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Hello sir, do you have any idea what this building is? It is basically the brain of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Inside Israel's Foreign Ministry: diplomatic efforts, security challenges, economic ties, and public diplomacy shaping Israel's global standing.
Key Takeaways
- Israel’s Foreign Ministry is essential in both diplomatic and security arenas, working behind the scenes globally.
- Soft power, including economic ties and public diplomacy, is as important as military strength for national security.
- Foreign Ministry staff face significant personal risks and sacrifices in their service.
- International development aid through Mashav builds strong bilateral relationships and Israel’s positive image.
- Continuous media and public diplomacy efforts are necessary to counteract boycotts and misinformation.
What the video covers
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs acts as the diplomatic brain of Israel, managing international relations and security.
- It plays a key role in exposing threats and defending Israel’s interests at the UN and other global platforms.
- The Ministry supports Israelis abroad, including rescue operations and protecting diplomats from threats.
- Economic diplomacy is crucial for Israel’s growth, focusing on trade agreements and strengthening ties, especially in Asia.
- The Agency for International Development Cooperation (Mashav) aids developing countries, enhancing Israel’s global goodwill.
- Public diplomacy and media engagement are vital to combat misinformation and boycott campaigns against Israel.
- The Ministry’s personnel work tirelessly, often under difficult personal and security conditions.
- Diplomatic efforts are central to countering Iran’s nuclear ambitions and securing strategic defense resources.
- The Ministry uses a situation room to monitor and manage global events affecting Israeli citizens.
- Overall, the Foreign Ministry combines hard and soft power to protect and promote Israel’s national interests worldwide.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- 00:15Diplomatic Successes and Challenges
- 01:00Israel at the United Nations and Global Perception
- 01:39Personal Pride and Contribution to National Efforts
- 02:07The Importance of On-the-Ground Diplomacy
- 02:53Diplomatic Activity in Europe and Personal Risks
- 03:31Security Threats to Diplomats and Families
- 03:59Economic Diplomacy and National Security
- 04:46International Development Cooperation (Mashav)
- 05:25Impact of Development Aid in Africa and Beyond
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
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What do they do at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? I don't know. They go abroad, they send out emissaries.
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What else? Yes. Moti, come here a second. They are at cocktail parties, they are traveling.
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Now for an Israeli diplomatic success, the development regarding Willy Chavez; the Foreign Ministry worked behind the scenes to expose his employment by the Palestinians.
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The Palestinian Authority fails at the Security Council. The report states that Israel's naval blockade was legal and that the Turks could have prevented the flotilla. You surely know that the Foreign Ministry will do anything to rescue an Israeli stuck on a mountain
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in Nepal. But what you might not know is that the same safety net that looks after us around the world works day and night to strengthen Israel on the diplomatic and security front. A sophisticated, cruel, and unpredictable battlefield.
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When I enter the United Nations, I see only one flag with a small Star of David. And for some of the countries in the world, that is one flag too many.
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For acting like a peace-loving country, the Oscar goes to. Just as we do it on the battlefield, "by way of deception thou shalt do war" to present to the world the importance of the State of Israel as the
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nation-state of the Jewish people. At the same time, Foreign Ministry personnel deal with public opinion and global media. And every time I managed to convince and explain that we do not want, God forbid, to hurt children, but that Hamas uses them as human shields,
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I felt that I was truly contributing to our war effort, and that is my sense of pride—that I am here at the Foreign Ministry and I can do this. Israel.
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In addition, a difficult campaign is being waged against growing calls for economic, cultural, and academic boycotts.
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The danger in every boycott is, of course, the damage and harm to the Israeli economy and its image. And in the military parallel, if you don't have the soldier who plants the flag at the end, then doing it from afar,
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through screens and through instructions, it doesn't work. There is no substitute for being on the ground.
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Essentially, since the 90s, all our activities have been aimed at stopping Iran in order to halt the Iranian nuclear program. The entire comprehensive effort against Iran is managed on the diplomatic field. The tireless diplomatic efforts conducted by Foreign Ministry personnel pave the
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way for long-term strategic successes. As a congressional aide in Washington, I worked to secure resources for projects like the missile defense system. The submarines for the Israeli Navy and the German funding for this project are a direct result of the
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diplomatic activity of the ambassador and the embassy staff in Berlin and other missions throughout Europe. If you thought for a moment that the lives of Foreign Ministry representatives are one long cocktail party and indulgences, try putting yourselves in their shoes.
