Idriss Déby

Under Déby, Chad restored official diplomatic ties with Israel in 2019, paving the way for other Muslim nations to normalize ties • Netanyahu: “We will miss his bold leadership.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a historic visit to Chad, a Muslim-majority country, earlier this year where he announced the re-establishment of ties.

An attack by an Islamic terror group killed 10 U.N. peacekeepers from Chad and wounded at least 25 others in Mali on Sunday in what the attackers said was a response to Chadian President Idriss Déby’s renewed diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.

“Chad is a very important country, and very important for Israel,” Netanyahu said during a joint appearance with Chadian President Idriss Déby at the presidential palace in N’Djamena.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made a concentrated effort to develop relations with African countries, including making contact with the leaders of Somalia and Mali.

Sec.-Gen. of Chad’s ruling Party Mahamat Zene Bada defends President Déby’s “courageous” visit to Israel: “We can benefit from learning from Israel; it is a normal thing to do.”

“We discussed the great changes that are taking place in the Arab ‎world in its relations with Israel,” said the Israeli prime minister.

On a first-ever visit, Chadian President Idriss Déby stresses that the move to renew diplomatic ties with Jerusalem in coming weeks does not mean country will ignore the Palestinian cause.

“I warmly welcome this promising development of improved ties between the Republic of Chad and Israel,” said WJC CEO Robert Singer. “This is further evidence of the positive role Israel is playing in Africa, including with Muslim-majority countries, with cooperation possible in a number of areas from technology to security.”