Over 40 African lawmakers sign pro-Israel Addis Ababa resolution

More than 40 parliamentarians from over 20 African states on Wednesday signed the Addis Ababa resolution in support of Israel, stating that it has the right to “all of historic Palestine” and calls for recognising Jerusalem as its undivided capital.

The signing of the resolution is the culmination of a two-day summit of the African-Israel Initiative beginning on 10 September in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. The event was co-hosted by Jerusalem-based lobby group the Israel Allies Foundation, the Africa-Israel Initiative and Thinc-Israel.

Legislators attended from countries including Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria and South Sudan, among many others.

 “We are gathered to build on the Abraham Accords, and as children of Abraham pursue peace, progress and prosperity,” said Erik Selle, the founder of the Africa-Israel Initiative and leader of Norway’s hard right Christian nationalist Conservative Party, when outlining the purpose of the summit and resolution.

The African-Israel Initiative was founded in 2012 and is heavily influenced by evangelical Christian parliamentary voices throughout Africa, with the resolution beginning with a commitment to promote “God’s love for Israel and the Jewish people across Africa and globally.”

Almost all of the legislators at the meeting belong to the Israel Allies Caucuses, which is organised by the Israel Allies Foundation, and which actively lobbies for pro-Israel legislation through faith-based diplomacy within national parliaments.

The summit comes amid a growing international backlash against Israel as it continues its devastating 11-month war on Gaza, which the resolution defends, affirming “Israel's right to exist within secure borders free from acts and threats of terror.” 

“We condemn the ongoing threat to Israel’s existence by Iran and its proxy armies Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis … [w]e denounce the violence and terrorism against Israel perpetrated by Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Fatah, including hostage-taking in violation of international law,” the resolution reads.

The resolution further denounces Iran’s “nuclear aspirations and calls it the “world's leading sponsor of terror”.

The summit and resolution also come amid a diplomatic standoff between supporters and opponents of Israel’s war on Gaza in Africa, with South Africa bringing a genocide case against Tel Aviv to the International Court of Justice.

The resolution comes strongly out against this, stating, “We condemn the legal attacks on Israel at the UN, ICC, ICJ, and African Union that undermine negotiations and existing agreements”.

Speaking at the conference, Israeli MK Sharren Haskel, co-chair of the Knesset’s Christian Allies Caucus, suggested an expansion of the Abraham Accords to Africa through a proposed initiative called the “Queen of Sheba Accords.”

The proposed accords would encompass economic cooperation, defence, security, intelligence sharing, as well as educational, religious, and cultural collaboration.

With the war on Gaza entering its eleventh month and with at least 41,084 Palestinians killed, most of whom are civilians, Israel risks global pariah status. The summit and resolution comes amid attempts by Tel Aviv to regain the narrative and shore up support.

Even Israel’s traditional European and Western allies are beginning to distance themselves from the war, with countries like the UK, Canada, Spain and the Netherlands imposing partial arms embargoes on the country.

This fact did not escape Selle, who said: “Israel has what you need to develop”.

“You shouldn’t look to Europe. You shouldn’t look to America; you shouldn’t look to the past. You need to look to the future, and for Africa, Israel is the future,” he added.