After 52 Years: Israel Reopens Embassy in African Nation

Israel officially reopened its embassy in Zambia on Wednesday (Aug. 20, 2025), 52 years after its closure, signaling a renewed diplomatic push across Africa.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar led the inauguration ceremony in Lusaka, joined by Zambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mulambo Haimbe. The two signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening bilateral ties in multiple fields, from economic collaboration to cultural exchange.

“It is a great honor and privilege to be here in Lusaka and to open the Embassy of Israel,” Sa’ar declared during the ceremony. “This is a profoundly moving moment, to raise the Israeli flag once again and to hear ‘Hatikva’ in Zambia after 52 years. This marks the beginning of a new chapter. These ties are not only based on common interests but also on shared values. Ours is a covenant between believers, two nations of faith rooted in ancient traditions.”

Israel first established diplomatic relations with Zambia in the 1960s, maintaining an embassy in Lusaka until the 1970s, when it was closed as part of a broader retrenchment in Africa. In 2015, Zambia opened a permanent mission in Israel, and now Jerusalem has reciprocated with a renewed presence in Lusaka.

Sa’ar emphasized that Zambia was chosen deliberately as Israel’s reentry point into southern Africa: “Many African nations await the opening of Israeli embassies in their capitals, and we chose to begin here. I promised my colleague in January, and today we deliver. Zambia is not only a friend, it is a strategic partner.”

The reopening is part of a larger diplomatic initiative by Israel to deepen engagement across Africa, both politically and economically, amid growing global competition for influence on the continent.