On January 23, 2018, the Embassy of the State of Israel held a photo exhibition at the Marriot Hotel. The event was organized in the spirt of celebrating 60 years of MASHAV's and Israel's Cooperation in Development with Ethiopia, in Memory of the Late Ambassador Haim Ben-David. During the Exhibition, the Ambassador of the State of Israel to Ethiopia H.E. Mr. Raphael Morav spoke with the Daily Monitor Newspaper.
The Daily Monitor Thursday February 1, 2018
ADDIS ABEBA – the Israel International cooperation agency MASHAV has been celebrating its 60 year anniversary since last week. The agency was created less than 10 years after the foundation of state of Israel, and has been active in Ethiopia since 1961.
To commemorate this, a photo exhibition in Addis Ababa, last week, showcased several activities that the agency has been doing in the east African nation.
Israeli Ambassador to Ethiopia Mr. Raphael Morav said that MASHAV has a significant influence in the field of agriculture, health, education, and training and more in the country.
At the exhibition, our reporter, Sisay Sahlu, has sat down with the ambassador to discuss on, in addition to MASHAV, the current issues that are dominating the relationship between his country and Africa in general, and Israel and Ethiopia in particular. Excerpt:
Do you think the agency has brought a visible change in the life of Ethiopians?
Ambassador Raphael Morav - We concentrate on human capacity building, we train people who can train later on in Ethiopia, so it is a multiplying effect and also we introduce agriculture project which is very effective.
We, for example, have one of the fledged projects in the field of avocado. We introduced high quality exporting varieties of avocado to Ethiopia which will enable the country to export the produce to Europe and it already showing very positive results
We introduce irrigation techniques such as drip irrigation . Here, only 5 percent of the arable land in Ethiopia cultivated through irrigation, and we believe there is a huge potential to increase agricultural yield in the country through irrigation. And in the health sector, more 500 hundred children who have been have found with a heart defect could get a surgery, received the medical treatment as a result of our relationship.
As a new ambassador, how do you see the relation of Ethiopia and Israel?
Ambassador - I have seen excellent relationship since I arrived here and, at the same time, I want to make it even better and higher. I think the two countries can develop their ties to strategic relations.
I am working to attract Israeli investors to Ethiopia, but also in other sectors that are of mutual interest for the two governments. It can be cyber security which is a new field in which many governments want to cooperate.
As we know, most African countries had rejected the USA position of transferring the embassy of US from Tel -Aviv to Jerusalem. Do you think it wound deteriorate the relation of Israel and African countries?
Ambassador - As a matter of fact, Jerusalem is the capital of state Israel for the last 70 years as it has been so for 3000 years for the Jewish people No one will change it including the UN resolution and declaration.
It is a fact we will continue to build in Jerusalem and it will continue to be the seat of the government.
The Americans are going to movie their embassy to Jerusalem within a year and I am sure others will follow. African countries will follow eventually it is just a matter of time.
Do you think the “issue of Jerusalem” could affect the relationship between Israeli and Ethiopia?
Ambassador – Although we are disappointed by the Ethiopian vote there is no reason for it to impact our relationship because as said, Jerusalem is anyhow the capital of Israel, with or without the recognition of the others.
Of course, we would be much happier if Ethiopia like 16 other African states would not support the UN general assembly resolution of last month. But it will not be a matter that will be an obstacle in the good relations that we already have.
Regarding of African refugees in Israel, can you reflect on the implication of your government’s decision to give them “deportation or imprisonment” choice?
Ambassador - Israel, like any other country has the right to decide who it wants to receive as immigrant. We have an immigration policy and as you know many Jewish from Ethiopia have imigrated to Israel.
We are an open country for immigration but those who came in an illegal way through the support of smugglers many time related to organized crime or sometimes related to terrorisms, we have the right and the duty to deport them.
In any event everything is done according to the international conventions.
But we are still working on solutions that will be agreed upon to those who leave the country willingly so that we don’t engage in any deportation.
they are not interested for deportation, imprisonment will still be the next choice?
Ambassador - It is not so simple as that. But we have - for those who break the law and enter Israeli illegally – a legal means to deal with that. As a country of rule of law and democracy, there is also a way to appeal to the courts
When the Israeli government will start the deportation?
Ambassador - We give them the options to leave voluntarily to the countries of destination that we have provided for them and it has already started.
Actually those who will be among the first, they will get higher financial compensation for leaving and those who will wait longer the lower financial compensations, so it is the way to encourage more quickly.