Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka yesterday met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a visit to the country. During the meeting, Netanyahu thanked Foreign Minister Petr Macinka and Prime Minister Andrej Babis for the Czech Republic’s strong support of Israel, according to Netanyahu’s office.
After the meeting, Macinka said the talks with Netanyahu lasted an hour instead of the planned half an hour, and they had discussed cooperation between the two governments, the situation in Central Europe and in Hungary after the Sunday parliamentary elections, and the situation in the Gaza Strip.
“I’m delighted to have this visit by our great friends from Czechia,” said Netanyahu. “The Foreign Minister is an exemplary representative of this friendship. I want to thank you and, of course, Andrej Babis, for the great support that follows a very long tradition between the Czech people and the Jewish people.” He added that Israel is seeking to take its partnership with the Czech Republic “to the next level”.
Macinka told Czech reporters that his meeting with Netanyahu made it clear that eliminating Iran’s ballistic missile programme is of vital importance to Israel and other countries in the region. Israel has recently entered into a war against Iran, together with the United States, which according to analysts has so far failed in its stated aims, and has caused economic chaos around the world.
“We reaffirmed our strong ties and the support we express (to Israel) both bilaterally, within the European Union and at the United Nations,” said Macinka. He said that political support can also manifest itself in economic cooperation.
The minister confirmed talks between Czech and Israeli defence companies, though he declined to give details. He said he hoped the Czech Republic could serve as a gateway for Israel to European markets.
During his visit, Macinka also met Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and President Isaac Herzog. The Czech Foreign Ministry said Macinka and Herzog discussed “the development of Czech-Israeli relations and the joint fight against anti-Semitism.”
The Czech Republic and its government are supporting Israel at a time when most other countries, including many European countries, have been strongly critical of Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has claimed the lives of at least 72,000 people and caused widespread destruction and a humanitarian catastrophe for the civilian population, as well as other Israeli military actions in Lebanon, Iran, and the wider region.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in relation to the war in Gaza. Many European countries have also criticised the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which, according to Netanyahu’s government, are intended to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.
