Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gestures during a press conference.
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This week’s visit is the first by a sitting Israeli prime minister to sub-Saharan Africa in three decades.
Speaking shortly after his arrival in Uganda, Netanyahu praised Israel’s commando raid on the airport which freed Israeli hostages from a hijacked plane. “It was perhaps in Entebbe where this transformation was seen by the world”.
“This is a deeply moving day for me”, he said. “Today we landed in broad daylight to be welcomed by a president who fights terrorism”.
Netanyahu travelled to Uganda with soldiers and pilots who were members of the rescue team. “It was the most daring rescue mission of all time”.
The Summit was attended by Zambia’s Republican President Edgar Lungu, Mr Netanyahu, Uganda President Yoweri Museveni, Ethiopia Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, South Sudan President Salva Kiir, Rwanda President Paul Kagame, Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta, and Tanzania ‘ s Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Augustine Mahiga.
Netanyahu, who is pursuing closer security and other ties with African nations, has been to Uganda and Kenya this week and now moves on to Ethiopia.
The Israeli PM said he had not visited Africa earlier because of fraught relations with many countries on the continent.
Netanyahu’s first stop will be a ceremony Monday at Entebbe airport marking the hostage rescue on July 4, 1976.
Netanyahu said the Entebbe raid was “a watershed moment” for Israel when the country learned to stand up for itself. “People of my generation and older remember it as if it happened yesterday”.
“However, “…diplomatic ties between the two countries were severed following the 1973 “Yom Kippur” War, which saw many African states cutting their official ties with the State of Israel”, information on the Embassy of Israel in Kenya site states.
He has said the trip symbolises “dramatic changes” in the relationship between Israel and Africa. Roads have been closed as part of the security for Netanyahu’s visit causing hours-long traffic snarls.
The effort comes as Israel’s ties with some of its long-time allies such as the United States and European Union have come under strain recently. Israel would also provide African states with training in “domestic security and health”, a statement said. “This will have an impact in Africa now, but I think that it will have very considerable effect regarding Israel’s global relations in the future, vis-à-vis our effort to bring about a very great number of countries that support Israel”, he said.
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“This will give opportunities to the two countries expand their bilateral activities and add value to both Kenya and Israel”, the businessman added.
