Few days ago, the airways of radio and television stations and the front pages of newspapers at home and abroad had been awash with reports, highlighting Liberia’s expressed desire, determination, and resolve to renew diplomatic and other friendly ties with the Jewish State of Israel.
The reports were based on a visitation made by a high-powered Liberian government delegation, headed by the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Nathaniel Falo McGill, who is also the Chief of Office Staff for President George Manneh Weah to Jerusalem where members of the delegation met with, and held talks with Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, and other top Israeli officials.
Discussions involving the Liberian and Israeli officials centered on possible new areas of cooperation, including agriculture, security, tourism, education, medicine and information technology as both parties explored the establishment of Trade Mission by Liberia in Jerusalem in other to harness its business and trade links.
In line with the Mission of the Liberian delegation, Israel’s Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry, Retired Major General Yair Golan, told Minister McGill and members of his delegation that Israel wants to strengthen its relations with Liberia by pushing for Israeli Investments in the country.
General Golan described as “appropriate and welcoming” the decision of Liberia’s President, Dr. George Manneh Weah, to open a Trade and Commerce Mission in Jerusalem.
The retired General added, among others, that “Liberia and Israel can achieve a lot through this mechanism.”
Also during a meeting with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister, Idan Roll, officials of both governments examined ways in which the opening of the Liberian Trade and Business Mission in Jerusalem can be hastened, while also touting how such a mission will benefit their countries.
“We are happy that Liberia, one of Israel’s longtime friends, has come to reignite its friendship with us.
Since the lifting of travel restrictions due to COVID-19, you are among the first delegations to visit us in person, and this means a lot,” stressed the Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister.
Moreover, these sentiments were echoed at the Israeli-Africa Chambers of Commerce when the Liberian delegation met with some key and leading Israeli business tycoons to whom Liberia’s Minister of Commerce and Industries, Madam Mawine Diggs, gave a comprehensive presentation on the current state of the country’s trade and business sector, and the vast potential Liberia has for Israeli investments.
“Our aim of opening a Trade Mission here in Jerusalem is to introduce Liberia’s vast business prospects for Investments”, Minister Diggs informed the Israeli entrepreneurs.
She said this will allow Israel to take advantage of the “attractive potential in the areas of Agriculture, Mining, Iron Ore, Rubber and many others”.
In a reciprocal manner, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), of the Israel-Africa Chambers of Commerce, Dr. Ayala Wittner, welcoming the Liberian delegation to the Israel-Africa Chambers of Commerce expressed delight and satisfaction that the Liberian team had come to introduce Liberia’s business opportunities.
Dr. Wittner stressed a salient point that with the opening of a Trade Mission in Jerusalem, “Israel is coming back to Liberia and Liberia back to Israel. We are excited to build partnerships, share business and trade opportunities.”
Frankly, we, at THE INDEPENDENT, are thrilled and exhilarated by the demonstrated willingness, opened arms, and clear hearts and minds that the Government, and the good, industrious, and friendly people of the Jewish State of Israel have shown Liberia once again.
That the Israeli Government assured a high-level delegation from Liberia visiting that country of its commitment to foster diplomatic ties between the two nations, which will eventually lead to cooperation in many areas is, to say the least, heartwarming.
We say this simply because, despite some challenges and huddles that in yesteryears impacted Liberia and Israel’s relations, and to some extent, Israel’s relations with many African states, Jerusalem has indeed, proven to have a clear heart towards not only, the Republic of Liberia, but other African States and the Continent as a whole.
Taking a brief look into Israel’s diplomatic and other relations with the African continent, the Jewish nation, at one point, had relations with 46 African countries.
According to Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel’s ties with Sub-Saharan African countries date from the mid-1950s though first contacts with some of these countries had taken place even before Israel achieved independence in 1948.
In 1956, diplomatic relations were established with Ghana, followed by most countries south of the Sahara; by the early 1970s, Israel maintained full diplomatic relations with thirty-three countries in the region.
These ties were an expression of African affinity with Israel, itself a young state that had achieved independence in 1948 and was eager to share its experience and expertise with the newly independent African states.
Mutually beneficial economic ties were also developed, including many joint ventures. In 1958, then Israeli Foreign Minister, Golda Meir, sent Jewish technocrats to help newly independent African countries get on their feet.
In the late 1950s and 1960s, Israel also helped establish agricultural cooperatives, youth training programs, medical infrastructure and joint industrial enterprises in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and other sub-Saharan countries.
In the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War in 1973, followed by the global oil crisis, most of the Sub-Saharan countries severed diplomatic ties with Israel, due to two prime factors: promises of cheap oil and financial aid, and compliance with the erstwhile OAU (Organization of African Unity) now African Union (AU) resolution, sponsored by Egypt, that at the time, called for the severing of relations with Israel.
At the time, only Malawi, Lesotho and Swaziland maintained full diplomatic relations with Israel, while a few other countries sustained contact through interest offices in foreign embassies.
Commercial ties did, however, continue to some extent; African students participated in training courses in Israel; and Israeli experts were active throughout the continent.
Since the 1980s, however, we are aware that Israel’s diplomatic relations with Sub-Saharan countries have been gradually renewed, gaining momentum as peace negotiations between Israel and its Arab neighbors progressed.
By the late 1990s, official ties had been reestablished with forty countries south of the Sahara.
Today, Israel and the Sub-Saharan countries are engaged in an ongoing political dialogue, expressed in reciprocal visits by Heads of State and government ministers.
Furthermore, dynamic activities exist, including economic and commercial ties, cultural and academic contacts, and a variety of joint agricultural projects, medical assistance, professional training programs and humanitarian aid in times of need.
Israel, which was regularly invited as an observer at OAU meetings, has followed with interest the process of political and economic integration in Africa and the creation of the African Union (AU).
As an expression of friendship and solidarity, Israel has reiterated its commitment to work with the emerging institutions and organizations in Africa, adding another chapter to its unique relations with the continent.
For instance, in 2014, when the world experienced a terrible outbreak of the disease Ebola, which spread from Africa and killed over 10,000 people in 8 different countries in the span of less than 2 years, Israel played a pivotal and indelible role when it helped combat the spread of Ebola, by sending teams of medical professionals along with pop-up emergency clinics to the affected countries, as well as sterile inflatable tents manufactured by Israeli company SYS Technologies to assist with quarantine.
According to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, these special inflatable isolation tents were installed in countries hit hardest by the outbreak such as Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone and are extremely effective in isolating the patient and protecting their surroundings and the people around them from the disease.
It remains an incontestable fact that one of the main symptoms of Ebola is an elevated body temperature and fever, and as such, Israel, during the deadly EBOLA outbreak in West Africa, also provided African airports with infrared cameras to measure body heat of people travelling in and out of the country.
Moreover, it was reported in late December 2014 by UNICEF that Israel made per capita the greatest contributions to fight the 2014 outbreak of Ebola.
In total Israel pledged $8.75 million to fight the spread of Ebola during 2014’s epidemic and additionally sent many fully trained medical staff members and fully stocked mobile medical clinics to combat the lethal disease.
It is in this connection that, we, at THE INDEPENDENT, are happy that Israel, which largely established itself as one of Liberia’s trusted and reliable partners over the years has gladly accepted the renewal of diplomatic ties involving Liberia and Israel and strongly believe such renewed relations will, without any iota of doubts, be a ‘Magnet’ for a mutually rewarding & win-win benefits for Liberia and Israel.
