12 September, 2017
News of the summit's temporary cancellation come as Netanyahu is en route to make the first-ever visit by a sitting Israeli prime minister to Latin America.
The Israel-Africa summit, a landmark meeting scheduled in Togo in October, has been postponed to an unknown date, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé "thanked and praised the prime minister for his determination to strengthen the cooperation between his country and Israel, as well as for his personal engagement to guarantee the initiative to hold the summit", the Foreign Ministry said.
Last week and during some festive ceremonies in the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Netanyahu announced his campaign of diplomatic communications with Africa as one of his principal foreign policy goals.
The summit was supposed to take place in the Togolese capital of Lome on October 23-27 with business leaders and security experts from Israel and 54 African countries.
"Israel is fully committed to continue its efforts vis a vis the African continent", the Foreign Ministry stated.
Netanyahu has previously announced in more than one occasion since previous year, and even during his visit to Africa, that he is trying to establish a closer relationship with the Black Continent to cut with the instinctive sympathy for Palestine in global institutions in which Palestinians are supported.
But strong opposition to the pan-African summit emerged from the Palestinian Authority, as well as leaders in Morocco and South Africa, the Times of Israel reported. "These pressures are the best testimony to the success of our policy, of Israel's presence in Africa".
In June, King Mohammed VI opted not to participate in a meeting between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that was attended by Netanyahu, even though Rabat seeks to become a member of the organization.
