foreign Minister Yair Lapid There is today (Wednesday) a briefing for the political reporters, to mark a year before he took office. During the briefing, he addressed a number of issues currently on the political agenda, the ministry’s achievements and important events that are expected to occur in the near future, including the visit of the President of the United States Joe Biden In Israel in the middle of next month. “When I first entered the office, a year ago, I gave a speech to the workers in which I presented key goals and risks. The first goal was to change the way of working and relations between Israel and the United States and the European powers, to establish a common dialogue with them, Without sacrificing our interests, “he explained.
“Our situation a year ago was very bad – there was no one to listen to us on various issues, including the Iranian nuclear issue, and no one to fight for us in international institutions. Now, everything has changed – when the United States decided to keep the Revolutionary Guards on the list of terrorist organizations. “Another significant Israeli victory. Another achievement is the approval given in Congress, by a majority of 420 supporters, to provide funding for the purchase of additional Iron Dome interceptors,” he stressed.
He went on to point out that the second goal he presented was to change the status of the Foreign Ministry itself – after several difficult years. “The ministry has been crushed over the years in a number of ways, including the closure of embassies and a period in which it did not serve as foreign minister,” he explained. At the same time, he mentioned various challenges, including the issue of Iran – both from the aspect of nuclear enrichment and agreements, and from the sense of terrorism and its very presence now on our northern border – which Israel would like to make sure is not permanent.
Bennett revealed documents from the Iranian nuclear archive: “Holds proof of Iran’s lies” (Photo: Omar Miron, GPO)
“Our situation is much better in this area than it was a year ago, and the decision of the governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency only proves to us that the world is listening to us,” the foreign minister stressed. He also referred to the struggle against the global campaigns that present Israel as an apartheid state, and erode our legitimacy.
“These are lengthy processes, and in the first year’s test – we can say that we more or less met these goals, and even achieved more than we hoped in certain areas, such as the Negev summit and the abandonment of the Durban Conference,” he said. “When six foreign ministers sit together and have an intimate dialogue, without assistants and advisers, and set up working groups on issues that are important to us, along with maintaining security in the region. This is a significant leap forward.
However, Lapid stressed that relations with the Jordanians were slightly damaged during Ramadan. “Relations with Egypt are only continuing to strengthen,” he said, revealing that in the past year there have been ties with at least three foreign ministers of countries with whom Israel has no contact.
He further elaborated on the visit of the President of the United States on July 13, which is part of his goals of “promoting normalization and peace in the region to a new level,” when immediately after the visit Biden is expected to take off for Saudi Arabia. Asked if there would be Israeli representatives on this flight, he replied with humor: “I do not know, but the Air Force 1 (the plane of the President of the United States) is a large plane.”
“Along with helping calm the area during Ramadan, which has been successful most of the time, we have been able to reach certain agreements with them on the Iranian issue, including restoring dialogue. Disagreement between the parties is a test for membership, and it stands,” he said. “Various with the United States and other countries, including India and the United Arab Emirates.”
He went on to elaborate on the positive change that had taken place in relations with the European powers, after he said “Israel pushed itself into a corner in Europe that was inaccurate for it, so we were determined to change that.” Lapid elaborated: “We have registered a tightening of relations with the British, at a level that has not been for many years or at all, and Boris Johnson and I have been friends for over 20 years. At the same time, we have political interests, alongside recognizing Britain for the first time in Hamas as a terrorist organization.”
“At the same time, I delivered a speech to EU foreign ministers, which has not happened for a decade, and I hope for an initial effect of advancing the signed agreements. At the same time, there has been a dramatic change for the better with relations with Sweden.” In addition, all the new German top brass, including Chancellor Olaf Schultz, visited Israel. ” According to the Foreign Minister, the war in Ukraine, which broke out last February, only improved the level of Israeli necessity for Europe – among other things, it contributed to the understanding that an alternative to Russian gas could be produced in Israel. “