Chad
A landlocked North-Central African nation that restored diplomatic ties with Israel in 2019, Chad is a strategic partner in counter-terrorism and regional stability, recently making headlines for its decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, occupies a critical geopolitical position at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. For Israel, Chad represents a significant success in its 'pivot to Africa' strategy, aimed at building alliances with Muslim-majority nations based on shared security interests and technological cooperation. Relations were formally restored in January 2019 during a historic visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to N'Djamena, ending a 47-year diplomatic rupture. This partnership is grounded in mutual concerns regarding the spread of radical Islamic terror in the Sahel region and the influence of Iranian-backed proxies.
Recently, Chad has asserted its diplomatic independence through its decision to withdraw from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). This move aligns Chad with several other African nations that have criticized the Hague-based court for what they perceive as a disproportionate focus on African leaders while ignoring similar allegations elsewhere. While reports suggested that the United States had encouraged this withdrawal—potentially to shield allies or influence regional dynamics—Chad's Foreign Ministry has explicitly clarified that the decision was an autonomous one, driven by national interest rather than external pressure. For Israel and the broader Jewish world, Chad's stance on international legal bodies is noteworthy, as it reflects a growing skepticism among some Global South nations toward the impartiality of international judicial institutions. As a regional power with a capable military, Chad remains a vital interlocutor for Jerusalem in monitoring developments across the Sahara and maintaining a pro-stability axis in a volatile part of the continent.