Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Burundi
Burundi's relations with the Zionist state, broken off in 1973 and restored in 1995, and Israeli aid through MASHAV
Burundi broke off relations with "Israel" in May 1973 and restored them in March 1995.[1][2] In 2024 the Burundian foreign ministry said that "Israel" supported Burundi in education, agriculture, defence, energy and health through MASHAV, the Israeli foreign ministry's aid agency.[3]
Jewish community and religious life
History
No historic Jewish community in Burundi was found in the sources consulted.
The community today
No organised Jewish community was found in Burundi.
How far is it Zionist? There is no Jewish community to speak of. The connections on this page are between the Burundian state and the Zionist state.
Chabad
- Main article: Chabad-Lubavitch movement
Powerbase does not yet have a page on Chabad in Burundi, and no permanent Chabad centre was found there. Burundi is not among the ten countries with permanent centres under Chabad of Central Africa.[4] The Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States lists no rabbi in Burundi.[5]
Zionist movement and advocacy
No organised Zionist movement was found in Burundi.
Israeli state and commercial ties
Diplomacy and aid
- Burundi broke off relations on 16 May 1973, months before the Yom Kippur War. The Israeli political scientist Benyamin Neuberger writes that Libya and Saudi Arabia "used financial assistance to coax countries with urgent financial needs, such as Uganda, Chad, Mali, Niger, and Burundi, into severing all ties with Israel in 1972 and 1973".[1]
- In 2011 the Israeli foreign ministry listed relations as renewed in March 1995, with Burundi covered by the ambassador in Ethiopia.[2] The French think tank Ifri says Burundi uses its mission in Cairo to manage its relations with "Israel".[6]
- In December 2023 President Évariste Ndayishimiye received Ron Adam, described as the special envoy of the Israeli president.[7]
- On 13 March 2024 Burundi's ambassador, Willy Nyamitwe, presented his credentials to the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog.[8] The Burundian foreign ministry said that "Israel" was helping through MASHAV with a STEM centre at the University of Burundi, agriculture, defence, solar power plants, health and hydrometeorology. It said the Israeli ambassador to Burundi was based in Addis Ababa.[3]
- On 12 January 2026 the foreign minister, Édouard Bizimana, received Einat Weiss, the Israeli ambassador to Burundi, who is resident in Rwanda. She was accompanied by Gershon Kedar, the Israeli ambassador to the African Union. They discussed energy and mining, agriculture, the environment, health and information technology.[9]
Arms
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute records no Israeli deliveries of major weapons to Burundi.[10]
Trade
The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics does not list Burundi separately in its main table of trade by country. Burundi falls under "Other Countries".[11]
Migration and aliyah
The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics does not list Burundi separately in its table of immigrants by country of birth.[12]
Political interference
UN voting
In September 2025 Burundi voted for the General Assembly's endorsement of the New York Declaration on a two-state solution.[13]
Jeffrey Epstein
Burundi appears in the released Jeffrey Epstein files only in passing. In February 2014 a correspondent whose name is redacted sent Epstein photographs of a "Banana beer barrel - Burundi", adding: "We could use it as a planter maybe".[14] A 2012 activity report of the International Peace Institute, whose president Terje Rød-Larsen later resigned over donations from foundations linked to Epstein, is also in the files. It mentions the institute's papers on peacekeeping in Burundi.[15][16]
See also
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Rwanda
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Ethiopia
- MASHAV
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Benyamin Neuberger, Israel's Relations with the Third World (1948–2008) S. Daniel Abraham Center for International and Regional Studies, Tel Aviv University, October 2009.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Diplomatic Missions Abroad: Status of relations mfa.gov.il, archived 5 August 2011.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Burundi, The Ambassador of the Republic of Burundi to the State of Israel presents his letters of credence to the Israeli President His Excellency Mr. Isaac Herzog mae.gov.bi, 21 March 2024.
- ↑ Shloimy Galperin, Getting Central Africa's Rabbis Into One Room Isn't Easy Chabad.org, 10 June 2026.
- ↑ Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, The Rabbis rabbisalliance.org, accessed 21 October 2026.
- ↑ Benjamin Augé, Israel-Africa Relations: What Can We Learn from the Netanyahu Decade? Études de l'Ifri, Ifri, November 2020.
- ↑ Burundi : Ndayishimiye reçoit l'envoyé spécial d'Israël Burundi-forum.org, 22 December 2023.
- ↑ Spokesperson of the President's Office, President Herzog receives Diplomatic Credentials of new Ambassadors of Equatorial Guinea, Paraguay, Georgia, Burundi, and Eswatini Diplomacy.co.il, 13 March 2024.
- ↑ Le Burundi et Israël réaffirment leur engagement pour une coopération renforcée Intumwa, January 2026.
- ↑ Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, SIPRI Arms Transfers Database SIPRI, accessed 20 October 2026.
- ↑ Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel), Foreign Trade Statistics Monthly, Table D1: Trade Countries – Imports and Exports CBS, December 2025 issue (library copy).
- ↑ Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel), Statistical Abstract of Israel 2024, Table 2.55: Immigrants, by period of immigration, country of birth and last country of residence CBS, 2024.
- ↑ United Nations General Assembly, Recorded vote on A/80/L.1/Rev.1: Endorsement of the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, 12 September 2025 (copy hosted by Al-Quds Al-Arabi).
- ↑ Email to Jeffrey Epstein (sender redacted), "Barrel", 19 February 2014, DOJ Epstein Files release (Dataset 10), EFTA01802859 (mirror), accessed 21 October 2026.
- ↑ International Peace Institute, "Report on 2012 Program Activities", April 2013, DOJ Epstein Files release (Dataset 9), EFTA01136683 (mirror), accessed 21 October 2026.
- ↑ International Peace Institute, Statement by the Board of the International Peace Institute: Resignation of President Terje Rød-Larsen, 29 October 2020.