February 02, 2023, Jerusalem: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Wednesday with Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, who is visiting Israel to open the central African nation’s embassy to the Jewish state. “We see these relations as extremely important with a great country at the heart of Africa,” Netanyahu said as the two met in Jerusalem. “These are relations that we want to upgrade to new levels, to new heights, and your visit here in Israel and the opening of the embassy are an expression of this.”
Muslims comprise 52-58% of the population; Christians, roughly even between Catholics and Protestants, constitute about 34-45% of the population of nearly 18 million people living in Chad today.
In 2019, during Netanyahu’s last term, he and late president Idriss Deby Itno, Mahamat Deby’s father, announced the reestablishment of diplomatic relations. Chad severed ties with Israel in 1972 due to pressure from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The elder Deby, who ruled the Muslim-majority nation for more than three decades, was killed in 2021 on the battlefield in a fight against rebels. His son replaced him as president at the head of a military junta. Upon landing in Israel Tuesday night, Mossad chief David Barnea received Deby at the airport. The Chadian delegation then headed to Mossad headquarters in Glilot for a celebratory meeting.
In addition to seeking new markets for Israeli agriculture, technology and security know-how, Netanyahu has been eager to improve African nations’ voting record on Israel-related matters in international forums such as the United Nations Security Council and UNESCO.
