Foreign policy of Israel

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States with embassies from Israel

States that have embassies in Israel

The foreign policy of Israel includes the external relations of the State of Israel .

Basics

The fundamental goal of Israeli foreign policy is to secure the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state and the security of its citizens. Steps towards this are resolving the Middle East conflict and establishing diplomatic relations with a number of Muslim countries that do not recognize the country because of the conflict. After initial diplomatic isolation, Israel experienced a surge in international recognition in the western world after its military success in the Six Day War in 1967. In contrast, most of the states of the Eastern Bloc broke off diplomatic relations with Israel, which lasted until 1989.

Status of external relations

World map of Israel's bilateral relations as of July 2011

Diplomatic relations

Diplomatic relations suspended

Previous diplomatic relations

Previous trading relationships

No diplomatic relations

Israel currently has diplomatic relations with 159 of the 193 member countries of the United Nations . Of these, 32 were renewed or added after the Madrid Conference in 1991 and 32 after the Gaza-Jericho Agreement was signed . Israel has no diplomatic relations with 34 states. In the western hemisphere , only Cuba , Venezuela and Bolivia have no diplomatic relations with Israel, since the governments of these states sympathize with the Palestinians. In East Asia , North Korea denies the country the establishment of diplomatic relations, while the mutual non-recognition of Taiwan is based on the one-China policy of the People's Republic . Bhutan traditionally maintains restrictive external relations. Ghana has good relations with Israel.

Membership in supranational organizations

Israel is a member of the following international institutions:

• UN and its specialized agencies
• OECD
• Euro-Mediterranean partnership

The members of the United Nations are divided into regional groups in order to achieve a balanced geographical distribution in the allocation of seats in committees. In May 2000, Israel became a full member of WEOG for political reasons . This membership was limited in time, but with an option to renew. This membership has been renewed continuously since 2004.

In 2016, Israel took over the chairmanship of one of the six standing committees of the UN for the first time in its 67-year membership. His ambassador, Danny Danon, was elected Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee on June 13, 2016.

Because of "systematic attacks" and "attempts to separate Jewish history from the Land of Israel", Israel announced its withdrawal from UNESCO at the end of 2018.

Europe

• Albania:
  → Main article : Albanian-Israeli relations
• Azerbaijan
  → Main article : Azerbaijani-Israeli relations
• Germany:
  → Main article : German-Israeli relations

• Greece

On January 28, 2016, Greece , Cyprus and Israel agreed on closer cooperation, especially in the field of natural gas and connecting the electricity networks. Increased military cooperation, including to protect the gas fields in Israel and Cyprus, was agreed.

• Italy:
  → Main article : Israeli-Italian relations

• Austria

For a long time, the Austria-Israeli relationship was considered difficult. It was not until the then Austrian Chancellor Franz Vranitzky admitted guilty to the Shoah in 1993 that relations improved significantly.

• Portugal:
  → Main article : Israeli-Portuguese relations

• Cyprus

On January 28, 2016, Cyprus , Greece and Israel agreed to strengthen cooperation, particularly in the fields of natural gas and connecting the electricity networks. Increased military cooperation, including to protect the gas fields in Israel and Cyprus, was agreed.

United States

Due to a congruence of interests, the United States initially supported the newly founded Jewish state of Israel hesitantly, then more and more sustainably .

Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC

During the Suez War in 1956, the US under Eisenhower was still extremely critical of Israel, which received the greatest support from France in the 1950s and 1960s. From 1962, US-Israeli relations deepened under the administration of John F. Kennedy . This recognized, among other things, the potential of Israel as a military counterweight to the activities of the Soviet Union in the Middle East. The sale of anti-aircraft missiles to Israel was followed by the delivery of tanks and fighter jets. The US government under Lyndon B. Johnson then clearly stood politically behind Israel, which won a victory over the USSR-backed countries Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Syria in the Six Day War . The strategic partnership between the United States and Israel solidified in the course of the 1970s, particularly under the Nixon and Reagan governments, in the form of contracts and agreements on financial support and the exchange of military technology. After the rearmament of Syria by the Soviet Union, this relationship intensified again. In 1989 the Reagan administration granted Israel major non-NATO ally status . Israel received the most criticism since Eisenhower from the US under George Bush Sr. , the z. B. Declared East Jerusalem an Occupied Territory. Under Bill Clinton , concessions were again made to Israel against the backdrop of the Oslo peace process . The peace treaty between Egypt and Israel was negotiated under American leadership. However, Israel can not only build on the "unprecedented support" from the USA, but also on "the sympathy and commitment of Germany, Great Britain and France". As a result of the attacks of September 11, 2001, relations between the United States and Israel intensified in the context of military cooperation in the Near and Middle East. The United States criticizes the Israeli settlement building in the West Bank (see also Israeli settlement # Discussion about legality of land acquisition ). Condemnations of Israeli military actions by the Security Council are often prevented by the introduction of a veto by the US veto power . The most important Israel-related lobby organizations in the US are AIPAC (conservative) and J Street (left). US President Donald Trump announced on December 6, 2017 that Jerusalem would be recognized as the capital of Israel and that the US embassy would be relocated there.

