Africa is Divided by the Israel-Gaza War.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has created divisions in Africa regarding support for Palestine. While some African governments expressed solidarity with the Palestinians, others aligned themselves with Israel. This reflects the complex relationships that African countries maintain with the parties involved.

As relations between Israel and African nations have evolved over time, it has become evident that historical ties, economic interests and external influences play a crucial role in shaping the positions of African countries.

This ever-changing dynamic between Africa and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has divided the continent in support of Palestine and Israel and the reasons behind these choices and the implications of this division are several.

Historic context

Following the independence of many African countries from European colonial rule in the 1960s, most of these nations demonstrated support for the Palestinian cause due to the Palestinians' struggle for self-determination and the stripping of their lands in 1948.

However, over the years, the situation has changed. Israel has expanded its relations with African countries, offering advanced technology, military assistance and aid. Israeli agriculture has become particularly attractive to African nations facing climate and food security challenges.

Despite the history of support for Palestine, relations between Israel and African countries have strengthened. Normalization agreements have been reached with nations such as Chad, Morocco and Sudan. South Africa, although an outspoken critic of Israel, is also an important trading partner in Africa.

However, diplomatic support for Palestine does not necessarily reflect the entirety of relations between African countries and Israel. Furthermore, civil society in some countries, such as South Africa, is pushing for a clearer stance in favor of Palestine, which could affect trade relations.

Africa and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Following the divisions in Africa regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it is important to analyze the specific positions of some African countries. Some governments have expressed support for Israel, while others have shown solidarity with Palestine.

Israel supporters

Kenya: Kenyan President William Ruto has expressed explicit support for Israel, condemning terrorism and attacks on innocent civilians.

Zambia: The Zambian government has also aligned itself with Israel's position.

Ghana: Ghana is another African country that has shown support for Israel.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): The DR Congo government also counts itself among Israel's supporters.

Palestine supporters

South Africa: Post-apartheid South Africa is one of the staunchest supporters of Palestine on the continent. South African leaders, including Nelson Mandela, drew parallels between the struggle of black South Africans against white rule and the struggle of Palestinians against Israeli occupation.

Algeria: Algeria declared “full solidarity with Palestine” at the beginning of the war.

African Union Commission: Despite expressing concern about violence, the AU Commission blamed “denial of fundamental rights of Palestinians” and called for a two-state solution.

Compartmentalization

The divisions in Africa reflect each government's attempt to reconcile its interests, taking into account both historical ties with the Palestinian movement and the advantages of cooperation with Israel. The relationship between Africa and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is constantly evolving, influencing the direction the continent will take if the conflict persists in the future.

Israel's Influence in Africa

Israel's influence in Africa has increased significantly in recent decades, affecting diplomatic, commercial and security relations and the manifestation of this influence has a strong impact on the African continent.

After the 1973 October War, most African countries cut ties with Israel. However, the situation has changed drastically in recent decades. Currently, 44 of the 54 African countries recognize the State of Israel and almost 30 of them have opened embassies or consulates in Tel Aviv.

One of the reasons for this change is Israel's recognized knowledge in the area of ​​agriculture. This is particularly attractive for African countries facing agricultural challenges such as droughts, floods and climate change. Israel's high-tech agriculture could be a solution for many African countries struggling with food insecurity.

In addition to agriculture, commercial interests and security also play a role in Israel's growing influence in Africa.

South Africa, despite being one of Israel's most ardent critics on the continent, is Israel's largest trading partner in Africa. In 2021, trade between Israel and sub-Saharan African countries exceeded $750 million. Israel exports machinery, electronics and chemical products to the continent. But South Africa also maintains trade relations with Palestine.

Israel also invested in humanitarian aid in African countries. For decades, it provided aid to Ethiopia and facilitated the migration of thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel. Israel's international aid agency, Mashav, provided agricultural and medical training to Kenyan students and Senegalese businesspeople.

The Agreements

The Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel in 1978 marked a turning point, with a major Arab country signing a peace agreement with Israel. This influenced many African nations to reconsider their position towards Israel.

The 1993 Oslo Accords and later normalization agreements with Chad, Morocco and Sudan also strengthened relations between Israel and African nations.

Africa and Different Points of View

The Israeli-Palestinian issue is complex and polarizing. African governments have adopted various approaches to this conflict, reflecting divisions within the continent. Let's explore these different approaches.

Some African countries, such as Nigeria, South Africa and Ethiopia, support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in which Israel and a Palestinian state would coexist side by side.

