PM Netanyahu. Illustrative. Photo courtesy of Amos Ben-Gershom (GPO)
When Israel was first reborn as a nation, multiple Arab armies banded together to try to destroy the renewed Jewish State and there are few Arab states today that have peaceable relations with Israel. But that may be changing—at least among the common people—according to a new survey by the Israeli Foreign Ministry. “Half of the public in the countries in the Middle East that were reviewed, the assets and strength of Israel are appreciated and they believe that their country could benefit by links with Israel,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in comments on Sunday released by his office.
On a global scale, Israel is growing more popular too. “In 47 out of 54 countries, a majority of the people there believe that their country would benefit from links with Israel. This is a gigantic change,” said Netanyahu during the weekly Israeli cabinet meeting.
The Israeli leader has been busy trying to promote Israel around the world in recent months, going on trips to Africa and South America to seek out new and deeper ties with nations there. He also has repeatedly touted the secret support of Arab states as proof of Israel’s growing popularity. And he believes that those good ties won’t be secret forever.
In video comments to the Saban Forum delivered on Sunday and release by his office, Netanyahu offered a bright view of their future in the region. “When I look forward 50 or 100 years, I believe Israel will be embraced openly by its Arab neighbors, rather than in secret, in the way it’s done today,” said the Israeli premier. “I see Israel as a world power that continues to provide cutting edge technology and innovation to help people around the world.”
That technological advantage is a key reason why the global relations are expanding, Netanyahu told the cabinet. “The major diplomatic blossoming of the State of Israel is based—inter alia—on a dynamic economy, initiatives, and the development of businesses and technology. This is at the root of our strength.”
Netanyahu believes Israel is a “rising global power,” and given his many travels, he’s seen it firsthand.
“Israel is a sought-after, developed and strong country that even the citizens of countries with which we do not have official relations understand the benefit of relations with Israel,” said Netanyahu. “We are going from strength to strength and developing even more links.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, December 3, 2017)