The continued Israeli conflict with its neighbors, increased pressure from allies like Libya, and the movement of a number of African nations in a similar direction, caused the Republic of Niger to formally end all diplomatic relations with the government of Israel on 1 January 1973.

[3] Arab, African, and non-aligned organisations had made a number of moves towards breaking relations with Israel following 1967, and these continued in the early 1970s.

Israel announced on December 25 the closing of its embassies in Niger and the Republic of the Congo "for budgetary and administrative reasons", leaving only non-resident accreditation in these two countries.

[9] This reopening, like that between neighbours such as Mauritania, came in the wake of the Oslo Accords, the end of occupation, and pressure from the United States to support a perceived opening of a Palestinian – Israeli peace.

The actual opening, coming from the Nigerien end in October 1996, was spurred by the 27 January 1996 military coup of Col. Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara and the new government's desire to reverse the subsequent withdrawal of aid from Niger's two primary sponsors, the United States and France.

In April 2002, following the Second Intifada of 2000, and growing street protests against Israeli and United States foreign policy,[11] the government of Niger again announced formal rupture in diplomatic relations.

[14][15] In the official statement on 21 April, the Nigerien government condemned Israeli military actions in the Palestinian territories, and condemned the "intransigence of Prime Minister Sharon and his clearly stated wish to revisit all of the past decisions of the peace process, which is seriously threatening peace and security in all of the Middle East.