Ethiopian, Israeli think tanks sign national security MOU

Addis Ababa, March 30, 2023 (FBC) – The Jerusalem Center For Public Affairs (JCPA) and the Institute of Foreign Affairs’ foreign policy think tank of the Ethiopian government, signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on national security issues, including water and food security.

According to the Jerusalem Post, JCPA President Dan Diker and Director-General Yehiel Leiter exchange signatures on the memorandum of understanding with Desalegn Ambaw, executive director of the Institute of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia.

“The very first thing we should do is conceptually move food security from the social and economic realm to the realm of national security,” explained Yechiel M. Leiter, director-general of the JCPA.

”National security is not just a matter of tanks and planes and soldiers, it is bread, It is the ability to feed the people of one’s sovereign territory.” Yechiel M. Leiter added.

Ethiopia sees itself as a gateway to the African horn, which includes South Sudan, Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea and Kenya, said JCPA President adding that it would like to develop into more of a global diplomatic power.

“If we can combine Israel’s tech power with their resources, they can become that power,” Diker said. With the signing of the MOU, JCPA will work to find Ethiopian Israeli technology partners that could help the country better leverage its resources, Diker has stated.

Leiter recommended that Ethiopia could become an exporter of wheat, which would help nearby countries like Egypt, which imports most of its grain from Europe and was hard hit by the Ukraine-Russia war.

It is indicated that the Ethiopian delegation took part on a program run by JCPA, which was held under the theme: “Trusted Regional Partnerships at a Time of Shifting Alliances” and included top-level visitors from across Africa.