Our History
South Sudan and Israel Historical Bond
Though South Sudan and Israel formally established diplomatic ties on July 28, 2011, right after South Sudan gained independence from Sudan, there have always existed bonds between the two countries since the 1960s.
South Sudan – Israel interactions began as early as the late 1960s, when leaders of the Anyanya guerrilla fighters waging an insurrection against the North from the South, and impressed by Israel’s victory in the 1967 Six-Day War, reached out to Jerusalem.
Gen. Joseph Lagu, the leader of the southern fighters (Anyanya), was the first known South Sudanese to make formal contact with the State of Israel. It all started with a personal letter that Lagu says he sent to Levi Eshkol after the Six-Day War. “Dear Prime Minister,” Lagu wrote. “Congratulations on your victory against the Arabs. You are God Almighty’s chosen people.” When the legendary South Sudanese commander returned home from his clandestine Israel mission that year, he carried Prime Minister Golda Meir’s promise of weapons and training – critical help, he says today, that subsequently turned the South’s struggle for freedom around. “It helped set us on the path to where we are today,” he says, “and that will never be forgotten.”
“Our ties with Israel are, first and foremost, spiritual, deeply rooted in our understanding & belief in the Judeo-Christian faith.”
Thok T. Thok – Founder & President
Upon the declaration of the establishment of formal ties between South Sudan and Israel, an American Jewish prominent leader commented and said, “It is gratifying that South Sudan has entered into mutually beneficial ties with Israel,” said American Jewish Committee (AJC) Executive Director David Harris. He said, “We celebrate the courage of those Israelis and South Sudanese whose dedication over the decades to nurturing relations under difficult conditions made this day possible.”
Another Jewish leader said, “The deep empathy that many South Sudanese feel for Israel has a number of sources. For many Evangelical Christians in South Sudan, the Bible represents a major – if not the main – source of inspiration. In this instance, Israel is not only the Holy Land but also the only country in the world which provided help to South Sudan in its hour of need.” Hakim Korean.