World Jewish News

Netanyahu: Israel is enjoying unprecedented diplomatic renaissance

Israel’s diplomatic ties with the world are flourishing in a way “that is unprecedented in the annals of the State of Israel,” Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday.

“We are in continuous contact with a growing number of countries on six continents if one separates between North America and South America, which I visited this year, each one of them, replete with meetings, and agreements with the heads of major powers, especially the US, China, Russia, India, Japan and many G-20 countries. We are spreading out in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Islamic countries, including in the Middle East,” Netanyahu said.

The Prime Minister told the FADC that the expansion of Israel’s diplomacy was down to Israel economic-technological strength “which all countries are interested in” and its intelligence and military strength “which almost all countries are interested in.”

“We are weaving these together into diplomatic strength that is finding expression in the tightening of bilateral ties and – though it will take several years – multilateral ties,” Netanyahu said.

The Prime Minister noted how Mexico and India had changed their voting patterns on Israel in international forums and said that he would be discussing with the FADC changes that are happening “even in the Arab world.”

Netanyahu said he would be presenting Internet survey carried out in 54 different countries on all six continents that showed a sea change in attitude to Israel and that Israel’s assets are very much in demand.

Netanyahu said the survey showed that 50 countries saw Israel as a strong country with assets and that 47 of those countries, including Arab countries, want to tighten links with Israel.

The Prime Minister said the survey gave expression to what he called “the unending flow of leaders coming here” and that this was moving “from the level of governments to that of publics.”

“I would say that it is a very welcome change which, in my opinion, contains within itself the greatest blessing and the greatest hope, especially in the changes that we are beginning to see in the Arab world, which are truly unprecedented. It could be that there is hope here for a new way that will, in the end, bear fruit for us regarding peace,” Netanyahu said.

EJP