Israeli President Visits Ethiopia as Ethiopia Reaffirms Two-State Policy

Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Addis Ababa highlights Ethiopia’s effort to preserve diplomatic flexibility amid overlapping regional pressures. Public messaging centered on continuity: Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie reiterated Addis Ababa’s long-standing endorsement of a two-state framework, while both sides emphasized historical ties and cooperation.

Yet the timing - days after senior delegations from Türkiye and Saudi Arabia - underlines a contest for influence in the Horn of Africa.

Diplomatic Signaling And Continuity

Hosting Herzog with an honor guard at the Presidential Palace, Selassie stated Ethiopia “consistently supports the two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians live side by side in peace.”

Meetings extended to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos. Herzog’s office stressed “the historical ties between the two nations” and described the Ethiopian Jewish community in Israel as “a bridge between the two peoples.”

PM Abiy, writing on X, referred to “productive discussions” exploring cooperation in “areas of mutual interest.”

Herzog’s trip marks the first Israeli presidential visit to Ethiopia since 2018, underscoring Israel’s efforts to mend diplomatic engagement in Africa despite visible tensions with African Union member states.

Those strains were evident on April 7, 2025, when Israel’s ambassador to Ethiopia, Avraham Neguise, was expelled from an African Union conference on the Rwandan genocide in Addis Ababa. An Israeli Foreign Ministry statement at the time said member states declined to participate alongside him, prompting his removal - a moment widely interpreted by observers as reflecting broader African anger over Israel’s war in Gaza.

Neither government disclosed specific deliverables of Wednesday visit by Herzog, leaving analysts to assess the broader strategic context.

Alliance Concepts Meet Constraints

Speculation surrounding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed “hexagon of alliances” frames part of that context. Netanyahu said the network would include Israel, India, Greece, and Cyprus, alongside unnamed Arab and African partners.

While the concept signals Israel’s intent to widen strategic alignments beyond the Middle East, observers note structural constraints. African states maintain diverse security partnerships and often resist bloc politics that risk entanglement in extra-regional rivalries.

For Ethiopia, the calculus is particularly delicate. Addis Ababa faces multiple, simultaneous diplomatic sensitivities: negotiations with downstream states over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), persistent tensions with Eritrea, and unresolved frictions with Somalia linked to a 2024 port-access agreement with Somaliland. Each file carries security, economic, and reputational costs.

Somaliland And Regional Frictions

Somaliland’s trajectory remains a pivotal variable. Israel recognized Somaliland in December, becoming the first state to do so. Ethiopia’s 2024 memorandum of understanding with Hargeisa, granting prospective sea access, triggered a severe backlash from Somalia. That dispute raised fears of escalation before Türkiye mediated. Ankara’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later warned that Israel’s recognition “does not benefit Somaliland or the Horn of Africa,” reflecting broader regional unease.

Analysts suggest Israel views Somaliland through a Red Sea security lens, while Ethiopia weighs the economic imperative of maritime access against the diplomatic risks of further regional isolation. Somaliland’s 850km coastline offers strategic opportunity, but recognition dynamics intersect with African Union norms favoring territorial integrity.

Historical Legacies And Political Costs

Ethiopia’s diplomatic posture is also shaped by its historical identity. The country’s legacy as a symbol of anti-colonial resistance and its support for Africa’s anti-apartheid movement carry enduring political resonance. Within African political discourse, overt alignment with Israel’s expansionist policies widely criticized on the continent, including its genocide in Gaza, can be framed as reputationally costly for Ethiopia.

This legacy factor complicates Ethiopia’s balancing act as it deepens bilateral cooperation while preserving credibility within multilateral African forums.

Mashav, Israel’s development agency, has supported Ethiopian projects in agriculture and water over the past decade.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia continues to attract larger-scale financing from partners such as China. The coexistence of these relationships illustrates Addis Ababa’s preference for diversified engagement rather than exclusive alignment.