Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar on Monday addressed the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and discussed the foreign affairs challenges and opportunities in the coming year.
"We are after a very difficult and challenging year for the country. We faced not only a military attack on several fronts but also a multifaceted attack in the diplomatic, public diplomacy, and legal spheres. Israel is finishing this year as a strong and stable country in a turbulent region full of upheavals. I think this gives room for optimism," Sa'ar opened.
"I would like to add that the coming year of 2025, is a year that will be challenging, but also a year that comes with great opportunities, with a new administration headed by the incoming President-elect Donald Trump. We remember what his first term was like, and we see who he appointed to the key positions in his incoming administration. This does not mean that there will be agreements on every single topic and that there will never be disagreements, but it certainly leaves room for optimism," he added.
Regarding relations with Europe, the Minister noted: "After the end of the Borrell period in the European Union, after there was an effort to cancel the (EU-Israel) Association Agreement with Israel, I can say that under the new High Representative (Kaja Kallas), an Association Council meeting has been set to take place in two months in Brussels, which I will lead. We certainly expect to turn a new page towards constructive dialogue with the European Union."
He warned: "As I said before, we will not have a honeymoon period, the challenges ahead are not easy. I think, that for the first time, we are laying the foundations for a genuine effort in the public diplomacy arena. The way I see it, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should be leading the global effort, not only the in diplomatic arena but also in the campaign for public support through public diplomacy."
Turning to the budget, Sa'ar noted: "A government decision was passed a few weeks ago, and assuming the 2025 budget is approved by the Knesset, it will, for the first time, give the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the opportunity to conduct, at the very least, a basic public diplomacy campaign. I am ashamed of the budgets we have today in this regard. And in general, the new direction should not be defense - it should be offensive. We definitely have a case that we can firmly make in the international arena. I do not believe that a different approach will bring the desired results, and this is the policy with which I intend to lead."
