Israeli-Ugandan relations

In 1903, the British Ugandan program proposed Uganda as a country to create a Jewish state ( Eng. ). ^{[1] [2]}

Abouduyayah ( Eng. ) - An analogue of the Children of Israel - the community of Baganda in eastern Uganda near the town of Mbala , who practice Judaism . Although they are not genetically or historically related to ethnic Jews, they are devout in their religious practices, observe their version of kashrut and Shabbat . There are several different villages where Ugandan Jews live. Most of them are recognized by the reformist and conservative Judaism. Despite this, the inhabitants of Putti ( Eng. ) Are still looking for an Orthodox conversion and are practicing strict Talmudic Judaism . ^[3] The population is estimated at about 1,100, with a maximum of 3,000 registered (before the persecution of the Idi Amin regime); as their neighbors, they make a living by farming. Most Abouduyas come from Gwere , except for those from Namutumba - they come from Busog . They speak Luganda , Soga or Gwere, although some also learned Hebrew .

In 2016, the Jewish agency Sohnut recognized the Abaduyayya community (also: Ugandan heras) as Jewish, but the Israeli Interior Ministry considers it to be a “community developing in the“ Jewish direction ”.” For this reason, in June 2018, one of the community representatives was denied repatriation to Israel in accordance with the Law of Return, which gave rise to numerous disputes and debates in the Jewish state, including discussions of this problem at parliamentary and ministerial levels. For example, the chief rabbinate of Israel does not recognize this community, since its transition to Judaism began at the beginning of the 20th century under the patronage of the American rabbis of the conservative direction. ^[four]

Under Milton Obot, Uganda helped Israel support the rebels in South Sudan during their long war with the north. At some point, Obote wanted to conclude a peace treaty with the Khartoum government and broke off support for the rebels. When Idi Amin dropped Obote in 1971, he resumed support for the rebels and continued military cooperation with Israel. ^[five]

Amin visited Israel in 1971; Defense Minister Moshe Dayan raised a toast to his health. ^{[6] The} Israelis were responsible for the supply and training of most of the Ugandan army, as well as some construction projects in the country. In February 1972, Amin suddenly decided to visit Libya (traveling on an Israeli plane) and met there with the leader, Colonel Gaddafi. ^[7] After this visit, Amin took a vertically anti-Israeli stance.

By March 1972, Amin ordered all Israelis to leave Uganda. One of the reports said that Amin was furious after Israel’s refusal to supply aircraft to Uganda for war with neighboring Tanzania. ^[8] Amin became a blatant critic of Israel. ^[9] By the end of the month, all Israelis left the country, including those who exported valuable construction equipment across the border to neighboring Kenya. ^[ten]

Operation Entebbe is a counter-terrorist mission to rescue hostages conducted by IDF forces at Entebbe airport in Uganda on the night of July 3 and in the early morning hours of July 4, 1976. ^[11] Following the seizure of the passengers' hostages by the Air France flight 139, the abductors threatened to kill the hostages if their demands for the release of the prisoners were not met. As a result of the operation, all the hostages taken were released. ^[12] These plans implied the possibility of armed resistance to the Ugandan military. ^[13] The operation was originally codenamed Operation Lightning Strike, later renamed Operation Jonathan in memory of Sayeret Matkal, commander Lt. Col. Jonathan Netanyahu , who was killed by a Ugandan sniper. ^[14] Three hostages, 7 terrorists and 45 Ugandan soldiers died. In addition to the death of Netanyahu, 5 Israeli commanders were injured. ^{[15] The} fourth hostage was killed by officers of the Ugandan army in a nearby hospital. ^[sixteen]

In a joint Israeli-Ugandan project, a professor at the Agricultural Faculty of Hebrew University conducted a study of Lake Victoria with a Ugandan colleague from Makerere University . They discovered that the Nile perch , introduced by the British 60 years ago, destroyed the original fish populations in the lake. This led to a deterioration in the nutrition of people who live on the lake. ^[17] She helped establish artificial fish ponds and raise carp , which disappeared from the diet of local residents. The US Agency for International Development sponsored a dam digging and sent villagers to the kibbutz HaMa'apil in Emek Hefer to learn how to use spawning in artificial conditions. Graduates of the curriculum founded carp farms in Uganda. ^[17]

In 2016, an Israeli company was selected to develop a state master plan for the development of Uganda. The plan is based on the Israeli National Outline Plan ( National Outline Plan ), which was called National Outline Plan 35 (National Support Plan 35). ^[18]

On November 28, 2017, Netanyahu visited Kenya to attend the inauguration ceremony of re-elected President Uhuru Kenyatta. During his visit to Kenya, Netanyahu met with the President of Uganda and discussed the development of bilateral relations. ^[nineteen]

Ugandan President Museveni, Yoweri Kaguta has visited Israel twice since taking office in 1985. In 2003, he met with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss military cooperation between the two countries in the first place. In 2011, Museveni again visited Israel. His visit was made possible by the former retiree minister and the head of the Mossad, who became an international businessman, Rafi Eitan . Eitan has several investments in Uganda, including a livestock farm. Eitan and Museveni are close friends. ^[20]

At the beginning of December 2017, a parliamentary group arrived at Israel at the invitation of Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein to Israel at the inter-parliamentary summit. African politicians will meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Rivlin , in addition they will visit Israeli companies operating in the field of information security and agriculture. ^[21]