The Ambassador of the State of Israel to Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, H.E. Mr. Roey Gilad, has described his first working visit to Liberia as “very successful,” emphasizing Israel’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Liberia in agriculture, education, and defense, while also calling for the opening of a Liberian embassy in Israel to further cement bilateral ties.
Speaking with journalists in Monrovia on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, Ambassador Gilad said his visit, though delayed due to challenges in Israel over the past year, provided valuable opportunities to engage with key government officials.
“It was a very good visit. I’m very happy with the meetings I had. I met the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Education, the Minister of Defense, and the Minister of Agriculture. It is very good that you have so many ladies in the Cabinet — something we can learn from you,” Ambassador Gilad said.
Although he missed President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, who had traveled to the United States, Ambassador Gilad expressed satisfaction with the level of dialogue and reiterated Israel’s invitation for President Boakai to visit Israel early next year.
Ambassador Gilad hailed Liberia’s imminent ascension to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as a non-permanent member, calling it a “very important achievement” that all Liberians should take pride in.
“Liberia, that for so many years has been a force for stability, prosperity, and peace in Africa, will bring those values to the Security Council. Next to the United States, Liberia will be a voice of reason in the next two years,” he said.
The Ambassador also noted that discussions with Liberia’s Foreign Minister centered on how the two countries could collaborate as Liberia prepares to take on its UNSC role.
Agriculture remains the cornerstone of Israeli Liberian cooperation. According to Ambassador Gilad, Israel annually trains 50 to 60 Liberian agriculture students under its “Agrostudies Program” — a hands-on initiative that allows students to spend 11 months in Israel gaining practical skills while earning stipends.
“So far, this program has been very successful. We evaluate it every year, and the demand is always greater than the scholarships we can provide. There is a chance that this year we will take an additional 50 students, bringing the number to 100,” he revealed.
He further disclosed that Israel intends to deepen agricultural cooperation through new partnerships with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), which, along with the European Union, is investing over €7 million in Liberia’s food security sector.
Ambassador Gilad also emphasized Israel’s interest in supporting Liberia’s education sector after meeting with Education Minister.
“I was very much impressed by her vision. Education, to me, is one of the most important portfolios because it creates the face of Liberia in the future. We want to make Israel relevant to your agenda in this sector,” he said.
On defense, he confirmed that discussions were held with Liberia’s Minister of Defense regarding cooperation in strengthening the country’s security architecture.
The Ambassador’s visit to Liberia coincided with renewed violence in the Middle East. He told Liberian journalists that Israel continues to face threats from Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and the Houthis, while working to secure the release of 48 hostages still held in Gaza.
“We lost 1,200 people and had 251 kidnapped on October 7, 2023. Today, 48 of our people remain in captivity. Our number one aim is to release them, and our second aim is to disarm Hamas and the Gaza Strip,” he said, wearing a yellow ribbon symbolizing the hostages.
He insisted that Israel remains militarily superior to Hamas but has been constrained by the militant group’s use of both Israeli hostages and Palestinian civilians as human shields.
“If Israel didn’t care for human life, this campaign could have ended in one month. The only reason it has lasted two years is because we care about the safety of our hostages and the two million Palestinians held hostage by Hamas,” Ambassador Gilad stressed.
Looking ahead, Ambassador Gilad said a Presidential visit to Israel in early 2026 will be the most significant milestone for bilateral relations. He recalled that former Presidents Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and George Weah both visited Israel, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also visited Liberia in 2017 during an ECOWAS summit hosted in Monrovia.
He further urged Liberia to open an embassy in Israel, noting that such a move would be a “smart investment” with long-term benefits.
“Opening a Liberian embassy in Israel will attract investment and cooperation in agriculture, education, and defense. We are confident it will pay off big time for Liberia,” he said.
Israel, which recently reopened its embassy in Zambia, hopes to eventually establish a permanent mission in Liberia as well.
Ambassador Gilad concluded his visit by reaffirming Israel’s goodwill toward Liberia, despite the constraints of war.
“A war is costly, and some of our development budgets were redirected to security. But one thing we are never short of is goodwill. We are eager to do more with Liberia in agriculture, education, and defense. The sky is the limit for our cooperation,” he said.
