“These I will bring to My holy mountain, and give them joy in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”  (Isaiah 56:7)

In Kenya’s first presidential visit to Israel since 1994, the nation’s President Uhuru Kenyatta spent three days last week in Israel, meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin to discuss cooperation between the two countries.

That cooperation includes the fight against terrorism.  Where Islamic groups Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Islamic State target Israel, the al-Qaida al-Shabaab group dominates east Africa.  (JPost)

At Kenyatta’s official welcome ceremony, Rivlin said both nations are “founded on strong principles of democracy, strong principles of freedom of expression —principles of freedom of religious expression.”

“I think this brings us together in many ways,” Rivlin said.

President Rivlin hosted the official welcome ceremony for Kenyan President Kenyatta. (GPO photo by Mark Neiman)

Netanyahu said that Kenya and Israel will work together in “our common battle against militant Islamic terrorism.”

“Both our peoples have suffered casualties at the hands of these brutal terrorists. We have no illusions about them.  They want to murder our people, and we know that this is a common battle that we share with you,” Netanyahu told Kenyatta.   “I have to say that more and more African countries recognize what you recognize, that Israel is a unique partner against this extremism.”  (Times of Israel)

Netanyahu and Kenyatta furthered their intentions by signing into existence a joint bilateral committee and a related water-cooperation agreement.

The countries’ cooperation plans will also focus on advancements in education, technology, science, agriculture, fish farming, and the management of natural resources.  (BIN)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomes Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Calling Kenyatta’s stay in Israel a “historic visit,” Netanyahu told him, “You are in many ways leading this direction; and I welcome that not merely in the context of our relationship with Kenya, but in our relationship with the countries of Africa.”

Kenyatta described the connection as a “strong partnership” and said he anticipated “deepening our cooperation in agriculture, in irrigation, in water management and the experiences that Israel itself has had as well as information technology where we in Kenya can learn a lot from your own particular experiences.”

Both Israel and Kenya “have fought for our independence and as such we value the issues of sovereignty, of independence and for the right to self-determination,” Kenyatta said in Israel.

Kenya and Israel already have cooperated in areas of trade and technology, humanitarian aid, and security.

“The cooperation between our countries since the time of our independence has been formidable, and we look forward that this particular trip will even strengthen those ties in the future,” Kenyatta said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the launch of the Knesset Caucus for Israel-Africa Relations.

Kenya is esteemed in Israel for its assistance during the 1976 Entebbe hostage rescue in nearby Uganda.  Kenyan President Jomo Kenyatta allowed Israeli Mossad agents to gather information prior to the operation and also allowed Israel’s air force to refuel in Kenya.

“This is something that has left a deep imprint on Israel.  The people of Israel are grateful for that, and I’m personally grateful for that,” Netanyahu said.

The Entebbe Operation led to the death of the Israeli prime minister’s brother, Commander Yonatan Netanyahu.  The prime minister announced this past week his first planned trip to Uganda since the fateful mission — to occur this summer along with a visit to Kenya.  (BIN)

Netanyahu stated last week that the “remarkable” Israel-Kenya relationship has endured “over half a century.”

“We have since [the 1976 mission] developed a relationship in many areas,” he said, extending Israel’s willingness to assist the African continent “a great deal more” both against militant Islam and in commercial and industrial fields.