JERUSALEM, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israel attaches "tremendous importance" to its relations with Chad, a Muslim-majority African nation.
"We believe that our cooperation can help not only advance our relations and our cooperation but it is also part of Israel's coming back to Africa and Africa coming back to Israel," a statement released by Netanyahu's office quoted him as saying during a meeting with visiting Chadian President Mahamat Deby.
Deby arrived in Israel on Wednesday to inaugurate an embassy, four years after the establishment of official ties between the two countries. The embassy will be inaugurated on Thursday, according to Netanyahu's office, and will be built in Tel Aviv, according to a separate statement by Deby's office.
"Chad and Israel are today at a decisive turning point in their relationship," Deby told Netanyahu.
Netanyahu's office released photos of David Barnea, the head of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, greeting Deby upon his arrival at the airport.
Noting Chad is among a handful of Muslim-majority countries with which Israel has established official ties, Barnea said "expanding the circle of diplomatic partnerships is an important goal in expanding Israel's strategic depth."
The diplomatic relations between Israel and Chad began in the 1960s but were terminated by Chad in 1972 after the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories in the 1967 Middle East war. Chad reversed its stance in 2018, when late Chadian President Idris Deby arrived in Israel and met with Netanyahu. The two countries announced the resumption of diplomatic ties in 2019 during Netanyahu's visit to Chad.
Netanyahu, who returned to power in late December, has pledged to increase the number of Arab or Muslim countries that recognize Israel, despite the ongoing impasse and frequent escalation of violence with the Palestinians. ■