Asia

Arabic countries

See also : Middle East conflict

With the exception of Egypt and Jordan , with which Israel made peace in 1979 and 1994, respectively , and Morocco , Tunisia , Qatar , Mauritania , Oman , Djibouti and Bahrain , no other member of the Arab League recognizes Israel. Other African countries that do not recognize Israel are Chad and the Democratic Arab Republic of the Sahara , which, as non-UN members, are not recognized internationally. All other states that do not recognize Israel are some members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference , these are Afghanistan , Bangladesh , Indonesia , Iran , Malaysia and Pakistan . At present, only the former Soviet republics ( Tajikistan and the Turkic states ), Egypt, Jordan, Senegal and Nigeria , Mali , Morocco, Tunisia, Qatar, Mauritania, Oman, Djibouti, the Maldives and Bahrain have recognized Israel or maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. Mauritania severed diplomatic relations with Israel in 2009 following Operation Cast Lead .

Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman first confirmed in April 2014 that his government was conducting secret talks with rival Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The aim of the negotiations is to normalize relations and establish diplomatic contacts. The basis of the talks is the common fear of the growing strength of Iran and the threat of Islamist extremism. The ruling houses in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait immediately denied that they were negotiating with Israel.

Due to the increasing expansion policy of the Shiite-Islamic Republic of Iran, there has been a further rapprochement between Israel and the Sunni-Arab states of the Gulf region since 2017. They see in the politics of Iran not only an existential danger for their own rule, but also for the supremacy of the Sunni orientation of Islam in the Muslim world community. For Israel too, the main reason for rapprochement is Iran, which poses both a nuclear and ballistic threat and a terrorist threat from outside and inside. Israel is most likely the only state in the region that is able to militarily face Iran on an equal footing. At a Middle East conference in Warsaw on February 14, 2019, there were further rapprochements between Arab states and Israel.

Iraq

→ Main article : Iraqi-Israeli relations

Qatar

At the end of August 2018, the first secret meeting took place between Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and his Qatari counterpart Mohammed al-Amadi during his stay in Cyprus. The meeting discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip controlled by the radical Islamic Hamas .

Oman

The first official contact at government level took place on November 2, 2018, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Omani head of state Sultan Qaboos in Muscat . Secret relations between the two countries go back to the 1970s and there are no official diplomatic relations.

Other Asian countries

Azerbaijan

→ Main article : Azerbaijani-Israeli relations

The former Soviet and Turkic Republic of Azerbaijan has recognized Israel and maintains good diplomatic relations with Israel. Both countries work together in the areas of security policy and economics. Israel is supplying Azerbaijan with weapons.

India

In 1947 India voted against the partition of Palestine, against the admission of the Jewish state into the UNO and as one of the initiators of the movement of non-aligned nations was regularly on the side of the enemies of Israel.

A change in this policy resulted in the establishment of full diplomatic relations in 1992.

In September 2003, Ariel Sharon became the first Israeli Prime Minister to visit India. He was accompanied by his ministers of justice, education and agriculture, as well as more than 30 business leaders.

During the terrorist attacks in Mumbai from November 26th to 29th, 2008, the Jewish Chabad House in Nariman House was also a target of the attackers. The head of the Chabad Center, Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, and his wife Rivka were murdered . Her two-year-old son, however, was rescued by an employee. The other victims were Bentzion Chroman and Rabbi Leibish Teitlebaum, Jocheved Orpas and the Mexican Jew Norma Shvarzblat Rabinovich.

