Ties with Asia blossom as Israel’s EU rows rage
ISRAEL’S TIES with the Far East are receiving a major boost just as its relations with Europe are becoming evermore strained.
The arrival of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Jerusalem on Sunday was just the latest sign of this trend.
Mr Abe, who met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and agreed to work with him on counter-terrorism, was leading a delegation of 100 Japanese business leaders on a tour of the region.
Israelis were pleased with Mr Abe’s condemnation of the terrorism in France. Mr Abe said that such attacks “cannot be tolerated whatever reasons there may be” and called for any procedures against Israel at the International Criminal Court to be delayed. He also urged Israel to release NIS 500,000 in Palestinian tax duties which Israel froze in response to the Palestinian Authority’s deci s i on t o apply to the ICC. Israel visit: PM Abe
At the Sunday cabinet meeting, Mr Netanyahu linked the developments in Europe to Israel’s ties with Asia. “Western Europe is undergoing a wave of Islamisation, antisemitism and anti-Zionism,” he said, adding that Israel will “ensure we will have varied markets around the world”. Last year, Israel did more trade with Asia than with the United States, although the European Union remains its biggest trading partner.
Israel’s warming relationship with Japan follows a rapid improvement in its ties with India in the wake of the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year. Mr Modi, who is seen as extremely pro-Israel and has already brought about a change in the way India votes in international forums, refused to support an investigation against Israel at the UN Human Rights Council and has done major deals to acquire Israeli missiles. I s r a e l h a s a l s o increased i t s t r a d e w i t h China, which Mr Ne t a n - yahu visited
i n 2 0 1 3 . Those ties have yet to yield diplomatic benefits, however, with the Chinese leadership still supportive of Iran in the P5+1 talks.
Meanwhile, Israel’s relations with some EU countries have continued to deteriorate. Last week, reports emerged that French President François Hollande had asked Mr Netanyahu not to attend the unity march in Paris — barely a week after France had voted in favour of the Palestinian proposal for a deadline on statehood at the UN Security Council.
Over the weekend, Sweden’s Foreign Minister, Margot Walstrom, lambasted Israel in its reaction to her country’s decision last year to recognise Palestine. According to Ms Walstrom, Israel’s policy was “very aggressive” and “not only angered us but the Americans as well and everyone else involved”. Ms Walstrom cancelled a visit to the region after Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s office refused to schedule a meeting between them.
However, senior diplomats have sought to play down the tensions. They cite Germany’s pledge to sell Israel new missile boats and subsidise 25 per cent of the deal. They also note Israel’s strategic ties with Britain, which “have never been stronger than they currently are under David Cameron”.