For years, Israel has continued to extend its political, economic, military and security arms in the African continent;
This revealed the roles of money and the economy in this penetration, the military and intelligence harvest, and the attempt to gain a foothold in the regional and global competition on this continent.
In this report, we try, by asking and answering frequently asked questions on this topic, to shed light on the Israeli penetration of the continent of Africa, which has historically been known for its support for the Palestinian cause, and to explain Israel's goals from the accelerated incursion into it.
When did the Israeli penetration of Africa begin?
The Israeli penetration of Africa began in recent years after more than 4 decades of estrangement with it, following the October 1973 war, when many Israeli embassies in other African countries were closed, and recent years have witnessed an increase in African convictions that Israel made a strategic decision to increase its presence. On the continent, and developing its relations with its countries, Netanyahu's four visits since July 2016 to the continent constituted a more than clear translation of this decision.
Of the 54 countries that make up the African continent, Israel has diplomatic relations with 40 countries, and there are 10 Israeli embassies operating in it.
They are South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Cameroon, Angola, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Senegal, and in the rest of the countries there are Israeli ambassadors who are not permanently resident there, while 15 African countries have permanent embassies in Israel.
Behind this growing Israeli penetration into the African continent is a slogan announced by Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the Israeli government, which reads: "Israel returns to Africa, and Africa returns to Israel."
What are the most important Israeli ambitions in Africa?
With the gradual growth of the Israeli penetration in Africa, a number of interests and ambitions that Israel seeks to achieve emerge, the most important of which are:
Increasing relations and coordination with African countries in the areas of security, war against armed groups, building infrastructure, and using natural resources and technology.
Providing assistance in the fields of technology, cyberspace, agricultural development and water desalination, and the inauguration of a direct aviation route between African countries and Israel to bring closer relations between them.
Reducing travel hours from Israel to Latin America, and saving financial expenses, by taking advantage of the Sudanese airspace.
Helping African countries pave their way for the United States, and "open its gate" in front of it.
Where does the diplomatic aspect lie in the Israeli penetration of Africa?
Israel hopes from the African bloc in the United Nations and its international agencies that it may vote in a way that prevents hostile decisions being taken, even though African countries have been voting as a single bloc;
However, Tel Aviv notes the existence of gradual cracks in its positions, and each country is taking individual positions.
Among the 1,400 international votes on the Arab-Israeli conflict since 1990, African countries voted in favor of Israel in very few of them. Therefore, the latter seeks to win over the African vote on its side, and its highest aspiration is that the 54 African countries vote in its favor, and the lowest is to abstain from voting against it.
Which will improve the status of Israel internationally.
Since 2002, Israel has also sought to obtain the status of an "observer state" in the African Union, and to participate in its periodic summits.
But one of the main obstacles standing in its way is the position of South Africa, which stands in the way of any Israeli accession to the institutions of the union, due to its adoption of the Palestinian narrative, its support for the "global boycott movement" (BDS), and the preservation of its memory of the strategic alliance between Israel and the apartheid regime in the south. Africa.
Celebrating the launch of the Israeli-African lobby in the Israeli Knesset in 2016, which brought together Netanyahu and the ambassadors of African countries (Al Jazeera)
How big is the security coordination and Israeli-African military cooperation?
Within the indications of the warmth of Israeli-African relations, the Israeli army has returned to training a number of the armies of the continent, and its military delegations began to travel to a number of countries on the continent to conduct training for their local armies, wishing to obtain their combat experience.
Among the most important African countries that use Israel militarily: Ethiopia, Kenya, Angola, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Zambia, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Niger, and the Israeli army calls it "military diplomacy", which includes joint training and the appointment of two military attachés In the countries of the continent, the most prominent of them is Abiezer Segal, who said that "one of the worrisome things is the emergence of Israel supporting African dictatorial regimes that oppress their people."
What are the Israeli economic gains from penetrating Africa?
The Israeli Ministry of Economy revealed that $ 700 million awaits its relevant companies to expand their exports in Africa;
Because it is going to take advantage of the opportunities available there in light of the enormous capabilities and capabilities that the continent possesses.
Israel hopes that its economic orientation towards Africa will have effects and repercussions on the growth of its economy and increasing job opportunities there, even though the Israeli-African balance of power reaches one billion dollars annually, one third of the amount with South Africa, especially in the jewelry sector.
In terms of figures, Israeli investment and exports are distributed in African countries as follows: Kenya $ 150 million, Nigeria $ 105 million, Uganda $ 70 million, Ethiopia $ 33 million, Cameron $ 60 million.
In light of the existing strategy to strengthen Israel's relations with Africa, it is working in several areas and through several channels to assist Israeli exporters to penetrate the continent's markets by appointing new commercial delegates in several countries.
Including Ghana, Nairobi and Kenya.
Israel has also signed an agreement with the "Power Africa" organization of the "USAID" agency specialized in establishing energy projects in the African continent.
Netanyahu's four visits to Africa in 5 years are an indication of the extent of Israel's penetration in the continent (Al-Jazeera)
How big is the Israeli involvement in the African civil wars?
From time to time, Israeli confessions are issued about its involvement in arms sales and training of fighters in the countries of the African continent mired in civil wars, claiming that these military deals provide Israel with a great economic and financial source, and achieve security interests in Africa.
And Israel has become one of the top ten countries in the world to sell arms, including a list of African countries that witness mass killings and crimes against civilians.
The value of the Israeli arms, which reached the African countries more than $ 163 million, increased by 2.5% of the total Israeli military exports to the world, as the main component of the weapons of some African armies is of Israeli production.
In its breakthroughs, Israel focuses on 6 African countries, namely: Togo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Cameroon and the Congo;
But Rwanda is gaining more contacts with it, and their relationship is taking an ever-increasing toll.
Israel is also conducting contacts with Western countries to market dictatorial regimes in the African continent, through the International Cooperation Department of its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and public relations companies.
Where is Africa located in the process of normalization with Israel?
The Arab and Islamic countries in the African continent have taken their share of the Israeli normalization process, on top of which is Chad, with which Israeli diplomatic relations have been resumed, passing through Morocco, and ending with Sudan, whose citizens have not yet forgotten the Israeli weapons, which the rebels in the Darfur region used in carrying out many massacres and massacres. .
Israel hopes that its normalization with African countries will distance it from the circle of "enemy states", and reduce its sympathy with the Palestinian cause, and its unwillingness to enter into diplomatic and political battles. In its normalization process with Arab and Islamic African countries, Israel relies on those it considers its "friends" there, for example. South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria.
How can Sudan be considered a model for African normalization with Israel?
Israeli normalization with Sudan constitutes a case study, to talk about its effects and its contribution to tightening the Israeli grip on the African continent, the most important of which are:
Economically: Sudan will be a developed market for Israeli goods.
Strategically: Israel will be granted a long strip on the Red Sea, thanks to its relations with Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt.
The Israeli presence will clearly expand in the troubled region, which includes Egypt, Chad and South Sudan.
Repatriation of Sudanese refugees infiltrated to Israel to their country.
Allowing Israeli flights from central Africa, and shortening the trip to South America by two full hours. The year 2020 witnessed the passage of an "El Al" plane over Sudanese airspace.
A symbolic victory was achieved for Israel, as normalization took place with Khartoum, which had the "Three No's" after the 1967 war.
Turning the page on the Sudanese-Israeli hostility, which lasted for decades, Sudan fought with Israel alongside several Arab countries, and helped transport arms shipments to Hamas in Gaza, while Israel trained the separatist forces in its south.