Israel Expects Change in UN Voting Patterns, Netanyahu Says After Africa Trip

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned Monday morning from less than 12 hours in Liberia, stating that his appearance at the 15 member ECOWAS [Economic Community of West African States] summit opened numerous doors for Israel in Africa.

Netanyahu met with 10 African leaders one after the next until his plane left Liberia at 8 p.m. Sunday, meeting each for about 30 minutes.

Netanyahu told reporters on the plane on the way back to Israel that in each of the meetings he told the African leaders that Israel expected a change in their voting patterns in international forums.

He said this would take some time but the trend was 'in the right direction.' The prime minister said it was significant that the doors were opening to Israel in countries in Sub-Saharan West Africa, in countries with majority or large Muslim populations... Netanyahu was the first non-African leader to be invited to be a keynote speaker at an ECOWAS summit."