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Towards the backdrop of a large-scale Israeli navy operation within the West Financial institution, Israeli Overseas Minister Eli Cohen briefed the Overseas Press Affiliation in Jerusalem on Monday about Israel’s latest overseas coverage achievements.
On the briefing, Cohen spoke of “a brand new period for the relations between Israel and Turkey,” citing Israeli involvement in catastrophe aid after the devastating earthquake in Turkey earlier this 12 months. Israelis have been concerned in saving greater than 90 lives, he stated, including that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will doubtless journey to Turkey to fulfill with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan within the coming months.
However the relationship between Israel and Turkey quickly got here to seem markedly much less rosy. Inside an hour of the announcement, Israeli media reported that the Turkish intelligence providers had arrested seven folks accused of working for the Mossad, Israel’s overseas intelligence company. The Israeli experiences cited the Day by day Sabah, a pro-government Turkish newspaper.
Cohen’s feedback on IDF operation
Cohen mentioned the continuing navy operation within the West Financial institution metropolis of Jenin. “Because of the terror organizations and the funds they obtained from Iran, the Jenin [refugee] camp has turn into a middle for terrorist exercise,” he stated.
He burdened that the operation is supposed to focus on terrorist teams and never the Palestinian inhabitants as an entire. “Our struggle is with the proxies of Iran in our area, that are primarily with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, that are each terrorist organizations financed by Iran,” he stated. He famous that Israel has made all essential efforts to keep away from harming civilians in the course of the operation.
Officers from the Palestinian Authority (PA), which has partial civil management over Palestinian areas of the West Financial institution, together with Jenin, have stated that Israeli raids of this type weaken the PA. Cohen denounced the PA for insurance policies that incentivize terror and insisted that Israeli incursions into the West Financial institution have been essential to forestall the realm from falling into terrorist palms.
“After we withdrew from Gaza, the two million folks there have been taken captive by a terror group, by Hamas and Islamic Jihad,” he informed The Media Line. “Due to this fact, we’re taking all the required motion.”
Cohen additionally mentioned the tensions on the Israel-Lebanon border. He described the Lebanon border as a de facto border with Iran because the Iran-backed militia Hizbullah has vital management over southern Lebanon.
He burdened that lowered US sanctions on Iran would lead to elevated funding for Iranian proxy teams like Hizbullah. Iran’s proxy teams have additionally harmed Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Gaza, and Yemen, he stated.
Cohen stated {that a} nuclear-armed Iran can be a menace not simply to Israel however to all the world.
“In Iran, there’s a fanatic, radical regime that’s saying clearly that it’s prepared to destroy Israel,” he stated. He stated that no matter any settlement between the US and Iran, Israel will take any essential steps, together with navy intervention, to forestall Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Cohen described the Abraham Accords and the resultant alliances within the area as a countermeasure to offset the specter of a nuclear Iran.
The Abraham Accords are a set of US-brokered agreements between Israel and 4 Arab nations signed in 2020 and 2021.
He stated that Israel can be working to normalize its relations with Saudi Arabia. The 2 international locations aren’t enemies, he stated, however reasonably “companions for the steadiness that each of us want to have in our area.” He stated that US mediation can be essential to reaching an settlement with Saudi Arabia.
“My aim is definitely to develop the Abraham Accords within the subsequent six months,” Cohen stated. He famous that the following assembly of the Negev Discussion board would have representatives from two international locations that haven’t but normalized relations with Israel. The Negev Discussion board was established after the Abraham Accords to facilitate dialogue between Israel and the international locations with which it had normalized relations.
Cohen additionally addressed the ties between the US and Israel, which have been uncharacteristically tense. He described the connection between the international locations as “excellent and powerful,” regardless of some disagreements concerning the upcoming Israeli judicial reforms. Whatever the reforms, he stated, “Israel is a robust democracy, and it’ll stay a robust and vibrant democracy.”
He stated that he expects Netanyahu to obtain an invite to the White Home “within the coming weeks.”
Israel has been strengthening its ties with international locations around the globe, Cohen stated. He famous that Israel will doubtless open its one centesimal embassy this 12 months, 75 years after the state’s institution.
The Chadian and Azerbaijani embassies opened this 12 months, bringing the variety of embassies in Israel to 97. Papua New Guinea and “a couple of extra international locations” are anticipated to open embassies quickly, he stated.
Cohen described the opening of the Azerbaijani Embassy as a singular achievement since Azerbaijan is the primary Shiite Muslim nation to open an embassy in Israel.
He additionally predicted that extra international locations would transfer their embassies to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. Presently, there are 4 embassies in Jerusalem: these of the US, Kosovo, Guatemala, and Honduras. Cohen stated he expects that quantity to double, with Paraguay having already introduced its intention to maneuver its embassy and different European Union international locations anticipated to take action as properly.
He famous that Israel opened an embassy in Turkmenistan this 12 months, the closest Israeli embassy but to Iranian territory.
Cohen mentioned Israel’s stance on the continuing struggle in Ukraine. “From day one of many struggle, Israel expressed its solidarity with Ukraine, and we help all of the resolutions within the UN in regard to Ukraine,” he stated. He stated that Israel has offered humanitarian support to Ukraine and that the Israeli and Ukrainian armies have cooperated round navy protection.
“Israeli troopers and Ukrainian troopers are working collectively in Poland to implement our alert system that may save the lives of Ukrainian civilians, and there’s a undertaking of demining and different initiatives which we’re working with Ukraine,” he stated.
The state of affairs is sophisticated given Israel’s ties to Russia, he defined.
“Russia is a crucial participant within the Center East, primarily in Syria, and in addition there are roughly half one million Jews which can be in Russia in the mean time,” he stated.
Hannah Levin, a pupil at Northwestern College and an intern in The Media Line’s Press and Coverage Pupil Program, contributed to this report.
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