(Octavian Report) Interview with Michael Oren - Israel today is less isolated than at any other time in its history. Our relationship with Latin America is at an unprecedented high and the prime minister of Israel has visited four countries there. The countries in Africa are standing in line to strengthen their relationships with us. Our relationships with Eastern Europe, the former Soviet bloc countries, are excellent. We didn't have relationships with China or India 30 years ago. They are our biggest trading partners outside of Europe today. With India, we also have a strategic relationship, an alliance. The Sunni Arab states no longer view us as an enemy state, but as an important ally. These are sea changes. Israel is perceived in the world today as a power. One international metric had us as the eighth most powerful country in the world. This is a function of the IDF, which is today more than twice as big as the British and French armies combined. Add our ability to project power and to maintain close relationships with the leading powers of the world - whether they be Russia, China, or the U.S. - and Israel is uniquely positioned. The writer, a former Israeli ambassador to the U.S., is a deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Office.
2019-07-12 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive