Israel in Africa: Security, Migration, Interstate Politics

Amidst the turmoil of the Middle East, few have noticed the extent to which Israel has slowly but surely been building alliances on the African continent. Facing a growing international backlash, Israel has had to look beyond its traditional Western allies for support, and many African governments in turn have been happy to receive Israeli development aid, military training, and technology. But what do these relationships mean for Africa, and for wider geopolitics?

From Africa's authoritarian development politics to Israel's thriving high-tech arms and agriculture industries, from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the migration of Africans to Israel and back again, Yotam Gidron provides a comprehensive analysis of Israel's controversial relationship with countries on the continent. In particular, the book demonstrates that Israel's interest in Africa forms part of a wider diplomatic effort, aimed at building support for Israel at the UN and blocking Palestine's pursuit of international recognition. Though the scale of Israeli involvement in Africa has been little appreciated until now, Gidron shows that it nevertheless holds profound implications for Africa, and for the wider conflict in the Middle East.

Yotam Gidron is a researcher with the International Refugee Rights Initiative and a PhD student in African History at Durham University. He has worked with human rights organizations in Israel and across Africa.