From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Sa’ar opens new embassy in Zambia
Nava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says it’s an “honor” to open Israel’s embassy in Zambia, during a diplomatic visit to the southern African country.
“It’s an honor to be in Lusaka for the opening of Israel’s embassy. I thank my friend Zambia’s [Foreign Minister] Mulambo Haimbe for his gracious hospitality,” writes Sa’ar on X.
Sa’ar adds that he and his counterpart signed a memorandum of understanding “on Bilateral Consultations” and are enhancing their “partnership in agriculture, health and much more.”
Israel and Zambia first established diplomatic ties in 1966, two years after Zambia gained independence from the United Kingdom. But relations were severed at the behest of the Organization of African Unity in the wake of the 1973 Yom Kippur War between Israel and several Arab countries, and Israel’s diplomatic presence across Africa became greatly reduced.
The two countries re-established ties in 1991, but it wasn’t until 2015 that Zambia opened an embassy in Tel Aviv.
It's an honor to be in Lusaka for the opening of Israel's embassy.
I thank my friend Zambia's FM Mulambo Haimbe for his gracious hospitality.
We signed an MOU on Bilateral Consultations and we are enhancing our partnership in agriculture, health and much more.
We are… pic.twitter.com/KXJHhn3d76— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) August 20, 2025
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