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Thursday, February 19, 2026
Rwanda security summit looks to expand Israel-US partnership to Africa
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Americans, Israelis, and participants from across Africa convened in Rwanda yesterday for the Kigali Security Summit, titled “Aligning the United States, Israel, Africa, and the New Middle East.”
Organizers tell The Times of Israel that the gathering explored ways to position Africa “as the next frontier for expanding the strategic depth of the US-Israel partnership, with Rwanda serving as a leading gateway partner.”
GOP Senator Ted Cruz, Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen, and Robert O’Brien, former National Security Advisor to US President Donald Trump, addressed the forum remotely.
Israel has been steadily expanding its ties in sub-Saharan Africa in recent years.
The strategic vision presented at the conference has the US providing “strategic depth and global leadership,” Israel contributing security expertise and innovation capacity, and Rwanda serving as a key African partner and “bridge to other countries in Africa.”
There were four panels at the event – Strategic Foundations — US, Israel, and Africa; Memory & Moral Leadership; Regional Security Dynamics & Strategic Cooperation, with Rwanda’s foreign minister and the former US special envoy for the region; Innovation & the “Start-Up Nation” Playbook, with Start-Up Nation co-author Saul Singer and Start-Up Nation Central founding Executive Director Wendy Singer.
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