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Should Eritrea pursue a closer tie with Israel? |
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By Semere T Habtemariam -
Apr 30, 2002
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By Semere Habtemariam, April 30, 2002 In an essay that appeared on April 8, 2002, in The Jerusalem Post, Ehud Ya'ari has argued that "Israel has much to gain from a stronger relationship with war-ravaged Eritrea." According to the author, Eritrea, since its independence "has been indicating its desire to strike a closer alliance with Israel" and Isaias Afwerki "wants closer ties with Israel" and " would like to see the promotion of much wider dealings in the spheres of investment and trade." The guiding principle of our regional policy should be the promotion of our national interest. As a sovereign nation, Eritrea is free to engage in bilateral and multilateral relationships with its neighbors, and Isaias Afwerki is right when he said " We made it absolutely clear: We let nobody choose our friends for us. We do it ourselves. No dictation." Eritrea, however, should not interfere in the internal affairs of neighboring countries, nor should it try to be modern-day Prester John in the worldwide fight against Islamic extremism. Eritrea is too young and too small of a country to be entangled in unnecessary regional and international conflicts. There is reason to believe that DIA suffers from megalomania and is trying to be a regional and continental player. It is believed among close observers of the region that Eritrea has made the most financial contribution to IGAD than any other member country in the region. According to Ehud Ya'ari, Afwerki "has [already] established him self as a regional player, despite the fact that he heads a country ravaged by 40 years of strife." Without furthering dwelling on DIA, it is important that we debate the wisdom of establishing a stronger relationship with our Red sea neighbor, Israel, and what its short and long term ramifications could be domestically, regionally, and internationally. We need to examine the historical, cultural, religious and political relationships Eritrea had with Israel and draw some lessons that can help us understand why Eritrea is interested in fostering closer ties with Israel. We need to weigh the pros and cons and formulate a policy that would truly serve our national interest without isolating our other neighbors and jeopardizing their national and regional interests. A brief historical background: There is a general belief that Judaism was widely practiced before the advent of Christianity in ancient Abyssinya (ancient Eritrea and Northern Ethiopia). When Christianity was inaugurated as a state religion in about 4-5th century, those who refused to embrace the new religion were compelled to seek refugee in the mountains of South Ethiopia. This, perhaps, could explain, the concentration of Jews, known as Bet Israel or Flashas, in Gonder and Southern Tigrai. There was not much persecution against the adherents of Judaism and if there was, not much is known about it. We do, however, know of a Jewish Queen who created havoc in Northern Ethiopia a few hundred years after the advent of Christianity. With the exception of this incident, and perhaps minor other incidents, there was not much hostility between the two religions. The version of Christianity in Abyssinya literally kept all the Judaic rituals and traditions, which perhaps, explains why the Christian community in Abyssinya, unlike other Christian communities in many other places, never had any bias or hostility towards the Jews. When the Portugese came in the 16-17th century, one of their priorities besides fighting Ahmed Gran, was to get rid of Judaism out of Abyssinian Christianity. Abyssinian Christians were asked to stop following Judaic rituals such as dietary observations, the Sabath and circumcision. Christians and particularly those under the aegis of the monastry of Debre Bizien revolted by claiming "neyabo nemen nehabo" as the contemporary book, "yeabo Haymanot" testifies. Abyssinian Christianity is hostile to the idea of replacement theology, and has over the years, remained true to its Judaic heritage. It is not far from the truth to call Abyssinyan Christians as one of the first Messianic Jews after the apostolic era. Any one with an amateurish interest in the genealogy of Eritrea, can also notice the claim of Israelite pedigree among many Eritrean families and particularly those in the highlands of Eritrea. For some Eritreans a feeling of solidarity with Israelites is not only a shared religious heritage, but, fraternal kinship. Perhaps, the lost tribes of Israel are not that lost. The lost tribes, whether a myth or reality, have become a real fixture of the religious and cultural make up of those legitimate heirs of the Axumite civilization, the Tewahdos. Eritrea is not only a home to those Lost Tribes that were effectively assimilated or integrated, but to those new Jewish immigrants that came with Islamic expansion on the Red sea. "The Cohens came to Eritrea from the Red Sea Yemeni city of Aden in 1615 and first settled in the Ottoman-controlled