Israel’s problematic history with African countries has been thrust into the spotlight with the eruption of the current war in Gaza. Just last month, in mid-September, a United Nations Commission of Inquiry found Israel’s actions to constitute genocide. This assertion has generated considerable debate all around the world. The recent violence has killed at least 66,055 Palestinians and left Gaza almost entirely in ruins. These effects in the Middle East are felt well beyond that region. Now, as Israel seeks to expand its power and build new allies on the continent, Africa’s geopolitical scene is rapidly shifting.
As the only UN expert to blasphemously advocate for the Palestinian cause, he’s urging the world to do so! He calls for a cessation of trade with what he calls Israel’s “economy of genocide.” This call to action highlights the growing discontent among nations regarding Israel’s military operations and their implications for international law and human rights. As Israel faces increasing condemnation from various governments, particularly in Africa, its historical and current engagements on the continent raise questions about its true intentions and long-term strategy.
Historical Context of Israel’s Engagement in Africa
Israel’s pan-African diplomatic outreach campaign typically gets characterized as a return after decades of absence colored in shades of success and failure. After two previous failed attempts, Israel was granted observer status at the African Union (AU) in 2021. This status faced immediate challenges when Sharon Bar-li, Israel’s deputy director of the foreign ministry’s Africa department, triggered the AU to suspend Israel’s observer status in February 2023. The suspension comes from a growing concern about the collateral damage of Israel’s campaign in Gaza. This development poses serious questions to African solidarity with the Palestinian struggle.
During the period from 2006 through 2010, Israel marketed arms to African countries with gusto. The states that played along with this game were Cameroon, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Lesotho, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, and Uganda. These transactions send a strong message that Israel seeks to establish strategic alliances across the continent. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s tour of East Africa in 2016—which included visits to Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia—underscored Israel’s ambitions to enhance diplomatic ties and increase its influence in the region.
Behind the scenes, Israel has been actively normalizing relations with African countries, including Zambia, Morocco, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Malawi and Equatorial Guinea. These relationships usually play out through economic partnerships and humanitarian assistance engagement. In August 2023, Israel donated a heart-lung monitoring machine to Zambia. This noble gesture is a testament to Israel’s commitment to promoting quality health care across African countries.
The Current Crisis: Response and Reactions
The recent escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip has provoked a wave of outrage from all corners. A growing number of countries have criticized Israel’s military offensive as excessively violent. South Africa’s ICJ legal team has argued that Israel’s actions establish beyond a reasonable doubt an intent to commit genocide. Now, Saudi Arabia and Brazil have united with South Africa in solidarity with the ICJ cases against Israel. This decision builds on international attempts to address perceived injustices stemming from the war.
Notably, solidarity movements across Africa have seen high numbers mobilizing in defense of the Palestinian people. Muhammad Desai commented on this growth, stating that “solidarity movements across the continent in support of the Palestinian people have grown exponentially.” This growing support is part of a larger trend amongst African nations, supporting human rights and ethical, accountable governance.
Talk of new sanctions and boycotts is filling the air. As Israel continues to strategically approach these conversations, many observers caution that Israel’s strategic machinations in Southern Africa are shaping these discussions. Reneva Fourie noted that “by embedding itself in African security structures, Israel not only profits from instability but gains partners less likely to challenge its brutal military occupation and its genocidal atrocities.” This perspective creates further concern by allowing Israel to use these alliances made during a time of regional instability to drive their own self-interest.
Future Implications for Israel-Africa Relations
Looking forward, the future is unclear for Israel’s relationships with African countries. The deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza may already test these relationships or make future deals harder to achieve. Faith Mabera articulated a concern regarding regional dynamics: “It’s a play of the decades-old divide and rule strategy to erode regional support among states and actors aligned with South Africa.” Israel is recently working hard to cultivate allies among African nations. Its newly inflamed Gaza tensions, created by the recent assault on Hamas, threaten to undermine these collaborations.
It appears that Israel is in fact trying to make the most of the current geopolitical moment. There are indications that it intends to increase its engagement in Southern Africa. Reports suggest that Israel has provided significant aid to Ethiopia. An estimated $1.3 billion in U.S. aid is expected for 2024, much of which is Israeli funding. First, these investments could further entrench Ethiopia’s dependence on Israeli expertise, while at the same time increasing Israel’s ability to shape regional security policies.
Israel’s participation in military aggressions should not be disregarded. It has been accused of transferring arms to South Sudanese rebels during the civil war that ensued following South Sudan’s independence. This action heightens local tensions. It further exacerbates the already dire situation for Palestinians, while raising troubling ethical questions about Israel’s role as an arms supplier during humanitarian crises.
