Israel and Africa, a thread.
Ghana was the first African country to recognize the statehood of Israel and became the gateway for Israel-Africa relations. At this time, Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, was extremely pro-Israel.
The Israeli water planning authority assisted with water infrastructure development. The Israeli construction firm Solel Boneh helped establish the Ghana National Construction Company, and a Ghanaian‒Israeli shipping company was established.
By 1963, Israel had 22 embassies in Africa. The only two countries that achieved independence at the time south of the Sahara and did not establish ties with it were Mauritania and Somalia.
Amid the Cold War, many independent African states saw Israel as a partner to learn and benefit from through its technical expertise in diverse fields.
However, by the mid-'60s, Egypt's Gamal Nasser also began a "competition for Africa." Nasser urged various African states to adopt a resolution, denouncing Israel as "an instrument of imperialism and neo-colonialism in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia."
Following the Yom Kippur War, several vital countries cut diplomatic relations with Israel and adopted a "pro-Palestinian" stance. Israel lost its status as an observer member of the African Union.
In the present day, however, poor relations between Israel and African nations are being reset, and a rapprochement is flourishing.
Julius Nyerere wrote to David Ben-Gurion in 1963. “It is in this spirit, we are working towards African Unity, and we have no desire to isolate ourselves from the rest of the world or build a hostile continent.”
This same spirit can flourish between Israelis and Palestinians.
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