These countries defend Israel's right to security and the Palestinian people's right to self-determination. They often call for an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Other African countries, such as Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, maintain friendlier relations with Israel and may see economic benefits from their cooperation. Additionally, Israel has offered assistance in areas such as agriculture, security, technology and health, which may influence these nations to align more with Israeli interests.

Arab and Muslim African countries, such as Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, tend to support the Palestinians due to historical, cultural and religious links with the Arab world. The Organization of African Unity (OAU), predecessor of the African Union (AU), has historically supported the Palestinian cause.

Many African governments adopt a pragmatic and balanced approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They may maintain diplomatic relations with both sides and seek to play a mediating role. This is particularly evident in nations that pursue third-way diplomacy, trying to balance the interests of Israel, the Palestinians and other international actors.

Challenges and Complexities

Each African government's approach depends on a range of factors, including political, economic and regional considerations. Furthermore, public opinion plays an important role. Opinions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be deeply polarized in many African countries.

African governments also consider their international relations when addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They can seek to maintain good relations both with the United States, which has historically supported Israel, and with Arab nations that defend the Palestinian cause.

The Current Panorama

Given Israel's changing diplomatic position and weakening support for Palestine across Africa, Israel could hope to easily gain the support of African governments amid its ongoing conflict with Hamas, especially in international forums such as the United Nations. However, there are no guarantees that this is the case.

Despite bilateral relations with Israel, African governments are unlikely to look kindly on Israel's conduct in this war, including the incessant bombings of Gaza that have resulted in the deaths of more than 8.000 Palestinians, including more than 3.500 children, and calls for the forced displacement of people from northern Gaza to the Sinai Peninsula.

The tactics employed by Israel, including the bombing of a United Nations-run hospital and school in a refugee camp in Gaza as well as a mosque in the West Bank, and the ridiculous restrictions on water, fuel, electricity and incoming humanitarian aid in Gaza, has not been viewed favorably.

Even because these actions are considered by many international observers, including the Secretary General of the ONU, António Guterres, as violations of international humanitarian laws and have been compared to the behavior of the Nazis in the Second World War.

These tactics were widely condemned, including by regional states with good relations with Israel, such as Jordan and Egypt, even as Western governments avoided explicitly criticizing Israel for its indiscriminate bombings, leading governments such as Turkey to accuse the Israelis of being terrorists and of genocides.

Africa's position

African governments remember very well the relentless pressure they faced from the United States of America (USA) and its European allies to vehemently condemn Russia for the invasion of Ukraine. They also remember the West's support for the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

They might reasonably question why Western powers have not applied the same standards to Israel. Regardless of the nature of relations between African countries and Israel, many of their governments are sympathetic to Palestinian feelings that Western powers are not the right mediators in the conflict.

The US, in particular, is far from being an honest mediator, but rather a partisan with its thumb on the scale already tipped in favor of Israel. For many African countries, the West can claim to support a rules-based order or claim unwavering support for Israel, but not both.

Given the difficulty that Western powers have faced in seeking support from African governments for Ukraine amid its war against Russia, the decision by Washington and its European allies to link this conflict to the latest hostilities between Israel and Palestine is unlikely to increase diplomatic support for Israel among African governments.

On the contrary, the criticisms of the liberal international order made by African governments in relation to the war in Ukraine apply almost entirely to the conditions surrounding Israel's ongoing war with Hamas.

Conclusion

As the Israeli-Palestinian conflict persists, relations between Africa and Israel will continue to evolve, shaping the continent's future direction in relation to its support. The approach of African governments varies widely and is shaped by a number of complex factors.

The complexity of relations between Africa, Israel and Palestine, the diversity of interests, historical contexts and geopolitical dynamics at play are as disparate as countries exist on the continent. While some maintain firm support for Palestine, others see in Israel advantageous economic and technological opportunities not to be missed.

The growth of Israeli influence on the African continent is undeniable, as cooperation in agriculture, trade and security expands, the different approaches adopted by African governments, including the pursuit of third-way diplomacy, reflect the complexity of the Israeli- Palestinian and the need to balance local and global interests.

Taking into account what happened in relation to the war in Ukraine, the reaction of African governments to the war between Israel and Hamas will be motivated by interests and historical factors. Ignoring this will not help Israel and its supporters in the West present their case for support in Africa.

One thing is right. Africa continues to be an important arena, where the dynamics of this Israeli-Palestinian conflict play a significant role in its international diplomatic and political relations.

What do you think of this war of interests in Africa because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? We want to know your opinion, do not hesitate to comment and if you liked the article, share and give a “like/like”.

See also:

South Africa Requests UN Force for Gaza

Israel and the New (Now Palestinian) Apartheid

Picture: © 2023 Denis Farrell