Tourism between countries is booming. In 2016, 45,000 Indians came to Israel and 60,000 Israelis to India.

In March 2017, India confirmed the purchase of 40 units of the Barak-8 air defense system jointly developed by Israel and India.

In July 2017, Narendra Modi was the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel. Agreements were made on greater cooperation in agriculture, the development of space technology, and national security, and a joint industrial fund for research and development was established.

In January 2018, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , accompanied by a large business delegation , was on a state visit to India.

Iran

→ Main article : Iranian-Israeli relations

Until the overthrow of the Persian Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979, Israel maintained close economic and security relations with Iran. After the Islamic Revolution and the proclamation of an Islamic Republic , Iran under Ayatollah Khomeini broke off all contacts with Israel. Diplomatic relations between the two countries remain heavily strained due to the Iranian nuclear program and the Middle East conflict . Together with other states, Israel suspects Iran, contrary to its own repeated declarations of intent, of pursuing the nuclear program not only for civil but also for military purposes. Israel reserves the right to take preventive military countermeasures in the event of an imminent Iranian nuclear armament . In connection with the Middle East conflict, Israel accuses Iran of a consistently anti-Israeli, destructive attitude in word and deed. The Iranian government repeatedly attracts attention through anti-Israel hate speech. For example, the Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadineschad has repeatedly denied the Holocaust and called for the "Zionist entity" (Israel) to be destroyed. In addition, Israel and other countries accuse Iran of repeated support for terrorist groups , such as Hezbollah in the 2006 Lebanon War .

To the Kurds

Parts of this article seem out of date as of 2015 .
Please help to research and insert the missing information .

Up to the end of the first half of the 20th century, around one hundred thousand Kurdish Jews lived in the regions that today make up the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan . Due to the establishment of the State of Israel and the subsequent wars between Arab states on the one hand and Israel on the other, there was a large mass emigration of Jews from the Arab states . The Kurdish Jews did not let their ties to the old homeland be severed and appeared as advocates for the Kurds in the still young Israel. This was also reflected in Israel's foreign policy. By the 1960s at the latest, Israel intensified its contacts with the Kurds, also out of the hope of gaining new allies in the fight against the Arabs.

After the Kurdish uprising against the central government in Baghdad in 1961, relations between Israel and the Iraqi Kurds intensified. The then leader of the Kurdish resistance, Mustafa Barzani , was persuaded by the historian Îsmet Şerîf Wanlî to establish contact with Israel. Leading Israeli politicians like Shimon Peres or Levi Eschkol were big supporters of these Kurdish-Israeli relations. Already at that time they sent Israeli representatives. Israeli-Kurdish relations became much closer after the Baath Party , to which Saddam Hussein belonged, came to power in Iraq. The common enemy led to closer cooperation between Kurds and Israelis and resulted in Kurdish representatives being sent to Israel more and more during this period. As a result of Israel's massive arms deliveries to the Kurds, the Arab press suspected that several thousand Israeli agents were in the Kurdish regions of Iraq. According to historian Ofra Bengio , however, there were only a handful.

Large parts of the Kurdish population are in favor of closer relations with Israel, as is shown by surveys carried out in recent years. The same applies vice versa. The trend is increasing. However, the Kurdish government is currently in a dilemma. On the one hand, she would like to develop closer and official relations with Israel; on the other hand, the pro-Iranian Shiites in Iraq accuse her of treason against Iraq. The powerful neighbor Iran is also exerting great pressure on the government in Erbil in this regard .

In June 2014, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed the independence of Kurdistan and assured the direct recognition of such a state.

Turkey

The Turkey was the first Muslim country that Israel recognized, even before Israel was admitted to the UN. Israel and Turkey had close ties for decades. At times it was planned to lay a pipeline called “ Med Stream ” between Haifa (Israel) and Ceyhan (Turkey) for the transport of electricity, natural gas, crude oil and water.

An additional secret military agreement has existed between Turkey and Israel since 1983. Both countries felt threatened by the alleged Syrian support for terrorist groups. Israel delivered arms to Turkey on a large scale.

