Israeli delegation holds talks with the University of Gondar on rehabilitation of war-torn health facilities

A group of Israeli parliamentarians and health professionals held a consultative meeting with the University of Gondar at the University Senate Hall on April 13, 2022 to rehabilitate health facilities damaged during the TPLF invasion.

Members of the Ethiopian and Israeli parliaments, Dr. Asrat Atsedeweyn, President of the University of Gondar, Erzik Isa, Amhara Regional State official, Adane Tedla, Director of the Gondar Consulate of Israeli Affairs, Federal and Regional officials and Gondar City Administration officials were present.

The relationship between Israel and our homeland is a long-standing one. The foreign relations between the two countries have been strong for decades. Both countries re-established diplomatic relations in 1992 and continue to work together for the betterment of both nations.

In his opening remarks, the president of the University of Gondar, Dr. Asrat Atsedeweyn, shared that Gondar is the birthplace of many Israelis and that the bond of the two peoples stretches far passed a neighborly bond. When speaking on the current relationship of the Israelis and the country of Ethiopia, Dr. Asrat stated, “The connection with Israel did not end when the Beta Israel left for their homeland of Israel in the late 20th century. The Beta Israel and Ethiopia have historical ties, which has resulted in bilateral ties between the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the State of Israel. One avenue of this relationship is the Beta Israel being a bridge between Ethio-Israel cooperation.”

Some of the great deeds performed by the Israeli Government include Mashav Project (which saw University of Gondar faculty and students given the opportunity to visit Israel for short-term training in the field of agriculture), the Belessa Water project (which supported the area to get much needed water), firefighting support the region received for the Semien Mountain fires in 2019, the Support Eye Care campaign via a civil society called Source of Hope, and the help from the State of Israel in strengthening the University’s COVID-19 test center via the Jewish Agency for Israel.

Dr. Asrat closed by saying that he would like to appreciate the support and earnest care that countless Israeli institutions have given to the city of Gondar and their unreserved assistance to the University of Gondar. He stressed that the damage and destruction done to health facilities is huge and stressed the need to strengthen the health facilities that have been hard hit by the war of the past year with a consorted effort of international partners.

Those who were present on the side of the Israeli delegation all shared in one voice that they are willing to assure the regions health departments and offices that they are willing to do whatever it takes to develop and progress war torn areas and strengthen the health sector via capacity building training, services in trauma, pre hospital care and maternal training, tele-medicine and the likes.

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Public and International Relations Directorate

April 13, 2022