Relationship dossier
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Israel
Relationship assessment
Longstanding diplomatic ties, historical military cooperation, and announced plans to expand diplomatic and economic engagement.
Democratic Republic of the Congo toward Israel
+35Zaire under Mobutu maintained close relations with Israel and restored diplomatic ties in 1982. In 2023, President Félix Tshisekedi announced plans to move the Congolese embassy to Jerusalem; the implementation of that plan is unclear.
Israel toward Democratic Republic of the Congo
+35Israel provided military assistance to Zaire under Mobutu. In 2023, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans for an Israeli economic office in Kinshasa; the scope and implementation of the plan are unclear.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship combines restored diplomatic ties and historical military cooperation with renewed plans for diplomatic and economic engagement announced in 2023. The depth and continuity of practical cooperation, particularly after the Mobutu era, remain unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Israel have maintained diplomatic ties, including their restoration in 1982. Under Mobutu, Zaire developed close relations with Israel, which provided military assistance. In 2023, President Félix Tshisekedi and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans involving a Congolese embassy in Jerusalem and an Israeli economic office in Kinshasa; implementation and the broader scope of cooperation are unclear.
Key developments
Zaire and Israel restored diplomatic relations.
At a meeting between their leaders, the Democratic Republic of the Congo announced plans to move its embassy to Jerusalem, while Israel announced plans for an economic office in Kinshasa.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and continuity of military and security cooperation beyond the Mobutu period are unclear.
- The implementation and scope of the embassy and economic-office plans announced in 2023 are unclear.