When Turkey under Erdoğan's presidency began to move away from democratic and rule-of-law standards in 2010, relations with Israel also became increasingly strained. A point of contention was the Turkish participation in the Gaza flotilla and its boarding by the Israeli Navy on May 30, 2010. The incident heralded the end of the Turkish-Israeli military alliance, which had existed since the mid-1990s. The diplomatic crisis was only resolved at the end of June 2016. Among other things, the agreement stipulates that Israel will continue to block Gaza, but that Turkey will be allowed to provide humanitarian assistance to the area. Aid supplies from Turkey would have to be unloaded in the port of Ashdod and from there, after being checked by Israel, transported overland to Gaza. Israel assured the payment of damages in the amount of 20 million US dollars to the victims or their relatives, in return Turkey will ensure by law that all ongoing lawsuits against Israeli soldiers are averted and future ones prevented.

Another diplomatic crisis arose when Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described Israel's Palestinian policy as state terrorism in 2011. In Turkey, there are also increasing voices calling for diplomatic relations with Israel to be broken off. In addition, an anti-Israel, and in some cases also decidedly anti-Semitic, mood is spreading across the country .

The closer cooperation between Cyprus , Israel and Greece agreed on January 28, 2016, has had a negative impact on the Israeli-Turkish relationship . The natural gas projects developed as the main point of contention .

East Timor

→ Main article : Israeli-East Timorese relations

Africa

Israel's Foreign Minister Golda Meir initiated a systematic development aid program for the newly founded states after her trip to Africa in 1958. Israelis came to Africa as development and military aid workers, and Africans attended training and further education courses in Israel. In the early 1970s, Israel had full diplomatic relations with 33 African states.

Especially after the 1973 Yom Kippur War , many black African countries ended their relations with Israel under pressure from the Arab states. Libya and Saudi Arabia in particular promoted their anti-Israel policies with financial support and cheap oil.

At the beginning of the 1980s there were first course changes and by the end of the 1990s 39 states in sub-Saharan Africa had diplomatic relations with Israel again. In the long run, the Arab states offered no substitute for economic and not always uncontroversial military aid from Israel and solutions to pressing problems such as water and food shortages or terrorism.

In 2014 the Africa group was founded in the Knesset . In July 2016, Benjamin Netanyahu was the first Israeli head of government to visit a country in sub-Saharan Africa again in 30 years . He visited Uganda , Kenya , Rwanda and Ethiopia . A year later he was the first non-African head of government at the summit of the West African Economic Community (ECOWAS). Israel had relations with 45 out of 55 African states in 2017.

In addition to stronger political cooperation and the expansion of trade, Israel can deliver urgently needed technologies such as desalination plants against water shortages, solutions to increase crop yields, production from renewable energies, knowledge and resources in the fight against radical Islam. In March 2019, it was announced that the Israeli army was training troops from the 13 African states Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, South Africa, Angola, Nigeria, Cameroon, Togo, Ivory Coast and Ghana.

Chad

The Chad has diplomatic relations with Israel in 1972 at the instigation of the then Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi renounced. On November 25, 2018, Idriss Déby , a President of Chad, visited Israel for the first time. Better cooperation in the fight against terrorism in health care, water supply and nutrition, as well as the resumption of diplomatic relations was agreed. On January 20, 2019, diplomatic relations were resumed on a return visit by Benjamin Netanyahu to N'Djamena , the first of an Israeli prime minister.

