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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is ready to fly to Chad on Saturday night to announce the renewal of diplomatic ties with the predominantly Muslim African nation.
During his one-day Sunday trip to Djamena, the capital of the country, Netanyahu will meet Chad's President Idriss Déby for a formal meeting and declaration of the two leaders on the reestablishment of diplomatic relations, which were divided 47 Years ago.
In November, Déby made a surprise visit to Israel, during which he said he was interested in restoring complete diplomatic ties. As he left the country after a three-day trip, during which he also visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, Netanyahu promised to fly "soon" to the country's capital for the formal reestablishment of ties.
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"Relations between our countries were cut in 1972 for specific historical reasons, but our special relations continued all the time," said Déby, who has governed Chad since 1990.
The leaders of Israel and Chad recognized that illegal contacts continued even after the separation of relations.
"The current visit to your beautiful country expresses our desire to take relationships that existed continuously and make them stronger," Déby said.
"The resumption of diplomatic relations with your country, which I wish, does not ignore the Palestinian question," he continued. "My country is deeply linked to the peace process and has shaped the Arab peace initiative, the Madrid principles and the existing agreements".
Chad is in a potentially strategic place for Israel, as it could allow Israeli aircraft to disembark for several hours on flight routes to Latin America (although to do so, Israel would have to obtain overflight rights from Sudan, which does not appear imminent).
The Republic of Chad cut off diplomatic ties with Jerusalem in 1972. Today around 15 million people live in Chad, 55 percent of whom are Muslims. About 40% are Christians.
Netanyahu has traveled three times in Africa for the past two years, visiting Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda and Liberia.
It regularly promises to expand ties with all the countries of the continent, including those that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel.
In July 2016, the Republic of Guinea, a small Muslim-majority country in West Africa, renewed diplomatic relations with Israel, having cut ties with the Jewish state in 1967. Since then, Netanyahu has met additional African Muslim leaders. . majority states, such as Mali and Somalia.
President Idriss Deby of Chad (L) is welcomed at the Ben Gurion airport by the Minsiter of the regional cooperation Tzachi Hanegbi (C) and by the national security adviser Meir Ben Shabbat, on 25 November 2018. (Avi Hayon / Ministry of Foreign)
Netanyahu, who is also a foreign minister, is currently planning at least another foreign visit before the April 9 Knesset elections.
At the end of March, Netanyahu should fly to Washington to attend the annual Political Conference of AIPAC. In Washington, it is also planned to hold a meeting with US President Donald Trump and could also be treated for a White House state dinner.
On Thursday, the prime minister canceled his next visit to Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum.
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