his Zambian counterpart, Hakainde Hichilema. It was a historic bilateral and diplomatic session that aimed at strengthening working relations between the two countries. For Israel in the post-conflict between Israel and Hamas, it is important to strengthen ties with countries around the world, especially in Africa.
Israel views Africa as a strategic partner in security, economy, trading, agriculture, and other spheres. It shares geographic and historic features with Africa. In 1958, Israel established formal diplomatic relations with Ghana under Kwame Nkrumah, which was in its early years of independence. Other African countries, such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Uganda, the Central African Republic (CAR), and Gambia, followed suit.
The relations between Israel and African countries have been, at times, defined and shaped by the Israel-Palestine conflict.
There has been a change in political and diplomatic posture towards Israel by African countries over the years. For example, in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, about 25 African countries severed ties with Israel. Despite criticism of Israel by some, the country has maintained working relations with more than 40 African countries. These relations are continuing to improve daily, as we have witnessed the opening of the embassy in Lusaka, Zambia, around August 2025.
President Herzog’s visit included stops in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), both members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The same regional bloc also includes South Africa — a country that has taken Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of committing genocide in Gaza. South Africa has failed to claim its seat in the international arena when a ceasefire was achieved between Israel and Hamas with the great influence of the United States, Egypt, and Qatar.
Like Israel, the DRC shares some commonalities with Israel, two nations that have experienced bloodshed over the years, and their priority has been to provide security to their people. The relationship between Israel and DRC is very important to unlock economic, trading, education and training, tourism, and agriculture opportunities, which will benefit the two nations.
During his visits to both DRC and Zambia, President Herzog emphasised the greater potential of these two countries and advised that they had to prioritise their domestic issues rather than obsessing about issues in the Middle East region, which will be resolved by those who reside there.
What can these two African countries benefit from the friendship with Israel? For starters, Africa has a greater agricultural potential than anywhere in the world. It also has human resources to work the same land. But Africa lacks the technical skills, agricultural technological equipment, as well as increased investments to exploit farming into an economic sector that could end poverty and offer employment opportunities to many unemployed young people. Israel and the Jewish people around the world have the know-how, the money, and the time to invest in the agricultural sector in those two African countries.
It is indeed true that the conflict between Israel and Palestine has, at times, placed Africa at a crossroads. While there has been longstanding support for the Palestinian cause, the Israeli technology, trade and investments, military and security cooperation, and humanitarian cooperation. This has played a central role in admitting or rejecting the Israeli Observer Status into the African Union (AU). The fact is that the majority of African states share diplomatic relations with Israel.
Unlike during the Yom Kippur War, when many African countries — under the influence of the Arab League — severed diplomatic ties with Israel, a different pattern has emerged since 2008. Instead of cutting relations, African states have opted to express their disapproval of Israel’s actions through multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, using these forums to register their concerns over developments in the Middle East.
The strengthening of ties between the DRC and Israel holds great potential for enhancing security and stability within the DRC and across its neighbouring states. Stability and peace are indispensable foundations for any form of sustainable economic prosperity. For the DRC to overcome poverty, unemployment, and the pervasive sense of insecurity, there must be a strong political will to resolve both internal and external conflicts. Israel’s involvement will not only draw on its close relationship with Rwanda to promote peace in the region but will also benefit from its extensive experience in building diplomatic relations from the ground up—even with former adversaries such as Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, and several other Arab nations that were once hostile to it following the establishment of the State of Israel.
These attempts by Israel to secure and strengthen its relations with Africa are not new; they date back to the formation of the State of Israel in the late 1940s. Their foreign policy position has not changed to date. They still view Africa as a strategic partner in global affairs. Having improved their relations, through the Abraham Accord, with some of their neighbours who used to be their adversaries, has not changed their view on Africa.
As they always say, Africa is the future. It is where every powerful country in the world wants to extend its relations, trade, and invest its money. Israel, with its technological expertise and kindness, should be given a chance to make their contributions where it can. Willing African countries should also be allowed to make their own contributions to Israel and the entire Middle East region for the betterment of the peaceful world.
*Kgwadi is a research fellow at the Middle East Africa Research Institute (MEARI). He holds a Master of Arts in African Studies from Ben Gurion University of the Negev (BGU).