Uganda

→ Main article : Israeli-Ugandan relations

See also

• Foreign Ministry
• Israeli peace diplomacy
• Kurdish Jews

Web links

• Official website of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Foreign Office
2. ↑ ^{a b} o. V .: Israel's Diplomatic Missions Abroad: Status of relations , accessed on May 18, 2015.
3. ↑ List of the regional groups of the UN on the homepage of the UN.
4. ^ Israel takes over the chairmanship of the UN committee. Embassy of the State of Israel in Berlin, June 14, 2016, accessed on March 15, 2020 . 
5. ↑ Israel announces withdrawal from UNESCO by the end of 2018 , on zeit.de
6. ↑ Security, economy, supply: Cyprus, Israel and Greece expand cooperation. Handelsblatt, January 26, 2016, accessed on March 14, 2020 . 
7. ↑ Austria's Federal President Van der Bellen in Israel. In: Israelnetz .de. February 5, 2019, accessed February 20, 2019 . 
8. ↑ Security, economy, supply: Cyprus, Israel and Greece expand cooperation. Handelsblatt, January 26, 2016, accessed on March 14, 2020 . 
9. ^ Gert Krell : The USA, Israel and the Middle East conflict . In: Federal Center for Political Education (Ed.): From Politics and Contemporary History . No. March 14 , 30, 2006 ( online version at the BpB [accessed June 22, 2017]).
10. ↑ Jeff Halper : Relations between the United States and Israel: Does the Tail Wag the Dog? In: Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Israel Office. December 13, 2016, accessed June 22, 2017 . 
11. ↑ Relationship between Israel and the USA in the Middle East conflict
12. ↑ David Grossmann : Our despair is our downfall . In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . July 9, 2014, p. 11 ( faz.net - from the Hebrew by Ulrike Harnisch).
13. ↑ Trump recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel , on zeit.de
14. ↑ Lieberman reveals secret talks with Arab states. In: Spiegel online.de. April 14, 2014, accessed September 2, 2019 . 
15. ↑ Israel, the Sunni States and the Iranian Challenge. In: Mena-Watch. November 10, 2017, accessed April 4, 2020 (German). 
16. ↑ Leak: Israel mobilizes full diplomatic support for Saudi war against Iran and Hezbollah. November 7, 2017, accessed April 4, 2020 . 
17. ↑ Stealthy approach. In: Israelnetz .de. May 17, 2019, accessed May 18, 2019 . 
18. ↑ Further rapprochement between Arab states and Israel. In: Israelnetz .de. February 14, 2019, accessed February 20, 2019 . 
19. ↑ Christoph Sydow, Dominik Peters, DER SPIEGEL: Gaza Strip: The Secret Diplomacy Between Israel and Qatar - DER SPIEGEL - Politics. August 25, 2018, accessed April 8, 2020 . 
20. ↑ Christoph Sydow, Dominik Peters, DER SPIEGEL: Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu visits Oman, Miri Regev travels to Abu Dhabi - DER SPIEGEL - Politics. November 4, 2018, accessed April 8, 2020 . 
21. ^ Israel's Muslim outposts , Neue Zürcher Zeitung, accessed on January 9, 2020
22. ↑ India: Mourning for Jewish Terror Victims In: Israelnetz.de , December 1, 2008, accessed on July 23, 2018.
23. ^ Ralf Balke: Drones in Delhi. Jüdische Allgemeine, April 19, 2017, accessed March 29, 2020 . 
24. ↑ Indian Prime Minister on historic state visit to Israel In: Israelnetz.de , July 7, 2018, accessed on July 23, 2018.
25. ↑ New chapter in Israeli-Indian relations In: Israelnetz.de , January 19, 2018, accessed on July 23, 2018.
26. ↑ Changing the Map of the Middle East , faz.net August 27, 2014
27. ^ Israel's prime minister backs Kurdish independence , on theguardian.com
28. ↑ Asli Aydintasbas: Turkey and Israel: A Chance for Normality . In: The time . January 15, 2016, ISSN  0044-2070 ( zeit.de [accessed on March 14, 2020]).
29. ^ Barak Ravid: Israel and Turkey Officially Announce Rapprochement Deal, Ending Diplomatic Crisis. Haaretz , June 27, 2016, accessed on the same day.
30. ↑ Erdogan: Israel is a "threat" to the Middle East , DiePresse.com, October 5, 2011, accessed January 13, 2018.
31. ^ Military relations between Israel and Turkey
32. ↑ Rifat Bali: Anti-Semitism has a long tradition in Turkish history . March 10, 2004, accessed January 13, 2018.
33. ↑ Security, economy, supply: Cyprus, Israel and Greece expand cooperation. Handelsblatt, January 26, 2016, accessed on March 14, 2020 . 
34. ↑ Back to Africa. In: Israelnetz .de. November 6, 2017, accessed January 22, 2019 . 
35. ^ Israel trains African soldiers. In: Israelnetz .de. March 4, 2019, accessed March 17, 2019 . 
36. ^ President of Chad for the first time in Israel. In: Israelnetz .de. November 26, 2018, accessed December 26, 2018 . 
37. ↑ Chad and Israel resume relations. In: Israelnetz .de. January 21, 2019, accessed January 22, 2019 .