From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Thu Sep 10 2009 - 15:43:33 EDT
Why did Lieberman really go to Africa?
Sep 10, 2009 - 6:36:33 AM
by Yossi Melman, Haaretz Correspondent
The journey of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman to five African states in
nine days is taking place under a hidden cloud of domestic tension. The
obvious aspect of the visit, which is stressed by the minister and his
entourage, is Israel's willingness to assist countries in the continent to
find solutions to their problems: hunger, insufficient clean water,
epidemics. The less-publicized aspect is that quite a few Israelis are
hoping that the visit will open the way for more defense exports.
In a level that is even more secretive, there is the hope of developing
intelligence ties and cooperation in the effort against international
jihadist elements, and especially countering the activities of Iran in some
of these African countries. This only becomes obvious when the composition
of the delegation is analyzed carefully: in addition to the Foreign Ministry
officials accompanying Lieberman, there is a delegation from the Defense
Ministry's foreign assistance department, Sibat, and also a group of
representatives of the intelligence community, including a Mossad official
from the Tevel wing, which is responsible for the organization's foreign
ties. Similarly, along with representatives from civilian industrial and
development firms, there are agents from the country's defense firms.
The Foreign Ministry and the Israel Export Institute believe that there is
at least another $1 billion worth of business potential in Africa, in
addition to the $3 billion that Israeli firms already export in goods and
services to the continent. Lieberman began his trip in Ethiopia, where he
met with the country's prime minister and its foreign minister, putting the
emphasis on the civilian assistance that Israel provides. The assistance
comes in the form of biotechnology and agriculture, advanced
water-purification technologies, and medical assistance in combating AIDS.
The Foreign Ministry funding these projects out of its own budget, at the
cost of several hundred thousand dollars a year.
But Ethiopia is also a key strategic state for Israel, with a long tradition
of friendship and cooperation between the countries in military and
intelligence matters. Ethiopia's importance lies in its being situated on
the Horn of Africa,near a number of Arab states, and overlooking the sea
routes to Eilat and the Suez Canal. Moreover, in recent years Iran has been
increasingly active in the area, as have been Al-Qaida agents, particularly
in nearby Somalia. Naturally these are issues that were discussed during
Lieberman's meetings, even though they were not mentioned in the media
briefings.
The foreign minister's visit to Kenya was similar in character. There
Lieberman met with the vice president and the foreign minister. He announced
Israel's intention to offer know-how in combating desertification, and he
also agreed to the request of his hosts
for Israel's assistance in the reopening of an agricultural training center
ituated two hours from the capital, Nairobi. Israel had cooperated in the
past, together with the U.S., in running the center, activity that stopped
in 2002.
The Kenyan vice president, Kalonzo Musyoka, praised Israel'scontribution to
agriculture and irrigation in his country, but as in Ethiopia, in Nairobi
too they discussed other issues that were made less public. Kenya has
cooperated with Israel in the past on counter-terrorism.
On Wednesday Lieberman travels to Nigeria, one of the largest, wealthiest
and most important countries in Africa. There is a relatively large
community of Israeli businessmen there, working mostly in the fields of
agriculture and infrastructure, but it is also an important destination for
Israeli defense exports. In recent years, Israel and Nigeria signed arms
deals worth about $500 million.
"There is no doubt that the most important need of Africa is countering
hunger and the shortage of water, and not arms," said Haim Dibon, deputy
director general of Israel's Foreign Ministry.
Lieberman's wish to restore the continent to a place on Israel's foreign
policy horizon is also paved with benign intentions. But the experience of
the past suggests that the voice of the Foreign Ministry loses ground for
the most part when it comes up against the Defense Ministry and the arms
industry lobby, which hijacked Israel's foreign policy in recent years in
their favor. Therefore, Dibon is trying to make the point back home that
military sales will also benefit if they are carried out through "the
feeding of the hungry and the quenching of the parched throats of Africa."
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