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Israeli President Isaac Herzog is paying an official visit to Zambia on Nov. 10–11 as part of Tel Aviv’s efforts to strengthen its diplomatic and economic presence in Southern Africa.
Herzog’s trip marks the first official visit by an Israeli president to Zambia.
He is expected to meet President Hakainde Hichilema in the capital Lusaka to discuss cooperation in agriculture, health, education, technology, trade, and investment, according to Zambia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The visit follows Hichilema’s trip to Israel in June 2023 and aims to deepen bilateral relations between the two nations.
Israel reopened its embassy in Lusaka in August 2025 after a 52-year hiatus, viewing Zambia as a gateway to southern Africa.
During the opening ceremony, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described Zambia as a “strategic partner” for Israel in the region, according to the Times of Israel.
In recent years, Israel has expanded cooperation with African countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, and Rwanda in the east, and Senegal, Cameroon, and Nigeria in the west, focusing on agriculture, technology, and security. Tel Aviv is now seeking to extend this influence to southern Africa.
However, South Africa’s vocal criticism of Israel, labeling it an “apartheid” and “genocidal” state, has created diplomatic obstacles for Tel Aviv’s outreach efforts in the region.
Zambia had severed diplomatic ties with Israel in 1973 in solidarity with Arab states during the Arab-Israeli war but reopened its embassy in Tel Aviv in 2015.
In 2023, during Hichilema’s visit to Israel, the two countries signed a general framework agreement covering cooperation in agriculture, health, technology, education, and trade.
Saar’s 2025 visit also resulted in a memorandum of understanding to establish regular political consultations.
Zambian Foreign Minister Mulambo Haimbe described Herzog’s visit as an “opportunity to strengthen a development partnership that will contribute to Zambia’s economic transformation goals.”
Facing significant economic pressure due to rising foreign debt, Zambia has been negotiating with international creditors for debt restructuring. For Lusaka, Israel represents a potential partner with both economic and diplomatic benefits.
According to U.N. Comtrade data, bilateral trade between the two countries remains modest, amounting to $4.3 million in 2024.
While relations with Israel have warmed in recent years, Zambia has maintained a cautious and humanitarian-focused position on the Palestinian issue.
At the U.N. General Assembly, Zambia abstained from the Oct. 27, 2023 vote calling for an “immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce” in Gaza, but later voted in favor of a similar resolution on Dec. 12, 2023.
Since the Oct. 7 escalation, the Zambian government has refrained from making statements against Israel, opting instead for a neutral stance emphasizing humanitarian concerns.
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