The Ethiopian government was avoiding confirmation of Israel's envoy to Addis Ababa alleging Israel's pick for the position has harmed the reputation of the African country, Ynet has learned. Former lawmaker and member of Likud Avraham Neguise was denied entry in the past over allegedly postin a misleading video clip of a home burning down claiming it was an act of antisemitism.
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The government approved Neguise appointment as ambassador to Ethiopia on December 17, 2023 and he was scheduled to assume the position at the beginning of April.
Following an appeal by the Foreign Ministry, Ethiopia requested more time before making a final decision. "“They don't want to to cause a diplomatic incident, so they simply do nothing. It’s unclear how his approval was brought before the government without first receiving approval from the Ethiopian government,"” a senior Foreign Ministry official said.
The incident marks the second recent diplomatic appointment abroad that saw trouble. Last June, former Ma'ale Adumim mayor Benny Kashriel was appointed as Israel's ambassador to Italy but the government in Rome said it refused to approve his appointment because he has in the past been the chairman of the settlement council. His appointment was ultimately cancelled and he is is now being considered as a possible future ambassador to Hungary.
The procedure for picking ambassadors begins with the country submitting an approval request to the host country. The host country may choose not to approve the appointment for various reasons. In many cases, denying an appointment isn’t done via an official rejection but by delaying a response for an extended period of time and conveying messages through other diplomatic channels.
An Ethiopian Foreign Ministry spokesperson was recently asked at a press conference if his country intends to approve Neguise's appointment. "We have orderly processes for approving or rejecting appointments," The spokesperson replied.
It’s not clear exactly what caused the Ethiopians' reluctance. According to reports in Ethiopian media, the cause is an old incident in which Neguise was involved including activities encouraging immigration to Israel from Ethiopia.
At the same time, he was accused of burning down a Jewish house, filming the fire, and releasing the video alleging antisemitism was rife in Ethiopia. Following the incident, according to reports in local media, Neguise was denied entry to Ethiopia for several years.
Foreign Ministry senior officials confirmed Ethiopia has requested Israel for more time to make a decision on whether to approve Neguise's appointment. Neguise himself declined to respond.