‘Partnership between Israel andWales is a win-win’
Chief reporter Martin Shipton spoke to Israel’s ambassador to the UK Mark Regev on a range of issues including trade deals, technology and the prospects for a peace deal with the Palestinians
ISRAEL’S ambassador to the UK has spoken of his wish to establish a closer trading partnership with Wales – and of his real hopes for a peace deal with Palestinians.
A familiar face from his time as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official spokesman, Mark Regev spoke to us after meeting Presiding Officer Elin Jones at the Senedd.
Before coming to Cardiff he visited SPTS Technologies in Newport, recently bought by an Israeli company called Orbotech for £234m.
He said: “It’s been a good investment from both sides. From the point of view of Orbotech, it allowed them to increase their global footprint and to diversify their products. From the point of view of Wales, it was an investment in hi-tech, and that means good jobs, quality jobs, higher-paying jobs here in Wales. We want to encourage more of that.”
Asked what the mood would be in Israel for a post-Brexit trade deal with the UK, Mr Regev said Israel’s trade had doubled over the last decade: “I think last year we had $7bn in bilateral trade. After the United States, the UK is Israel’s single largest export market. We’ve been on a positive trajectory and we want to make sure that continues.
“I think the British Government sees eye to eye with us on this issue. Last week we had in Israel your International Trade Minister Lord Price - we started a working group on how to ensure that as Britain moves in a new direction we can continue a strong trade relationship between the two countries. Ultimately, as I saw in Newport, that strong trade and economic relationship brings good jobs and prosperity to both sides. So we both have an interest in further strengthening that relationship.”
The Ambassador said he thought both governments were interested in making sure they had mechanisms in place to enable a continuation of the growth in trade between Israel and the UK and specifically with Wales: “I believe there’s so much potential here for trade between Wales and Israel,” he said. “You do some things very well in Wales – your universities, your colleges, your young engineers, your young scientists. And that’s what Israel does as well. Israel is a small country. Geographically we’re the size of Wales. We’re eight and a half million people, so we’re not the United States and we’re not China. We’re a small country and a small economy.
“But what we do well in Israel is innovation and technology. Two weeks ago Intel, the American giant, purchased an Israeli company for $15bn.
“This Israeli company was a pioneer and a world leader on the subject of autonomous vehicle technology, which is the future for the whole automotive industry in the world. And not only did they buy the Israeli company, they put it in charge of all their global research in the field. That was a vote of confidence in the Israeli economy and in Israeli technology.
“We’ve got a certain amount of expertise and I believe that a partnership between Israel and Wales, where we complement each other, is ‘win, win’.”
It was put to the Ambassador that the continuing failure to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians led to some hostility in Wales towards greater ties with Israel.
Asked about the prospects for peace, he said: “We want peace, and I’ve no doubt the overwhelming majority of people in Wales want to see peace between Israelis and Palestinians too. We believe the way to achieve peace is through direct negotiations, that Israelis and Palestinians sit with each other, that they put concerns on the table, that they negotiate and find solutions. We are willing to unconditionally resume peace talks with the Palestinians.”
Mr Regev said he had some optimism because many Arab states were changing their attitude towards Israel, seeing it as a potential partner against violent extremism. He urged people in Wales who support peace to call for direct dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians.
The Palestinians have said they will not resume talks until Israel stops work on settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Mr Regev said: “They’ve got concerns about Israeli behaviour and we’ve got concerns about certain aspects of Palestinian behaviour terrorism, hate speech and things like that. So we’ll bring our concerns to the table and they can bring their concerns to the table.
“Difficult issues like the settlements can be resolved in peace talks. I believe peace is possible: it’s not easy, but it’s possible. And I’m convinced that achieving a peace agreement would be good for my country, and good for all the neighbouring countries.”