Israeli diplomat says his country will keep sharing intelligence with EU states even as hostility grows and anti-Jewish violence rises across the continent.
Israel has warned that growing political hostility from EU states such as Spain and Ireland must not be allowed to undermine counterterrorism cooperation, as diplomatic tensions between Jerusalem and Brussels hit one of their lowest points in years.
The warning came from Jonathan Rosenzweig-Abu, deputy head of the Mission of Israel to the EU and NATO, speaking at a recent event in Brussels, where he insisted that despite repeated political crises, the underlying partnership between Israel and the EU remains essential.
Rosenzweig-Abu recalled that the ties between Israel and the EU “are bound by a shared history, common values and common interests,” and that this foundation remains intact despite diplomatic ups and downs. “I have seen a decade of ‘yes, there is an Association Council, no there isn’t’, and many episodes of tension, but the general direction is the same,” he explained, stressing that geography is decisive: “We are obliged to work together, whether we want to or not.”