View source for Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Burundi

{{short description|'''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.<ref name="Neuberger2009">Benyamin Neuberger, [https://dacenter.tau.ac.il/sites/abraham.tau.ac.il/files/Israel%E2%80%99s%20Relations%20with%20the%20Third%20World.pdf Israel's Relations with the Third World (1948–2008)] ''S. Daniel Abraham Center for International and Regional Studies, Tel Aviv University'', October 2009.</ref><ref name="MFA2011">Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, [https://web.archive.org/web/20110805075305/http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/about%20the%20ministry/diplomatic%20missions/Israel-s%20Diplomatic%20Missions%20Abroad Diplomatic Missions Abroad: Status of relations] ''mfa.gov.il'', archived 5 August 2011 (Israeli government-side).</ref> 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.<ref name="MAE2024">Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Burundi, [https://www.mae.gov.bi/en/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/ 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 (Burundian government-side).</ref>

==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]]''
There is no Chabad Bot page for Burundi, and no permanent [[Chabad-Lubavitch|Chabad]] centre was found there. Burundi is not among the ten countries with permanent centres under [[Chabad of Central Africa]].<ref name="Kin35">Shloimy Galperin, [https://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/7395914/jewish/Getting-Central-Africas-Rabbis-Into-One-Room-Isnt-Easy.htm Getting Central Africa's Rabbis Into One Room Isn't Easy] ''Chabad.org'', 10 June 2026.</ref> The [[Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States]] lists no rabbi in Burundi.<ref name="ARIS">Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, [https://www.rabbisalliance.org/about/the-rabbis/ The Rabbis] ''rabbisalliance.org'', accessed 21 October 2026 (Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States-side).</ref>

==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 [[Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Libya|Libya]] and [[Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Saudi Arabia|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".<ref name="Neuberger2009" />
*In 2011 the Israeli foreign ministry listed relations as renewed in March 1995, with Burundi covered by the ambassador in [[Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Ethiopia|Ethiopia]].<ref name="MFA2011" /> The French think tank [[French Institute of International Relations|Ifri]] says Burundi uses its mission in [[Cairo]] to manage its relations with "Israel".<ref name="Ifri2020">Benjamin Augé, [https://www.ifri.org/sites/default/files/migrated_files/documents/atoms/files/auge_israel_africa_relations_2021.pdf Israel-Africa Relations: What Can We Learn from the Netanyahu Decade?] ''Études de l'Ifri'', Ifri, November 2020.</ref>
*In December 2023 President [[Évariste Ndayishimiye]] received Ron Adam, described as the special envoy of the Israeli president.<ref name="BurundiForum2023">[https://burundi-forum.org/97481/burundi-ndayishimiye-recoit-lenvoye-special-disrael/ Burundi : Ndayishimiye reçoit l'envoyé spécial d'Israël] ''Burundi-forum.org'', 22 December 2023.</ref>
*On 13 March 2024 Burundi's ambassador, Willy Nyamitwe, presented his credentials to the Israeli president, [[Isaac Herzog]].<ref name="Diplomacy2024">Spokesperson of the President's Office, [https://www.diplomacy.co.il/diplomatic-events/4769-president-herzog-receives-diplomatic-credentials-of-new-ambassadors-of-equatorial-guinea-paraguay-georgia-burundi-and-eswatini President Herzog receives Diplomatic Credentials of new Ambassadors of Equatorial Guinea, Paraguay, Georgia, Burundi, and Eswatini] ''Diplomacy.co.il'', 13 March 2024 (Israeli government-side).</ref> 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]].<ref name="MAE2024" />
*On 12 January 2026 the foreign minister, Édouard Bizimana, received Einat Weiss, the Israeli ambassador to Burundi, who is resident in [[Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Rwanda|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.<ref name="Intumwa2026">[https://intumwa.bi/le-burundi-et-israel-reaffirment-leur-engagement-pour-une-cooperation-renforcee/ Le Burundi et Israël réaffirment leur engagement pour une coopération renforcée] ''Intumwa'', January 2026.</ref>

===Arms===
The [[Stockholm International Peace Research Institute]] records no Israeli deliveries of major weapons to Burundi.<ref name="SIPRI">Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, [https://armstransfers.sipri.org SIPRI Arms Transfers Database] ''SIPRI'', accessed 20 October 2026.</ref>

===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".<ref name="CBS">Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel), [https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/publications/DocLib/2026/fr_trade12_2025/td1.pdf Foreign Trade Statistics Monthly, Table D1: Trade Countries – Imports and Exports] ''CBS'', December 2025 issue (library copy) (Israeli government-side).</ref>

==Migration and aliyah==
The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics does not list Burundi separately in its table of immigrants by country of birth.<ref name="CBSAliyah">Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel), [https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/publications/DocLib/2024/2.ShnatonPopulation/st02_55.pdf Statistical Abstract of Israel 2024, Table 2.55: Immigrants, by period of immigration, country of birth and last country of residence] ''CBS'', 2024 (Israeli government-side).</ref>

==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.<ref name="UNNY2025">United Nations General Assembly, [https://www.alquds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Voting-rec-L.1-Rev.1.pdf 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'').</ref>

===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".<ref name="EFTA01802859">Email to Jeffrey Epstein (sender redacted), "Barrel", 19 February 2014, DOJ Epstein Files release (Dataset 10), EFTA01802859 ([https://tommycarstensen.com/epstein/data/documents/set10/01802/EFTA01802859.html mirror]), accessed 21 October 2026.</ref> 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.<ref name="IPI2012rep">International Peace Institute, "Report on 2012 Program Activities", April 2013, DOJ Epstein Files release (Dataset 9), EFTA01136683 ([https://tommycarstensen.com/epstein/data/documents/set9/01136/EFTA01136683.html mirror]), accessed 21 October 2026.</ref><ref name="IPI2020">International Peace Institute, [https://www.ipinst.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/20201029_IPIBoard_Final.pdf Statement by the Board of the International Peace Institute: Resignation of President Terje Rød-Larsen], 29 October 2020.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Rwanda]]
*[[Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Ethiopia]]
*[[MASHAV]]

==Notes==
<references/>

[[Category:Zionist movement|Burundi]]
[[Category:Burundi]]