Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau's relations with the Zionist state since 1994 and President Umaro Sissoco Embaló's March 2024 visit, the first by an African leader after the start of the war on Gaza
Guinea-Bissau established diplomatic relations with "Israel" in March 1994.[1] In March 2024 President Umaro Sissoco Embaló became the first African leader to visit "Israel" after the start of the war on Gaza. President Isaac Herzog called him "a true friend of Israel".[2]
Jewish community and religious life
History
No historic Jewish community in Guinea-Bissau was found in the sources consulted.
The community today
No organised Jewish community was found in Guinea-Bissau.
How far is it Zionist? No Jewish or Zionist body was found in Guinea-Bissau.
Chabad
- Main article: Chabad-Lubavitch movement
Powerbase does not yet have a page on Chabad in Guinea-Bissau, and no permanent Chabad centre was found there. Guinea-Bissau is not among the ten countries with permanent centres under Chabad of Central Africa.[3] The Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States lists no rabbi in Guinea-Bissau.[4]
Zionist movement and advocacy
No organised Zionist movement was found in Guinea-Bissau.
Israeli state and commercial ties
Diplomacy
- "Israel" has no embassy in Guinea-Bissau. In 2011 the Israeli foreign ministry listed it as covered by the ambassador in Senegal.[1] In 2021 the Israeli cabinet approved Ben Bourgel as ambassador to Senegal and non-resident ambassador to Guinea-Bissau.[5]
- During Embaló's visit on 3 March 2024, Herzog said, according to his office: "You are a true friend of Israel, and I was pleased to hear that you studied here in Israel... We will never forget our friends and you were with us even in this difficult time. You supported our position in the African Union and showed true friendship." Embaló described himself as a "messenger of peace".[2]
Arms
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute records no Israeli deliveries of major weapons to Guinea-Bissau.[6]
Trade
The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics does not list Guinea-Bissau separately in its main table of trade by country. Guinea-Bissau falls under "Other Countries".[7]
Migration and aliyah
The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics does not list Guinea-Bissau separately in its table of immigrants by country of birth.[8]
Political interference
Jeffrey Epstein
In January 2012 the flight planners for Jeffrey Epstein's plane were arranging a landing permit for Cape Verde and overflight permits for Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and the Gambia, "small african nations that we need and always obtain overflights for", on legs from Abidjan.[9]
See also
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Senegal
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Guinea
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Diplomatic Missions Abroad: Status of relations mfa.gov.il, archived 5 August 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Times of Israel Staff, Herzog tells visiting president of Guinea-Bissau: 'You are a true friend of Israel' The Times of Israel, 3 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.
- ↑ Meet the 36 new ambassadors approved to new posts around the world The Jerusalem Post, 20 June 2021.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Email to Jeffrey Epstein, "Update", 17 January 2012, US Department of Justice Epstein files release, Data Set 9, EFTA00647682 (mirror), accessed 21 October 2026.