On Thursday, the President of Chad, Mahamat Deby opened his Muslim-dominated country’s first embassy in Israel, four years after the countries renewed ties.

The embassy inauguration took place in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office marked out as a “historic moment”.

Giving his remark on the occasion, President Mahamat Deby said “this is a great day, a historic day for Chad and for Israel”. He continued “I offer a prayer to God that, with the formal opening of our embassy here, relations between our countries will bring value to both nations”.

Netanyahu said, “we are strengthening our friendship and our common interests in pursuing peace, security, and prosperity”.

In 2020, Netanyahu has discussed the “possibility of opening an embassy in Jerusalem” with a Chadian delegation.

Chad gained independence from France in 1960, prompting Israel’s recognition and in 1962 had opened an embassy in Ndjamena.

In 1972, the relationship between Israel and Chad was broken because of the pressure from Muslim African nations, although after a visit to Chad in 2019, both governments announced a resumption of diplomatic relations.