The Congolese head of state, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi is determined to strengthen the economic and diplomatic ties between his country, the DRC and the State of Israel

The Head of Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix-Antoine Tshiesekedi shared during is speech his vision this Sunday, March 1, 2020, with members of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

The leader of the Democratic Republic of Congo said Sunday he would appoint an ambassador to Israel after a two-decade gap, inviting the Jewish state to build a close relationship.

Addressing the influential pro-Israel US lobby AIPAC, President Felix Tshisekedi said he was inspired in part by his Christian faith and thanked US evangelicals for supporting Israel.

“After more than 20 years of inadequate representation, I will name an ambassador in the coming days,” he said, to applause, at the annual conference in Washington. “I invite Israel to raise its diplomatic and economic presence in my country as high as relations can go between our two states and peoples,” said Tshisekedi, who took office last year.

“This nation is a source of inspiration,” he said. “It teaches us what man can do in such a short span of time when he has drive, resilience and, especially, divine grace and favor.”

Tshisekedi said the ambassador would be posted in Tel Aviv but that a commercial section would be based in Jerusalem — which Israel considers its undivided capital but where only the United States and Guatemala have moved their embassies.

Tshisekedi said he would visit Israel this year and was especially interested in science, technology and agriculture investment in his resource-rich but conflict-scarred nation.

During his speech to the Jewish community in the United States (AIPAC), the president of the republic cited in particular Israel as "a country which has achieved very rapid development and can serve as an example in the DRC in its fight against corruption and money laundering ”. "In terms of security, the new challenges linked to the fight against the financing of terrorism and money laundering, as well as the fight against cyber crime, oblige us to strengthen our ties for shared objectives," said the chief. of State.

He then called for the establishment of an economic section led by high-level staff to promote economic relations between the two states. He also invited Jewish investors to visit the DRC.

“Israel's experience and know-how in the fields of agriculture, science and technology, all have their place in my country which covers 2,345,410 km² with more than 85 million inhabitants but it still only exploits 10% of its 120 million hectares of arable land is adjustable and an infinitesimal part of its resources evaluated (mines) at more than 24,000 billion dollars, "he said.

In this sense, he plans to open a Congolese commercial representation in Jerusalem soon.

"Our Embassy being installed in Tel Aviv, I have no problem with the economic section being installed in the blessed city of Jerusalem," he said under the ovations of the community. "I invite Israel to increase its diplomatic and economic presence in my country to the size of the potential offered by the relationship between our two states and our two peoples," he added.

Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi wishes to forge strong ties with Israel and an alliance in which his country will be a blessing for the nation of Israel according to the promise of the Lord to Abraham written in Genesis 12 verse 3 which says: "I will bless those who will bless you ”.

For him, this is a process which he solemnly reaffirms and which will be reinforced as the Israeli-Congolese friendship and mutual interests are consolidated.

The Head of State therefore invited the Chief Rabin Albert Guigui to Kinshasa "for the strengthening of our spiritual relations" and, finally, promised to go to Israel later this year in the objective of strengthening bilateral relations.

President Tshisekedi also said he was in favor of President Trump’s US policy of bringing Israel closer to Palestine.

As a reminder, the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is a powerful American Jewish lobby that has a decisive influence on government foreign policy decisions in Washington.

With 100,000 members, AIPAC organizes each year a conference which aims to be a pro-Israeli gathering serving as a barometer of relations between the American Jewish community and Israel.

If the Jewish community and a solid majority of Americans of all stripes adhere to the vision of AIPAC, this annual meeting is a "must be" for the politicians and decision makers of certain countries of the world.

Cassien Tribunal Aungane, Editor