Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Uganda on Monday, saying his country is "returning to Africa in a big way," and promising "very good news for the State of Israel."
Before departing Israel on Monday morning, Netanyahu spoke of "very important diplomatic, economic and security ties that will yet be told about."
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Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu are greeted in Entebbe by Ugandan Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda and his wife Jocelyn
(Photo: GPO)
"I am going on my fifth visit to Africa in three and a half years," Netanyahu said as he prepared to leave for the East African nation.
"These are very important ties on the diplomatic, economic and defense fronts."
He added: "I hope that at the end of the day we will have very good news for the State of Israel."
The prime minister was welcomed by Uganda's prime minister at the international airport in Entebbe, where Netanyahu's brother Yoni was fatally struck by a bullet as he led IDF commandos in a daring mission to rescue hijacked passengers in 1976.
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Benjamin Netanyahum, accompanied by his wife Sara, visits the grave of his brother Yoni at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem
(Photo: GPO)
Israel's success in the covert raid humiliated then-Ugandan President Idi Amin.
Netanyahu was set to meet with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and other officials. Ugandan authorities did not immediately give details.
Israel has long courted African support. In exchange for its expertise in security and other fields, Israel wants African states to side with it at the UN General Assembly, which overwhelmingly recognized Palestine as a non-member observer state in 2012.
Reports in Israel in recent years have suggested it might normalize diplomatic relations with several Muslim countries in Africa.
Israel renewed diplomatic ties with Guinea in 2016. After Netanyahu visited Chad for a renewal of ties in 2019, it was reported that Israel was working to formalize ties with Sudan.
Yoweri Museveni, Uganda's longtime leader, has repeatedly said his government supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
During Netanyahu's trip to Uganda in 2016, Museveni urged both parties to live "side by side in two states ... in peace and with recognized borders."