NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 5 – Israel’s Ambassador to Kenya Gideon Behar has assured Kenyans and other foreign nationals living in Israel that their safety is being prioritized amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran, saying they have full access to emergency shelters and safety systems just like Israeli citizens.
Speaking during an interview with Capital in the Mornnig on Thursday, Behar said all foreigners residing in Israel, including Kenyans working in the country, are integrated into the national safety infrastructure designed to protect civilians during missile attacks.
“Kenyans, like all other foreign nationals in Israel, are being taken care of. They have full information about what is happening and full access to shelters,” the ambassador said. “There is no difference between them and Israeli citizens when it comes to safety.”
Israel has an extensive civil defence system that alerts residents of incoming attacks and directs them to the nearest shelters. Behar said foreign nationals receive the same warnings through mobile applications used by the public.
“When there is an alert, everyone runs to the shelter together. Once you are in Israel, you are part of us,” he said.
The envoy spoke as tensions continue in the region following the escalation between Israel and Iran, which has seen missile and drone attacks exchanged between the two sides.
Behar noted that Israel is also working to bring back thousands of its citizens currently stranded abroad after airspace restrictions were imposed due to the conflict.
“We estimate that about 160,000 Israelis are abroad who want to return home,” he said. “The government is working on ways to bring them back using Israeli carriers once the security situation allows the reopening of airspace.”
He said the willingness of Israelis to return to the country despite the conflict demonstrated what he described as the resilience of the population.
“They want to be with their families. It shows the belief and strength of the Israeli people,” he said.
Behar also addressed concerns about the broader regional implications of the conflict, including potential economic effects such as rising oil prices that could impact countries far from the Middle East, including Kenya.
While acknowledging the concerns, he said global markets had so far remained relatively stable and expressed hope that the conflict would not last long.
“From what we see, the oil prices have not risen dramatically and the markets are still optimistic,” he said.
The ambassador also emphasized Israel’s longstanding ties with Kenya, saying the two countries would continue cooperating in areas such as technology, knowledge exchange and capacity building.
“We want to stand beside Kenya when it faces its challenges and support it with technology, with the transfer of know-how and with capacity building,” he said.
However, Behar warned that Iranian-backed networks have previously targeted Israeli interests abroad, noting past attacks on Israeli diplomatic missions and Jewish communities in other countries.
Despite the tensions, he expressed confidence that the situation would stabilize in the coming days as security conditions improve.
