Ethiopia considered potential member of Israels hexagon security alliance

Israeli President Herzog Arrives in Ethiopia for Official Visit

Israeli President Isaac Herzog arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday, marking a rare visit to the East African country. The trip comes days after high-level delegations from Turkey and Saudi Arabia also visited Addis Ababa.

Herzog’s visit is part of Israel’s ongoing charm offensive in Africa, which began during the 2008-2009 Gaza conflict. The country has been strengthening its ties with African nations, despite facing criticism from some countries over its actions in the Middle East.

During his visit, Herzog met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and discussed ways to improve collaboration between the two countries on areas of mutual interest. However, details of their talks were not made public.

Ethiopia and Israel have a long history of relations, dating back to the shared experiences of Ethiopian Jews who emigrated to Israel in the 1970s and 1980s. The country has maintained friendly ties with Ethiopia due in part to its strong connections to the Beta Israel community, or Ethiopian Jews.

In recent years, Ethiopia has received high-level delegations from Turkey and Saudi Arabia, sparking speculation about the motivations behind Herzog’s visit. Analysts have questioned whether Israel can secure enough influence over African nations to form formal security pacts.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently proposed forming a network of allied nations in the Middle East and Africa to counter “radical” adversaries. The proposed alliance includes countries such as India, Greece, and Cyprus, although it is unclear which specific nations will be included.

Source: Al Jazeera