He said both Israel and Rwanda have persevered to become “successful states and models for partners”.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday toured a memorial for victims of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, calling genocide “a unique bond that neither one of our peoples will prefer to have”.
Netanyahu is the first ruling Israeli prime minister to visit Kenya. He has already been to Uganda and Kenya and will also be going to Ethiopia. Relations suffered a blow when many African countries severed ties with Israel following the 1973 war between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt-known as the Yom Kippur War-but many have since restored relations with the Middle Eastern state.
Following the ceremony, the prime minister attended an African summit with seven African nations which he said brings “a monumental change in the relations between Israel and Africa”. Netanyahu began a four-day tour of East Africa on Monday.
In Uganda, Netanyahu held a summit with leaders of seven African nations in the region aimed at strengthen ties, with Israel providing them with its expertise in security and technology, while receiving in exchange support from new friends that will refrain from criticizing Israeli policies and also provide diplomatic backing in global forums.
On Tuesday, the U.S. harshly condemned the decision to approve some 560 new homes in the settlement of Maale Adumim and 240 more homes in Jewish neighborhoods of East Jerusalem, saying Israel was systematically seizing Palestinian land and calling into question Jerusalem’s commitment to a two-state solution.
Kenyatta said the threat of extremism demands partnership with nations with a common position against it. “I think that this is significant”.
“Many African countries want Africa to come back to Israel”, he said. Israel sees important diplomatic potential in African nations which are becoming increasingly independent in acting outside the African Union.
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Kenyatta also said his country supports talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
