Relationship dossier
Israel
Uganda
Relationship assessment
Renewed Israeli-Ugandan ties feature sectoral cooperation and high-level engagement after an earlier rupture.
Israel toward Uganda
+30Israel has engaged Uganda through cooperation in areas including agriculture and security. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Uganda in 2016, reflecting renewed high-level engagement.
Uganda toward Israel
+25Uganda restored diplomatic relations with Israel in 1994 and has engaged with Israeli governments on agriculture and security cooperation. Uganda hosted Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2016.
Overall relationship
+30The relationship has shifted from a severe rupture under Idi Amin to renewed diplomatic engagement and practical cooperation since relations were restored in 1994. Agricultural and security cooperation and high-level visits characterize the later period, though the extent and durability of specific programs are 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
Israel and Uganda restored diplomatic relations in 1994 after their rupture under Idi Amin. Since then, the relationship has included cooperation in areas such as agriculture and security, as well as high-level engagement, including Benjamin Netanyahu’s 2016 visit to Uganda. The scope and continuity of practical cooperation are less clear than the broader pattern of renewed engagement.
Areas of tension
- Uganda’s relationship with Israel was severed under Idi Amin; Uganda’s support for the hijackers during the 1976 Entebbe hostage crisis was a major historical rupture.
Key developments
Israel and Uganda restored diplomatic relations after the rupture under Idi Amin.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Uganda, where he met Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of Israeli-Ugandan cooperation in agriculture and security are unclear.
- The continuity of specific bilateral programs over time is uncertain.