Israeli President Reuven Rivlin noted that Ethiopia or the Queen of Sheba are mentioned in the Bible more than 50 times, “so we have a real connection.”
By Greer Fay Cashman (Jerusalem Post) |
In what has become a tradition at meetings between Israeli and Ethiopian leaders, both President Reuven Rivlin and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn reminisced on the biblical references of the visit of the Queen of Sheba to Jerusalem to meet with King Solomon.
Hailemariam Desalegn, who came to the President’s Residence with a large delegation, wrote in the guest book: “I am blessed to be in the Holy Land.”
This was one of many visits that Hailemariam has made to Israel, as Rivlin reminded him. Reuven Rivlin thanked him in particular for attending the funeral of president Shimon Peres last year.
President Rivlin noted that Ethiopia or the Queen of Sheba are mentioned in the Bible more than 50 times, “so we have a real connection.”
Acknowledging that the relationship dates back many centuries, Desalegn said that it was something to cherish, but that the current relationship should be deepened. “We have Israel always in our hearts,” he said. “We are different from many African countries. We represent Africa as the gateway and will do everything to make African and Israeli relations mushroom.”
Hailemariam Desalegn came to bring relations between his own country and Israel “to a new high level,” he said, adding that all East African states were happy about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to East Africa last July. Hailemariam was also happy about Netanyahu’s visit to West Africa this week, saying that it demonstrates his dedication to the African cause.
Quoting Netanyahu on a visit to Addis Ababa last year, Hailemariam said, “Israel comes back to Africa and Africa comes back to Israel.”
Read the complete story at Jerusalem Post
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