Herzog to visit Ethiopia, boost ties with Africa

Israel’s Ethiopian Jewish community totaled 177,600 people in 2024, according to figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics.

By JNS

Israeli President Isaac Herzog will visit Ethiopia on Feb. 24-25, his office said on Sunday, in a trip aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and expanding cooperation with the African continent.

Herzog is scheduled to meet Ethiopia’s President Taye Atske Selassie and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed—a Nobel Peace Prize laureate—as well as members of the Jewish community.

The visit “reflects the historic bonds of friendship between the two peoples and marks a significant milestone in deepening cooperation between Israel and Ethiopia, as well as broader cooperation with the nations of Africa,” the according to the statement from the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem and Addis Ababa “share a long history of diplomatic, cultural and people-to-people ties. Across generations, a deep bond has existed between the Jewish people and the Beta Israel community, with historic aliyah operations bringing tens of thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel, where they have become an integral part of Israeli society,” Herzog said.

Israel’s Ethiopian Jewish community totaled 177,600 people in 2024, according to figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics. Of those, 93,400 (~53%) were born in Ethiopia and 84,200 were sabras.

Ethiopians make up about 2.3% of the Jewish population in Israel.

During a meeting with his Ethiopian counterpart in Addis Ababa last year, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar warned that the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels posed a shared threat to Israel and Africa.

“Just yesterday, they hit near our airport with a missile,” Sa’ar said at a press conference with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timotheos. “They are a threat to Israel, Africa and the international community.”

Sa’ar linked the Houthis to Al-Shabaab, the Somalia-based jihadi group that has carried out attacks on Ethiopia. “Terrorism is a common threat,” he stated. “Al-Shabaab collaborates with the Iran-backed Houthis.”

The Israeli minister spoke a visit to Ethiopia, where he also held a private meeting with its prime minister. Sa’ar’s diplomatic trip marked a deepening of ties between the regional powerhouses, which are rooted in shared history, culture and security concerns.