Embassy of Israel hosts farewell for outgoing EU Ambassador

The Israeli Ambassador, Hillel Newman, hosted a farewell lunch at the Residence of the Israeli Ambassador, in honour of Ambassador of the European Union to Australia, Mr Gabriele Visentin, as he concludes his posting in Australia.

The lunch brought together Ambassadors from Argentina, Portugal, Belgium, Greece, Morocco, Lithuania and Austria, alongside Australian Strategic Policy Institute Executive Director Justin Bassi, for an afternoon of thoughtful conversation and reflection on Ambassador Visentin’s time in Australia.

It was a unique gathering of diplomatic community members, from Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. These type of conversations are an important reminder of the value of bringing East and West together around shared interests and common challenges.

Israel, Australia and the European Union share natural friendships grounded in common values, strong people-to-people connections and economic ties. The growing economic and security cooperation between Israel, Greece and Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean is just one example that demonstrates how Israel can be a constructive and reliable partner with EU states and other partners in the region, helping to advance regional stability, connectivity and prosperity. Just last week, Israel and Greece made history by signing a $3.5 billion (USD) defence export agreement to construct a multi-layered air and missile defence network for Greece known as “Achilles Shield”.

Such partnerships demonstrate the value of engaging with Israel beyond the prism of the conflict, and the opportunities and benefits that emerge when we focus on shared interests. There is much that Israel can contribute in areas such as innovation, technology, energy, security and trade, and much to be gained by building on common ground rather than our disagreements.