Benjamin Netanyahu Makes Groundbreaking Visit to Ethiopia
Benjamin Netanyahu became the first Israeli prime minister to visit Ethiopia.
Netanyahu met Thursday morning at the national palace with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn. The prime ministers and their delegations discussed ways to increase bilateral cooperation on a series of issues including water, agriculture, communications, tourism and education. Agreements were signed in science, technology and tourism.
In response to a question, Netanyahu said, “I am proud of Ethiopian Jews’ contribution in Israel. They constitute a living link with Ethiopia and Africa. It starts with our ambassador who is here and also the fact that I brought lawmakers [Avraham] Neguise and [Penina] Tamanu-Shata, who represent this link.”
Neguise, of Netanyahu’s Likud party, met Thursday morning with two local Jewish leaders, Melese Sedeto of Addis Ababa and Ambanesh Tekeba of Gondar, at the Israeli delegation’s hotel, and expressed disappointment to The Times of Israel that Netanyahu had not scheduled a tour of Jewish institutions or meetings with representatives of Ethiopia’s Jewish community.
Neguise came to Israel from Ethiopia in 1985 and entered the Knesset last year. He is the chairman of the parliament’s Immigration and Absorption Committee.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!