port of Messawa". The last time we heard about the Cohens was when the BBC sadly reported about the last Jew leaving Eritrea when the 1998 war broke out. "Eritrea's last two Jews are grappling with economic recession and solitude, living off the memories of a 400-year-old community that survived an earthquake and five occupation forces." On June 10, 1999, as Samuel Cohen was leaving Eritrea for good, he has this to say, " We were never persecuted and we always had friendly relations with the other religious communities (Christian and Moslems)," and " We are very happy here. It is a pleasant place but sometimes I even surprise myself at being here still," (AFP). It is important to note that "at its height the community numbered 500 people in the early 1900s. The creation of the state of Israel in 1948 took its toll on Eritrea's small but prosperous community, with one third of them packing their bags and heading for their new homeland." Eritrea has a great reputation of being the only country in the world where Jews never experienced any hostility or persecution from and by their Christian and Muslim brothers. Jews were at home in Eritrea. With the coming of the state of Israel in 1948 and the conflict with Palestine that ensued, the Eritrean population was divided along religious lines in their support for Israel and the Palestinians. A majority of Christians supported Israel and a majority of Muslims supported the Palestinians. This rift with religious overtones was soon narrowed down as the Eritrean nationalist movement was increasingly becoming nationalistic and ideology driven. The Eritrean fronts were pro Palestine and even "Afwerki was a protégé of Dr. George Habash, head of the radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine who was based in Beirut. EPLF fighters trained in Lebanon and were sponsored by Yasser Arafat in the framework of the PLO ' s assistance to liberation movements allover Africa." Like true leftists, the Eritrean fronts were good with labels and slogans, and one slogan that I recall vividly is "down with American Imperialism and Israeli Zionism". Israel, at the time was without a doubt against Eritrea. Israel supported "the Ethiopian army, dispatching military advisers from Tel Aviv to assist the divisions fighting the Eritrean rebels." Dennis J Wamsted of the "Washington Report" disclosed in 1990 that Israel had agreed to give Ethiopia cluster bombs that the Ethiopian Air Force used in destroying truck convoys of the EPLF and ERA. Israel was pro Ethiopia for regional and domestic concerns. Domestically, Israel wanted Ethiopia to let the people (Jews) go. This is the airlifting of the Ethiopian Jews known as Operation Moses. Regionally, Israel was trying to prevent the Red Sea from becoming a Muslim/Arab Sea. Israel's establishment of an electronic post in the Dahlack islands could enhance Israeli's military intelligence and security. The Eritrean fronts were seen as pro-Arab and Eritrean independence was undesirable for Issrael. The Eritrean fronts found a natural ally in the Palestinian liberation organization. The PLO at the time was strictly a nationalist movement and was seen by Eritreans as a model of a national liberation front. When the traditional pro Israeli and pro America government of King Haile Selasse was deposed by the tyrant Mengistu Hailemariam, the doors of Addis Abeba were open to the PLO. The PLO took what seemed a pragmatic shift in policy and told Afwerki "that the torch of freedom had passed from the highlands of Eritrea to the offices of the administration in Addis Ababa," to which the he "replied that we [EPLF] would carry on, and win, without them [PLO], and that's how it was. Ever since, our relations with them [PLO] have been cool." The change in alliances and ideology in Ethiopia compelled Israel to make minor adjustments and reconsiderations in its regional strategies. "Once the EPLF had been deserted by the PLO, and Addis Ababa had turned pro-Soviet, Israeli contacts with Afwerki and his rebels began. They were facilitated by some Jewish aides on Capitol Hill who took a special interest in African affairs." To make a long story short, Eritrea gained its independence and Israel was one of the first countries to recognize Eritrea. There has been some relationship with Israel. "So far, there is only a tiny Israeli embassy in the Eritrean capital. A couple of dozen Israeli company reps, and agricultural and medical experts fly in and out by private jet" When DIA was on the verge of death from malaria of the brain, it was Petros Solomon, a reformer and advocate of democracy, now perishing in DIA jails, who arranged for his hospitalization in Israel. Israel is a leader in the treatment of Tropical diseases. In mid February, Eritrea has signed its first civil aviation agreement that would allow charter flights between the new airport in Massawa and Israel. The Eritrean government, as part of its 20 years tourism plan is asking Israel to build a luxury resort that would be a meca for Israeli tourists. "So far, Israel is helping Eritrea with aerial mapping and with building a pressure chamber for divers on the coast, and is dispatching medical and a