The events of October 7, 2023, and the genocidal war on Gaza have made it clear that most African nations have aligned themselves with the Palestinian cause. This was reflected in the African Union’s statement, which emphasized that “denial of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, particularly that of an independent and sovereign State, is the main cause of the permanent Israeli-Palestinian tension.”

The repercussions of the war on Gaza were expected to lead to a decline in Israeli economic influence in Africa. However, the opposite occurred, as African-Israeli economic relations continued to develop. Unfortunately, the positions of Arab-African countries, including Egypt, Sudan, and Morocco, have been disappointing, as they kept relations normalized with the Israeli entity under the "Abraham Accords." This paved the way for deeper Israeli integration into Africa without the need for a peace agreement with the Palestinians.

While it is true that African people, especially Muslim majorities, support the Palestinian cause, their governments may adopt positions that serve their countries’ interests or strategic priorities.

Israelis are well aware that African nations are grappling with economic crises, and they are attempting to infiltrate the continent through economic channels, despite fierce competition from major powers such as China, India, the United States, and Europe, as well as emerging players like Turkey, Brazil, and Iran.

MASHAV and the networks of soft economic penetration

MASHAV, the Israeli Agency for International Development Cooperation, was established in 1958 by Golda Meir when she served as the Israeli foreign minister. Its stated goal was to “promote cooperation in the fields of agriculture, education, medicine, public health, innovation, advanced technology, entrepreneurship, research and development, planning, and humanitarian aid.” MASHAV allocates 40% of its budget to Africa. However, in reality, it serves as a tool of Israeli soft economic policy aimed at pervading Africa.

In addition to MASHAV, around 30 Israeli NGOs are active in ‘human development’ across African countries. These include SID Israel, which brings together 170 entities and specializes in humanitarian aid and sharing Israeli expertise in technology and innovation in Africa, and IsraAID, founded in 2001, which specializes in “supporting people affected by humanitarian crises” with a focus on food and medical aid.

Other organizations involved include CultivAid, Knowledge Based Development, Fair Planet, Africa 2030, JDC (Joint Distribution Committee), and Ingénieurs sans frontiers, all of which claim to be implementing human development projects.

MASHAV has also contributed to boosting Israeli economic activity in Africa by paving the way for Israeli companies. Today, over 800 Israeli companies operate in Africa, involved in diverse sectors such as agro-industries, poultry and livestock farming, agricultural training and advisory centers, maritime transport, and aviation. Some have succeeded in launching joint ventures with African capital.

Israeli organizations also collaborate with American and European entities on joint projects across Africa. For example, "Israel" signed an agreement with Power Africa, a US government initiative under USAID, to gain access to energy exploration rights. including gas, oil, and green energy. Another example is the Israeli-German Initiative for Africa, through which IsraAID invests millions of dollars alongside a German investment of $70 million USD.

Mutual-interest relations based on dependency, exploitation

One of the reasons behind the relative success of the Zionist entity in implementing its projects in Africa is its ability to cultivate African elites with close ties to it, either through studying at Israeli universities and institutes or participating in training programs conducted either in "Israel" or by its representatives in various African countries across different fields.

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By 2010, MASHAV had already trained over a quarter of a million African students, while 2,408 Israeli experts were working across sectors such as agriculture, education, economy, security, and military. Additionally, 3 prime ministers, 40 ministers, 150 parliamentarians, 100 lecturers, 400 cooperative managers, 350 trade union leaders, and 37 heads of cultural federations in Africa had studied in the occupied territories, many of whom became among the most vocal supporters of the Israeli occupation.

Although the Israeli occupation claims it seeks to support African nations and assist in their development, data clearly shows that it is the primary beneficiary of its relationship with Africa. It's no exaggeration to describe its presence on the continent as parasitic.

On the trade level, total Israeli exports to Africa in 2021 amounted to $685 million, which is just 1.3% of its total exports. These exports were concentrated in six Sub-Saharan countries: South Africa, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda. Except for Ghana and Nigeria, the rest are East African countries, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, strategic areas "Israel" recognized as vital since the 1973 war and again during the ongoing war on Gaza since October 7, 2023.

In addition, North African countries, notably Egypt, since the Camp David Accords, and Morocco, following its entry into the normalization process under the Abraham Accords, have signed economic and trade cooperation agreements with "Israel" in 2021 and 2022. These aim to deepen trade and economic ties and increase the volume of bilateral exchanges.

In the agricultural sector, the Israeli occupation faces a growing water scarcity due to climate change and limited arable land. As a result, Israeli agricultural investors have turned to African countries to exploit their water resources and fertile lands for cultivating water-intensive tropical fruits, vegetables, flowers, and tea. They also exploit livestock resources in countries whose populations often suffer from shortages of basic food products.

Israeli activity also extends to the mining sector. Israeli mining companies are involved in:

* Diamond extraction in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and Sierra Leone

* Iron mining in Liberia and Sierra Leone

* Tin extraction in Cameroon and Sierra Leone

* Lead and zinc in the Congo

* Oil exploration in South Sudan

Israeli exploitation of Africa goes beyond water, land, and minerals; it extends to exploiting people. Since October 2023, "Israel" halted the employment of Palestinian workers in construction and agriculture (between 30,000 and 40,000 agricultural workers) and sought to replace them with laborers from Asia and Africa.

* Malawi sent 221 workers in November 2023 to work on farms in occupied Palestine and announced plans to send 5,000 more.

* Kenya committed to sending 1,500 agricultural workers to "Israel".

Additionally, "Israel" promised African asylum seekers or permanent residency applicants that their requests would be approved if they agreed to participate in military operations in Gaza.

Bottom line, what "Israel" gives with its right hand, it takes back many times over with its left.