To its haters, Israel is a pariah on the verge of expulsion from the world community, after it had the nerve to defend itself from Hamas.
Yet a series of recent meetings and trade deals proves the Jewish state is firmly integrated in the regional and world economy — and not going anywhere soon.
Last week’s announcement that Israel had finalized its plan to sell $37 billion of natural gas to Egypt is just one example, and a win-win for both parties, as well as for regional stability.
Though Egypt downplayed the diplomatic significance of the deal, it’s obvious the relationship between the two countries is more than an anachronistic holdover from the Carter years.
Israel, Greece and Cyprus, represented by their respective leaders, staged a trilateral summit in Jerusalem Monday to discuss security issues vis-à-vis Turkey, their mutual enemy, and building an undersea electrical grid linking the three countries.
Meanwhile, Israel’s relations with the Arab world are strong.
Trade with the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Morocco and Bahrain has grown substantially, and Israel’s ties with Saudi Arabia, though informal, are reportedly robust.
Officials from Israel and Qatar — whose relations were strained by Israel’s botched airstrike on a Hamas compound in Doha in September — met in New York on Sunday to mend ties.
India and Israel also bolstered their already strong ties in November with a memorandum of understanding on arms sales as well as science, technology and research and development.
Bolivia severed diplomatic ties with Israel in October 2023.
But after newly elected centrist Rodrigo Paz said he seeks a “new page” in his country’s relations with the Jewish state, the two nations restored ties this month.
The takeaway: Anti-Israel celebs, pols and protestors gripe that Israel is a genocidal apartheid state, but the people who matter ignore the political theater and understand business is business.
Israel remains a solid member of the global community and an important partner with its neighbors.
No matter what hating (often left-leaning) nations like Ireland and Spain want you to think.
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