Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
JNS
Thirty-five African lawmakers recently gathered in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, in a show of support for the State of Israel. The inaugural Africa-Israel Parliamentary Summit, which wasa ttended by legislators from some 25 African nations and Israel, came amid heightened international criticism of the Jewish state during the 11-month-old war against Hamas in Gaza and a diplomatic push to bring more African countries’ embassies to Jerusalem.
Benefits
“We are gathered to build on the Abraham Accords, and as children of Abraham pursue peace, progress and prosperity,” said Erik Selle, founder of the African-Israel initiative and leader of the Conservative Party in Norway, in a statement sent to JNS.
“As African economies are growing, a mutual prosperous relationship between emerging nations and the Start-Up Nation of Israel will be significant for the people of Africa,” he continued.
The landmark two-day event was held amid a diplomatic tug of war in Africa between supporters and opponents of Israel. South Africa has emerged as one of the fiercest critics of the Jewish state worldwide, having taken Israel to the U.N.’s International Court of Justice on charges of genocide.
Standing Against Hate
“Less than 80 years after the State of Israel was founded, its existence is not only threatened by hostile states and non-state actors on the ground but also by way of lawfare in the political realms and its institutions,” noted Pieter Hoogendoorn, chairman of The Hague Initiative for International Cooperation.
“The purveyors of hate, jihadism and anti-Semitism have no moral standing and nations most stand against this demonic posture,” said Bishop Dennis Nthumbi, Africa director of the Israel Allies Foundation.
The African lawmakers attending the event came from Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Many of the legislators at the conference were members of the Israel Allies Caucuses in their respective parliaments, actively championing pro-Israel legislation through faith-based diplomacy.
“Both Israel and Africa are experiencing firsthand the rise of Islamic extremism, and the struggle against it needs to be a joint one,” MK Sharren Haskel, who is co-chairperson of the Knesset’s Christian Allies Caucus, told JNS from Ethiopia. “There are both ways and means to strengthen the cooperation between countries on our two continents which share a destiny partnership.”
“In these challenging times, as we confront a barbaric enemy threatening freedom worldwide, the Pan Africa-Israel Parliamentary Summit symbolizes unity rooted in biblical values,” said MK Amit Halevi in a written statement. “The strategic partnership between Africa and Israel is crucial amid war and instability, underscoring the need to stand together for justice, peace, and strengthened security and friendship between our nations.”
Last year, representatives of 30 African and Arab countries convened in Jerusalem for the first ever Arab-Africa-Israel conference.
“The relationship between Africa and Israel is getting stronger every day thanks to men and women of faith who are taking their biblical support for Israel and turning it into real political action,” said Josh Reinstein, president of the Israel Allies Foundation.
