Netanyahu Heads to Singapore, Australia to “Open New Markets”  

February 20, 2017

by: Ilse Posselt

Monday, 20 February 2017 | On Sunday afternoon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boarded a plane for the third time in three consecutive weeks to embark on a diplomatic international trip. This time, Netanyahu’s destination is East Asia where he will meet his counterparts in Australia and Singapore, becoming the first-ever sitting Israeli prime minister to pay these two countries a visit.

Ahead of yesterday’s departure, Netanyahu briefed Israeli lawmakers at the weekly opening of the Knesset (Israel’s government) regarding his pending trip. “We will strengthen security, economic and other ties with these countries,” he explained. “In Australia I will, together with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, hold a meeting with business people from both countries in order to increase trade between Israel and Australia. What we are doing to strengthen Israel’s standing in the world is to open new markets.”

Netanyahu’s first stop is Singapore where he is scheduled to meet with President Tony Tan Keng Yam at the presidential palace in the morning.

Today’s schedule also has a meeting with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Netanyahu and Loong met in Israel during April 2016 when Loong became the first Singaporean prime minister to visit the Jewish state. During an address at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem made during his visit, Loong hailed Israel as a long-standing friend of his country. When Singapore obtained its independence in 1965, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) “helped up to develop the Singapore Armed Forces,” he said.

In the 50 odd years since, Loong continued, the ties between Israel and Singapore “have expanded much further beyond defense and security.”

Netanyahu’s itinerary for his time in Singapore also includes a meeting with the Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister and National Security Minister Teo Chee Hean.

Before leaving Singapore, Netanyahu will also visit the Magen Avot synagogue, which was built in 1878, where he will have discussions with representatives of Singapore’s Jewish community of some 2,500.

After two days in Singapore, Netanyahu is scheduled to fly to Australia on Tuesday afternoon. Landing in Sydney early Wednesday morning, the Israeli prime minister has a full day of meetings scheduled for the day. His itinerary includes get-togethers with Governor-General Peter Cosgrove and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as well as a joint press conference with Turnbull.

Netanyahu and Turnbull will also meet representatives of Sydney’s Jewish community at the city’s Great Synagogue as well as at Moriah College’s Jewish day school.

Discussing the upcoming visit, Australia’s ambassador to Israel Dave Sharma told The Jerusalem Post, “We have an incredibly close relationship. So we attach a great deal of significance to having an Israeli prime minister visit, spend time with the Australian political leadership, with the Jewish community and give Israel’s perspective on world affairs. There is a lot of symbolic and historic significance attached to this visit.”

This month has been packed with international diplomatic visits for Netanyahu. February started with a get-together with his British counterpart Theresa May in London. Then, two weeks later, the prime minister flew to Washington for a meeting with American President Donald Trump. This week’s trip will increase the tally to four international diplomatic trips this month.

Over the past year, Netanyahu has placed increased emphasis on strengthening Israel’s ties with various nations around the world. In September 2016, the prime minister told a delegation of World Jewish Congress leaders that regardless of the perception that the Jewish state is isolated, there has been an upsurge in relations with a number of countries, including those in the Arab world.

“There is a lot of talk about Israel’s isolation,” he explained. “I beg to differ.”

Netanyahu reiterated this belief during a visit to Azerbaijan in December 2016. “The claim that Israel is isolated is becoming comical,” he said during a press release in the Azerbaijan capital. “Most countries around the world are ‘courting’ Israel.”

Posted on February 20, 2017

Source: (Bridges for Peace, 20 February 2017)

Photo Credit: Ashernet