Relationship dossier
Israel
Kenya
Relationship assessment
Israel and Kenya maintain practical cooperation in security, agriculture and other areas, alongside differing positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israel toward Kenya
+40Israel has pursued cooperation with Kenya in areas including agriculture, security, health and technology, including through government-to-government engagement and development cooperation.
Kenya toward Israel
+35Kenya has engaged Israel in practical cooperation, including in security and development fields. Kenya also supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, reflecting a policy position distinct from Israel's.
Overall relationship
+40The relationship has a durable cooperative foundation, with government engagement and collaboration across several practical fields. Kenya's support for a two-state solution is a notable policy difference, but the relationship is not defined by sustained bilateral confrontation.
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
Israel and Kenya have maintained a substantial cooperative relationship, including government engagement in agriculture, security, health and technology. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 2016 visit to Kenya highlighted cooperation across several areas. The relationship is not without differences: Kenya supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while the scope and consistency of practical cooperation are not fully clear.
Areas of tension
- Different positions concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Palestinian statehood.
Key developments
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Kenya and discussed cooperation with the Kenyan government across multiple fields.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation agreements are unclear.
- The extent of current Kenyan-Israeli security and development cooperation is uncertain.