Relationship dossier
Israel
Zambia
Relationship assessment
Israel and Zambia have developed practical cooperation, including agreements signed during a 2023 presidential visit.
Israel toward Zambia
+35Israel has cooperated with Zambia in areas including agriculture, health and security. The two governments signed cooperation agreements during Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema’s 2023 visit to Israel.
Zambia toward Israel
+35Zambia pursued bilateral cooperation with Israel, including through President Hakainde Hichilema’s 2023 visit and the signing of cooperation agreements.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship combines practical cooperation in several sectors with a history of diplomatic rupture and restoration. The 2023 visit and agreements indicate renewed bilateral engagement, though the scope and implementation of that cooperation 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 Zambia have pursued practical cooperation, particularly in agriculture, health and security. Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema visited Israel in 2023, and the two governments signed cooperation agreements. The relationship also has a history of interruption: Zambia severed ties in 1973 and restored them in 1991.
Key developments
Zambia severed diplomatic relations with Israel.
Zambia restored diplomatic relations with Israel.
President Hakainde Hichilema visited Israel, and the two governments signed cooperation agreements.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of the agreements signed during Hichilema’s 2023 visit are unclear.
- The extent of ongoing Israeli technical cooperation with Zambia is unclear.