African and Israeli leaders, diplomats, investors, business representatives and institutional figures will gather on Nov. 12 at the Yitzhak Rabin Center in Tel Aviv for the Africa-Israel Economic Forum.
The event comes at an important moment for Israel’s relationship with the African continent. Beyond immediate business opportunities, it offers a chance to renew a historic relationship and build a broader partnership connecting Israel, Jewish communities worldwide and African countries.
For Israel, engagement with Africa should be more than an exercise in diplomacy or a search for new markets. It should be a long-term strategic commitment involving government institutions, businesses, universities, social services, philanthropists and Jewish communities.
Each has a different role, and together they can build relationships that are economically valuable, politically meaningful and institutionally sustainable.
Jewish communities worldwide can play an important role in expanding this engagement beyond official diplomatic channels. Through philanthropic foundations, business networks, universities, research institutions and established relationships with African societies, they can help connect Israeli expertise and investment with African priorities.
Jewish organizations can support educational exchanges, healthcare initiatives, agricultural development and institutional partnerships, while Jewish business leaders can help create commercial connections and attract investment. These efforts can complement Israel’s diplomatic engagement while creating independent institutional and professional relationships that endure beyond political changes and individual government initiatives.
Israel’s early engagement with Africa was among its most ambitious foreign-policy initiatives. During the 1950s and 1960s, Jerusalem established diplomatic relations with numerous newly independent African states and developed extensive cooperation in agriculture, water management, education, public health and technical training. Through institutions such as MASHAV, Israel shared practical expertise with countries seeking to develop their economies and strengthen their public institutions.
In the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, however, most African countries severed diplomatic relations with Israel amid pressure from Arab states and changing geopolitical calculations. Although relations were gradually restored over subsequent decades, Israel never fully recovered the breadth and ambition of its earlier engagement.
Circumstances today are different. Africa has become increasingly important in global competition over natural resources, infrastructure, technology, trade routes and political influence.
Africa is not a single political or economic bloc. Its 54 countries have different interests, political systems, economic priorities and international relationships. Yet the continent’s collective importance is difficult to ignore.
Israel’s early engagement with Africa demonstrated what a focused national initiative could achieve.
African states have a significant voice in international institutions, including the United Nations, and their positions increasingly matter in debates over global security, trade, development and international governance.
Israel should approach this reality with greater ambition. It cannot afford to engage with Africa only when it needs diplomatic support or when a security crisis demands attention. It needs a consistent presence built on practical cooperation and relationships that extend across political and economic sectors.
The continent is also central to competition over critical minerals, energy, agricultural production and strategic infrastructure.
Global powers are investing in ports, railways, roads, telecommunications, energy systems and mining operations. China has established a substantial economic presence, while the United States, European countries, Turkey, Iran and Gulf states are pursuing their own political, commercial and security interests.
These developments have direct implications for Israel. The Red Sea and the Horn of Africa are particularly important to Israeli security and maritime interests, but Israel’s strategic engagement must extend across the continent.
Israel has capabilities that can contribute to African priorities, particularly in water technology, agriculture, healthcare, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and energy.
The Africa-Israel Economic Forum’s agenda reflects the range of opportunities available. Discussions on critical minerals, strategic infrastructure, financing, artificial intelligence, data centers, water, agriculture, aviation and security demonstrate that cooperation can extend well beyond traditional trade.
But bringing investors and officials into the same room is only the beginning.
Projects require financing, reliable institutions, local partnerships and a clear understanding of the political and economic environment. Commercial agreements must translate into sustainable results for the countries and communities involved.
The Africa-Israel Economic Forum is a landmark initiative and a significant step toward renewing Israel’s engagement with Africa. Special recognition is due to Haim Taib, founder and president of the Institute for Israel-Africa Relations, and to the Institute and its partner VALOP Group for bringing African and Israeli stakeholders together around an agenda of economic cooperation, investment and institutional engagement.
The forum should be seen not as an isolated event, but rather as part of a broader effort to restore Israel’s engagement with Africa. Its success will ultimately be measured not by the number of participants or speeches delivered in Tel Aviv, but by the partnerships, investments, institutional connections and lasting relationships that follow.
Israel’s early engagement with Africa demonstrated what a focused national initiative could achieve.
Today, Israel, Jewish communities worldwide and African partners can build something broader: a relationship grounded in shared interests, practical cooperation and mutual respect.
The challenge is to turn this ambition into a sustained partnership that restores Africa’s place in Israel’s international engagement.
