VIDEO: PM Netanyahu Continues Developing Relations With Africa

(VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is continuing efforts to improve ties with Africa, about to embark on his third visit to that country in a bit over a year. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday, at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting, made the following remarks:

“Tomorrow I will host the President of Togo. I will talk with him about – inter alia – the Africa-Israel conference that Togo is due to host in about two months. This will be my third visit to Africa in a little over a year: First East Africa, then West Africa and now an economic-technological conference for the countries of Africa, with a clear goal – to bring Israel back to Africa in a big way.

“This is not taking place without contrary pressure. Various pressures have been placed on the Togolese President to cancel the conference. These pressures are the best testimony to the success of our policy, of Israel’s presence in Africa. Last week Cape Verde announced that it will not vote against us in UN institutions. This is important and it attests to success. Of course, I will speak with the Togolese President about ways to deepen and expand Israel’s presence in Africa.

He then went on to discuss efforts to find a solution for residents of the Netiv HaAvot neighborhood of Yishuv Elazar. “Today we will also convene a committee chaired by me on the issue of Netiv HaAvot. We have been dealing with this continuously and are trying to find a humane and logical solution for a humane problem. I hope that we will succeed in moving forward.”

“Today the Cabinet will approve a secure identification policy. The intention is to provide better service for citizens via the telephone, cellular phone and computer knowing that this is the citizen in question and not somebody else. It is necessary to provide accessible and rapid service for citizens and to protect them against identity theft, which has become very widespread around the world. The principal means of identification are the smart ID card and other biometric and technological means. The citizen is the customer. He must be secure and today we will advance a plan to genuinely facilitate progress on the accessibility and safety of citizens at various institutions.”