TL;DR — On 1 September 2026, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, paid an official visit to Israel: welcomed by President Herzog and Prime Minister Netanyahu, praying at the Western Wall and touring its tunnels, while his foreign minister met Gideon Sa’ar. Kinshasa, which pledged as early as 2023 to open an embassy in Jerusalem, reaffirmed that commitment.
Some images sum up a policy. On 1 September 2026, in Jerusalem, Félix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, laid his hand on the stones of the Western Wall, wearing a kippah, and placed a prayer note between them before touring the Kotel tunnels. Received the same day by President Isaac Herzog and then by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while his foreign minister, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, met Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, the Congolese leader did not come as a mere visitor. He came to reaffirm a choice.
A rare commitment: an embassy in Jerusalem
The DRC belongs to the very small circle of countries that have pledged to place their embassy in Jerusalem. Tshisekedi announced it back in 2023; the move has since been delayed, with Israel due to open a mission in Kinshasa in return. This visit puts it back on track. In a world where recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital remains a weighty diplomatic act taken by only a handful of states, the Congolese commitment stands out — and would make the DRC the first sub-Saharan African country to take that step.
The stakes for Congo
For Kinshasa, drawing closer to Israel is far from symbolic. The DRC has for years faced a war in its east, where the M23 rebellion destabilises the Kivu provinces; a peace process with neighbouring Rwanda is under way and was raised during the visit. Congo is seeking partners in security, intelligence, cyber-defence and agriculture — fields in which Israeli expertise is recognised. Add the religious dimension: the DRC is an overwhelmingly Christian country, where support for Israel and attachment to Jerusalem run deep. Praying at the Kotel speaks to Tshisekedi’s electorate as much as to his partners.
The stakes for Africa
The Congolese move is part of a wider re-engagement. Long complicated, Israel’s relations with Africa are warming — and Jerusalem is cultivating it actively: cooperation in agriculture, water, solar energy, health and security. The DRC, a giant of 100 million people and a heavyweight of the African Union, matters. Its gesture may set an example on a continent where several capitals still hesitate between old solidarities and new interests. For Africa, the equation is clear: engaging Israel means access to breakthrough technologies in water, agrifood and digital — just when the continent needs them most.
The stakes for Israel
For Israel, finally, the visit is a diplomatic breath of fresh air. Under intense international pressure since October 2023 and facing attempts at isolation, the Jewish state needs open friends. An African head of state praying openly at the Western Wall and confirming his embassy in Jerusalem is a living rebuttal to the narrative of isolation. There is also a first-order strategic interest: the DRC holds the world’s largest cobalt reserves and major coltan and copper deposits — the critical minerals of the energy transition and the defence industry. Behind the prayer lies a geopolitical and economic card Jerusalem has every reason to play.
A hand on the stone, a political signature
By placing his hand on the Wall, Félix Tshisekedi did more than perform an act of faith. Before the world, he signed an alliance in the making — between an African giant rich in resources and youth, and an Israel seeking to break the circle of its isolation. The image must now become action: the promised embassy, security agreements, economic partnerships. But in Jerusalem, on that 1 September, the direction was unmistakable.
FAQ
Who is Félix Tshisekedi?
The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on an official visit to Israel on 1 September 2026.
What did he do in Jerusalem?
He prayed at the Western Wall, placed a note between its stones and toured the tunnels, and was received by President Herzog and Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Has the DRC moved its embassy to Jerusalem?
It pledged to do so in 2023 and reaffirmed it; the actual move remains delayed, with Israel due to open an embassy in Kinshasa in return.
Why does this visit matter?
It seals a strategic rapprochement: security and technology for Congo, African openness and critical minerals for Israel, at a moment of heavy diplomatic pressure on Jerusalem.
By Patrick Lancier
