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
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Mr. Holcomb Goes To Israel
Last week, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb (R) took a trip to Israel. Considering the violence in Israel over the last weeks, coming from the terrorist organization, Hamas, an American governor visiting the nation should be a news story.
Yet, the trip happened with little fanfare or explanation. Was it to show support for the Israeli government? Was it to attract more business investment to Indiana? A press release Holcomb’s office put out as he left for Tel Aviv stated it was both:
I stand in support of Israel and look forward to meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu to continue forging an even stronger Israel-Indiana bond….We have a growing number of Hoosiers and Hoosier businesses that share strong cultural and economic ties with this country, so when I was invited, I did not hesitate to make this trip to meet in Israel during such an hour of need.
On the backdrop of the Gaza escalation and European abstention at the UN Human Rights Council vote, mistrust keeps growing between Jerusalem and Brussels.