Israel and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have had rocky ties since the DRC severed relations following pressure from the Arab League after the Yom Kippur War in 1973.
Israel welcomed on Tuesday officials from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in a step towards strengthening the relationship between the two countries, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced in a post on X/Twitter.
“I was pleased to host once again in Jerusalem Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the Foreign Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who is accompanying the visit of her country’s President Felix Tshisekedi to Israel,” he wrote on the social media post.
Sa’ar said comprehensive discussions on the relations between both countries were held, including strengthening security and economic ties.
The implementation of an ongoing peace agreement between Congo and Rwanda was also discussed, Sa’ar added.
“The DRC is a friendly country to Israel, and I hope that soon we will be able to announce a significant leap forward in relations between the countries,” he concluded.
President Isaac Herzog greets President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi during his visit to Israel on September 1, 2026. (credit: X/Isaac Herzog)
President Isaac Herzog also published images of the visit on X/Twitter, welcoming Tshisekedi and calling him “my dear friend.”
Israel, Congo have had rocky ties
Israel and the DRC established diplomatic relations following Congo’s independence in 1960, which were severed following the Yom Kippur War in 1973, when the Arab League pressured African nations to sever relations with Israel.
Then-president Mobutu Sese Seko described the decision to cut ties as a choice between a “friend” and a “brother.”
In the early 1980s, Congo became one of the first African countries to restore ties with Israel.
Tshisekedi has since strengthened cooperation with Israel in areas such as agriculture, technology, and security.
According to a 2025 report from Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency, Tshisekedi said that discussions with Israel were going “very, very well” and that the DRC has “many opportunities” to offer Israel prior to Herzog’s visit to the country last year.
“The evidence is clear: the friendship is deep between the two countries, through projects beneficial for our two countries, and this will be an opportunity to seize,” Anadolu cited Herzog as saying.
Herzog reciprocates visit
“I am so glad to reciprocate and host you in Israel after you hosted me so beautifully in Kinshasa,” Herzog told Tshisekedi. “The relations that we have with the Democratic Republic of the Congo are incredibly important to us. We have so many fields of cooperation. We respect your support of Israel, Mr. President, in the international arena, and this visit shows the depth and importance of these relations.”
Herzog also said that Israel is putting “major focus” on its relations with Africa. “I have had the enormous pleasure of visiting the continent of Africa on numerous occasions in the last few years, and I hope to see more of Africa, and meet and have a dialogue with African leaders across the continent,” he said.
The president claimed that Israel-African relations stem from “the love of the Bible and the vision of moving forward toward development and doing good in the family of nations.”
“I know that you are striving with many challenges,” he told Tshisekedi, but we are here to help and support — especially in the humanitarian challenges that you face in so many fields — and other issues that are so important to your well-being and national interests.”