Israeli-Benin relations are bilateral international historical and real diplomatic, political, economic, military, cultural and other relations between Benin and Israel .
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At present, official diplomatic relations have been established between the countries. Israel is represented in Benin by a non-resident ambassador who works in Abidjan , the capital of Côte d'Ivoire . [one]
History
Relations between the two countries were established shortly after the independence of Benin in August 1960. In those years, Israeli military instructors and development advisers worked in Benin (as well as in some other African countries). [2] However, under pressure from African Muslim countries, communications were broken in 1969 at the initiative of the Benin government. [3] Relations were restored in July 1992. [one]
In 2007, Benin was one of four African countries (also Liberia, Rwanda and Burundi) with which Israel signed an agreement on economic cooperation. In addition, the countries agreed on cooperation in the field of communications, water, electricity, road construction and development. Some of the projects were funded by the UN and the World Bank.
In 2008, Benin was one of the countries with which Ehud Olmert’s cabinet and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni were in talks to accept illegal African migrants from Israel. [four]
In December 2008, the Israeli ambassador to the UN, Gabriela Shalev, signed an agreement with the UN Development Program. Under this agreement, Israel will assist Benin and Senegal : water management technologies developed in the Jewish state will help developing African countries fight hunger. In addition, assistance will be provided in agriculture, food supply, health care and education. [five]
From December 16 to 22, 2010, a delegation of 8 people from Benin visited Israel (together with the official representatives of Ghana ). Among the members of the delegation were the Minister of Health of Ghana, the Israeli consul in Benin, as well as the leaders of the Christian and Muslim communities of both countries. [6]
In December 2016, the first agricultural summit was held in Jerusalem with the participation of 7 foreign ministers and several senior officials of African states. The Benin delegation also attended the summit. During the conference, led by Israeli Minister of Agriculture Uri Ariel, Africans studied the experience of Israeli farmers, especially about working in arid conditions. [7]
In 2017, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was invited to the ECOWAS Africa Summit. Then the leaders of Benin, along with the presidents of Nigeria , Niger and the king of Morocco did not come to the summit. [8] [9]
In December 2017, a parliamentary group from Benin visited Israel and its representative spoke in the Knesset . This is the first ever visit by the head of the Benin parliament to Israel. [10] At a bilateral meeting, issues of political and economic cooperation were discussed. [eleven]
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/AboutTheMinistry/Pages/Israel-s%20Diplomatic%20Missions%20Abroad.aspx Israel's Diplomatic Missions Abroad: Status of relations
- ↑ Dominik Peters. Netanyahus Flüchtlingsdeal , Der Spiegel
- ↑ Oded, Arye. “African Islam and its attitudes towards Israel and Judaism”, Muslim attitudes to Jews and Israel: the ambivalences of rejection, antagonism, tolerance and cooperation, ed. Moshe Ma'oz, Sussex Academic Press, 2010
- ↑ Olmert and Livni offered African countries up to $ 1,500 for each refugee accepted
- ↑ Yitzhak Benhorin. Israel to aid developing countries , Ynet
- ↑ Jeremy Jordan. Leaders from Benin and Ghana Visit Israel and Palestine Archived December 8, 2017 at Wayback Machine , UPF
- ↑ African ministers in Israel for first-ever agricultural summit , The Times of Israel
- ↑ Yotam Gidron. Call it a comeback: Israel's grand "return" to Africa , African Arguments
- ↑ Bola A. Akinterinwa. 51st ECOWAS Summit of Heads of State: Beyond Israel's Carrot and Stick and Morocco's Membership Virus , This Day
- ↑ During Africa Visit, Netanyahu Announces Israel to Open Embassy in Rwanda , Breaking Israel News
- ↑ Amihai Attali. African parliament speakers to visit Knesset Tuesday , Ynet