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They lead a family life away from home, exposed and vulnerable to threats on their lives.
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Thousands of protesters gathered in front of the Israeli embassy in Cairo. The wife of an emissary who left the embassy to pick up her children from school had an explosive device attached to her vehicle. The moment something like that happens, then there is fear
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and there is anxiety and there are many questions, and you really think about the children and what will happen to them.
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Unfortunately, activity on the diplomatic front sometimes takes victims; since its establishment, 16 employees and members of their families have fallen in the service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, may their memory be a blessing. On the economic front, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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initiates and leads the most important international agreements that enable the growth of Israel's economy globally, such as investment agreements, cooperation, and free trade agreements.
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National security in the 21st century does not rely solely on military power, but on soft power such as extensive and strong diplomatic ties and a stable economy. Developing Israel's economic ties abroad strengthens our economic resilience and impacts the financial
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well-being of every single family in Israel. Ministry of Foreign Affairs personnel play a significant role in leveraging Israel as a powerhouse of science, agriculture, medicine, energy, and high-tech. Promoting exports and assisting Israeli companies in closing deals.
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Asia is currently at the center and top priority for every country in the world, including Israel. We have succeeded in reaching the widest possible circles within these countries, and the results speak for themselves. In 1957, long before we became a Startup Nation and a
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technological powerhouse, the Agency for International Development Cooperation was established at the Ministry, at the initiative of then-Foreign Minister Golda Meir. With the help of professionals, the agency assists developing countries in dealing with challenges like poverty and hunger, health and epidemics, reducing infant
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mortality, and providing education for all. We reach the smallest village and the educator in the small town. An example of a trainee who reached the highest rank in his country is the current President of Honduras, who 20 years ago trained in a Mashav course on
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civil security here in Israel, returned to his country, and became one of Israel's greatest friends.
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In Ethiopia or Rwanda, in the countries where I work, they love us very much; what we do here improves the situation of the small people on the ground.
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We mentioned earlier the Israeli who got stuck on a peak in Nepal; it is not the only case.
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Situation room. The situation room is a unique tool that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs uses to manage every event that happens abroad. Whether it is in Japan when the sun rises or in California on the other side of the world, I think there is no
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other country in the world that provides such a service to its citizens. In recent years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has centered massive efforts on the front of public diplomacy.
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In a place where we seek to be associated with the Western world, which is less of a world of conflicts.
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In a world with fewer wars, public diplomacy and soft power have much more significance in advancing interests.
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At the same time, as we endeavor to rebrand Israel as creative, innovative, diverse, and energetic, intense activity is being conducted vis-à-vis public opinion shapers on social networks and in the media to establish Israel's status and fight against entities and boycotts trying to
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undermine its legitimacy as the home of the Jewish people. We want the first or the most significant encounter of any person with Israel to be through the creative, groundbreaking, wonderful "Israeliness" that we have here.
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Even the ordinary citizen is important today, as they are usually mobilized for causes they believe in, and it is important to reach them so they are favorable to Israel; if we don't do it, or don't do it well enough, there is an
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adversary who will. During Operation Protective Edge, we worked for 50 days, 24/7; we produced dozens of videos and documents that helped our representatives around the world deal with the information battle being waged alongside the fighting on the ground in the Gaza Strip.
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Those dedicated employees serving abroad are effectively the spearhead of promoting Israel's foreign relations in the world. These are people chosen with care, with extraordinary abilities, with true faith and Zionism, perhaps even of the old kind, that connects us
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all in this endeavor regardless of the compensation we receive. I do not know of a single other developed nation where members of the foreign service are required to respond to such a packed agenda, such a fateful and complex one. You stand up to all
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these tasks with great honor. The endless dedication and resourcefulness of all Forei
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Amazing, isn't it? So the next time you pass by this building or think about the Foreign Ministry, think about the people. The Foreign Ministry personnel who are responsible for tremendous achievements—reputational, economic, and strategic—achievements so vital to Israel. To all of us.
Topics:Israel Foreign Ministrydiplomacypublic diplomacyeconomic diplomacyIsraeli securityinternational relationsMashavboycottIran nuclear programUnited Nations
