The Beginning of Israeli Trends Towards Ethiopia 1955-1958

Abstract

Israel is a small and newly established state, and being a landlocked country, it has sought since its founding to find an area for expansion that serves its security interests and need for water simultaneously. Therefore, the Horn of Africa has held significant importance in (Israeli) foreign policy from early on. Consequently, (Israeli) political decision-makers have adopted specific policies to engage with the region in accordance with well-planned objectives for infiltration. The region is strategically important due to its location along the shores of the Red Sea on one side and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden on the other, paving the way for its connection to the (Israeli) national security system. Thus, Ethiopia has become Israel's gateway to Africa, representing a unique case in the trajectory of (Israeli)-African relations due to the numerous shared and overlapping interests it encompasses, culminating in claims of historical, religious, and security ties between Israel and Ethiopia. Furthermore, Ethiopia is considered one of the most vital areas in the Horn of Africa and a main source country in the Nile Basin, which has subsequently made the relationship between the governments of Tel Aviv and Addis Ababa a model for Israel's relations with African nations.