Premier Maphevu Dhlomini of Swaziland and Premier Menachem Begin-signed a treaty of cooperation providing for stepped-up Israeli technological assistance to the southern African state, one of the few Black African countries that did not sever its ties with Israel after the Yom Kippur-War.
The special effort made here by the government of Israel to fete Dhlamini and his entourage of ministers and officials during their six-day state visit reflected, observers said, Israel’s appreciation for Swaziland’s independent stance regarding Israel, and perhaps, too, the hope that some of the major Black African states will reconsider their rupture of diplomatic ties with Israel when the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel is signed.
At Ben Gurion Airport, where Begin accompanied Dhlamini to say farewell, the Swazi Premier, who is also his country’s foreign minister and army commander, revealed that Israel’s Army Chief of Staff Rafael Eitan had given him a full Israel paratroop uniform as a gift, complete with the famous red beret and brown rubber-soled jump boots.
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