Monrovia, Liberia – Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday called on West African nations to change their voting patterns in international forums to reflect their growing ties with Israel.
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“Our growing bilateral relations should also be reflected, I believe, in international forums,” Netanyahu told the annual assembly of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Monrovia, Liberia. “I ask for your support in rejecting anti-Israel bias at the United Nations, and in bodies such as the General Assembly, UNESCO and the Human Rights Council,” he added.
Netanyahu, the first non-African leader ever invited to address the 15-nation forum, said he had made developing ties with Africa one of his top priorities.
“I believe in Africa, I believe in its potential – present and future. It is a continent on the rise. Its people are diverse and talented. I have made strengthening our relations one of our top priorities – national and international priorities of the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said.
The 24 hour visit to Liberia is Netanyahu’s second trip to Africa in less than a year. In July 2016, he made the first trip to Africa by an Israeli prime minister in 29 years and visited four East African countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. In addition, he will meet with Ethiopian prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn in Israel on Tuesday and will return to the continent in late October for a 25-nation Africa-Israel summit in Togo.
Netanyahu said Israel wanted to share its experience with the governments and peoples of Africa and was ready to send technology survey teams to each of the attending nations to see how they could cooperate with Israel.
“In every field, our technology is there, it’s ready to work with you to provide solutions to some of the most pressing problems of Africa. We want to help your soil become more fertile, your water reusable, your cities safer, your air cleaner,” Netanyahu said.
Africa has so much to offer on an intellectual,economic and law and order perspective if not for racism they’d be like the Scandinavians or baltics.