few agricultural specialists. An Israeli company is licensed to fish in the waters off the Eritrean coast, and there is talk of Israeli experts helping preserve and restore archaeological sites in the west of the country, including obelisks from the days of the medieval Ethiopian kingdom of Axum. Israel is also negotiating setting up programs in vocational training for the tens of thousands of soldiers coming out of the Eritrean army after their battles with Ethiopia." According to DIA, this is just "modest beginning" and more is expected. Now the question is whether deepening Israeli and Eritrean relationship is the right strategy and whether we should support or condemn it. From the quick, historical, cultural and religious survey, Eritrea and Israel have all the ingredients that make an excellent recipe for bilateral ties. There is no direct feeling of hatred, hostility or resentment between the two peoples. Of all the countries in the region, Eritrea still remains the only country where Jews or Israelis are at home and welcome. " Eritrea is the only friendly rest-stop for Israeli planes or boats in the Red Sea en route to Africa and the Far East. The 1,300 kilometers of Eritrean coastline, the country's two ports, Massawa and Asab, and the airport at Asmara are the only refuges in all the Red Sea where Israeli vessels and planes could berth or land in an emergency." But as the Israeli and Palestinian conflict assumes more religious overtones, the likelihood that Muslim Eritreans would be offended by a closer ties with Israel is high. Our Red Sea neighbors that are predominantly Muslim would not be happy either. This could potentially result in domestic unrest and regional isolationism, a price that might be too costly to pay. It is evident that most Eritreans, if not all, support the right of the Palestinian people to have their own state. Eritreans know what it means not to have a state. There is a moral imperative for Eritreans to support the Palestinian people and if the right wing government in Israel does not show some flexibility to accommodate the demands of the Palestinians, the durability of Israeli and Eritrean ties would soon be tested. Arafat has once proved to the world that he can be a partner to peace, and the burden of proof is not on him but on PM Sharoun. One could argue that we were dumped by the PLO when we needed them the most and it is not incumbent on us to show moral consistency. But, at the same time, one can not accuse the Palestinians of supporting the Ethiopian army that was killing our people and destroying our homes. Israel cluster bombs were responsible for the death of our many people. Indeed, our national interest should be the over-riding concern. In that case, Israel has to deliver the goods and deliver them good. Israel is the only true democracy in the region with a high-tech society and a vibrant free market economy. The vision of Eritrea is to be an Israel minus the conflict with its neighbors. There is a whole lot we can learn from Israel and "closer ties" is, perhaps, what we need to vigorously pursue. Eritrea could benefit immensely from the scientific and technological advances Israel has made. Israel has also the ability to invest and help Eritrea make a quick recovery and growth that can help us alleviate the immediate problems Eritrea is facing. In conclusion, I agree with Ehud Ya'ari that "Israel has much to gain from a stronger relationship with war-ravaged Eritrea." Eritrea has much more to gain by deepening its relationship with Eritrea, if it is done under the right terms and leadership. Israel has much more to offer Eritrea than any other country in the region. Eritrea must foster closer ties with Israel but it has to do it in cautionary steps by catering to its domestic constituents and neighboring countries. Eritrea can not afford antagonism with its Arab neighbors. Eritrea needs to educate its people of the benefits of closer ties with Israel. Eritrea's regional policies should be wise, pragmatic and expected and that could only happen with the democratization of Eritrea. I can't envision a closer ties with Israel, if the Erirean government adheres to excluding a sizable segment of its population that would be hostile to the very idea. The Eritrean government must understand the obvious that Muslim Eritreans are not only from Hirgigo and vicinity. The regime in Asmara must reconcile its differences with all the opposition forces and various segments of our population and embark on the democratic journey. I say this not of the force of habit or idle inquiry, but out of deep conviction and faith in democratic governance. Israel must understand that it will have more durable and stable ties with democratic Eritrea, than one under the monstrous dictatorship of DIA. Pushing for closer ties with DIA, at this point, would only result in the regional isolation and destabilization of Eritrea. DIA is pushing for a closer ties with Israel in his endless search for more antagonism with our neighbors so he can avoid addressing the more pressing domestic issues of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. |
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