Ethiopia like Egypt are the only African countries that have an ancient culture and an ancient historical tradition. There is no scientific proof to the relations of the ancient Queen of Sheba and the present kings of today, hence there is no proof the King Solomon is their ancestor – as it is related in the beautiful story told in Ethiopia, but when I first came there in l962, I realized that in Ethiopia they believe the story faithfully, and it is enough to have faith in order to maintain a tradition.  

Ethiopia is full of mysteries.  Some could be explained by the range of high mountains and the desert that separate her from the rest of the Continent; it also explains the connection and economic dependence to the countries north of it, and her dependence on the access to the Red Sea.

It is a cruel country, whose history is covered by blood, especially caused by tribal wars, depending on the practical gain any tribe gets from the central government. It is a big country, geologically divided, which makes it hard for traveling during the rainy season.  There are good signs for finding mineral treasures within its earth, but they are still only signs. Its only gold mine is quite poor and does not affect the national budget.

Owing to its long borders and her natural suspicions against its neighbors, Ethiopia maintains a large army, one of the largest in Africa .  

On first coming I discovered that I recognize the historical connection.  The local language, Amharic, has recognizable influences of Semitic languages, including Hebrew.  I have seen some writings carved on rocks, which looked like Ancient Hebrew words.  I have also found strong influences of the Bible stories in ancient local scrolls.  All of the above created a comfortable background for friendly relations between Ethiopia and Israel .

The Ethiopian King, called Gur-Arye Yehuda (in Hebrew a Yehuda lion), was clever, and very experienced in long and bloody civil wars.  His  down fall also befits the downfall of a great king, who doesn’t just fade away into the fog of history, but is cruelly eliminated and thrown out of the country, he and his dynasty and his whole established regime with him. A lamentable country, really, and worthy of a better fate.  

In the years I used to visit Ethiopia , the country was engaged in two fierce wars against guerilla fighters, each supported by a Muslim country.

One was in Eritrea , bordering the Red Sea , and the second in Ogaden    Province , where Ethiopia borders Muslim Somalia .  The Somalia army is now armed by modern Soviet weapons, and the Russians had promised Somalia more help when needed.  Very soon this Ethiopia – Somalia conflict will face a bigger problem, the control over the port of Djibouti , the best access Ethiopia has to the sea, allowing it some control over the shipping in the Red Sea , when the French Mandate over it ends.

The largest Underground movement in Eritrea is supported by Arab States.  Its headquarters openly functions from Damascus , and Soviet weapons reach them through Arab countries.

This was the reason why Ethiopia turned to the West for assistance, among them Israel .

Israel ’s presence and assistance already existed in Ethiopia , in a modest and quiet way, but now that the request came to extend it, it became more public.  Israeli officers were very welcome in Ethiopia .  Their methods and experience in training were even preferred to that of other countries.

The main reason being Israel’s readiness to supply officers to serve within the Ethiopia units, on all fronts, including the war zones, and its willingness to train and help establish Commando and Paratrooper units, that till then did not exist in the Ethiopian army, but their establishment increased the feeling of security in the country, and the Army’s self confidence in deciding the rules and regulations to all other Army units.

It is understandable that there were crisis’s, usually caused by the over enthusiastic Israeli officers to fulfill his mission in a tempo that is not suitable to the temperament of the country, or his wish to influence the appointment or advancement of Ethiopian officer over another, a gray  area that should always be avoided where considerations of family and tribe are concerned.  Experience taught us that it is impossible to influence such appointments in the long run, but mainly because the Israeli Advising Officers lack the local automatic sense on who really has the ability to command Men and Officers.  This is a hidden sense that only local people are endowed with.  

Ethiopia considered itself worthy of contending for the African leadership against Egypt , with whom it had historical, demographic and strategic similarities and rivalry.  

There was a story going around the corridors of the Government beaurocracy on how a Survey Team got an order from the Potentate to check the number of Egyptian inhabitants as published in Government publications, before announcing their own, and then add a million people to what they found, as Ethiopian population should always be a million people bigger than that of Egypt.