Israel
By Yoni Weiss
YERUSHALAYIM -
Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
The provisional Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, chaired by MK Orna Barbivay (Yesh Atid), heard a briefing on Wednesday from Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi. The meeting was closed to the media, but at the start of the meeting the committee chair and the foreign minister each made a statement.
Committee Chair MK Barbivay said: “There are no words to define the importance of Israel’s foreign relations for the country’s national resilience. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in December 2020 about the work plan, the repositioning of the ministry’s vision and the way the ministry’s objectives were defined. No one imagined at the time the major challenges that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would face now — from the increase in anti-Semitism around the world, the challenge of the International Criminal Court and the change of administrations in the U.S. to Operation Guardian of the Walls — with all the public diplomacy challenges it entailed. I would like to express my appreciation for the way that you, Gabi Ashkenazi, led the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The challenges are great and diverse, but the ability to pinpoint the challenges, set priorities and create a work plan with indicators for success is very significant. My thanks to you and to the Foreign Ministry personnel in Israel and abroad.”