Israel and The European Union share a long common history. “The strongest bond that Europe and Israel share is our belief in democracy and in democratic values,” said president of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

Facing these tremendous challenges, the European Union and Israel have come closer, as natural partners whose relations are not merely based on geographical proximity, but also on shared History, common values and economic complementarity. 2022 was marked by the renewing of the association council between the EU and Israel which was an important milestone in EU-Israel relations. In fact, we are witnessing since the beginning of the year an unprecedented acceleration in our bilateral relations: the President of the European Parliament chose Israel for her first official visit outside of Europe, the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Investment Bank visited Israel just before summer.

A week ago, Israel’s Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen travelled to Brussels to meet EU officials for wide ranging dialogues on EU Israel relations. The FM met with many European high officials, counting, President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, Commissioner Varhelyi and many others, paving the way toward a peaceful and prosperous Middle East.

The EU's economic and political weight and Israel’s innovative drive, as well as our common values and culture, highlighted by the President of the Commission in her speech at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in June last year, make us natural partners to lead the way toward a more sustainable and resilient future. By instilling a new dynamic in Israel-EU cooperation and keeping the unprecedented momentum in our bilateral relations, we can overcome the challenges we face today and turn them into immense opportunities to build a better world for our children.