Yossi Abravanel: Despite sanctions, Israel must keep communication open with Europe

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. Israel's relationship with the West, especially Europe, took an unhappy turn this week, as UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced that his country would be imposing widespread sanctions on Israel's settlements. France and Canada said they would impose similar penalties, while other European countries called for EU measures against Israeli settlements. The European Leadership Network, or ELNET, works to improve ties between Israel and Europe. Yossi Abravanel, ELNET Israel's deputy director, joined Lazar Focus to explain why countries are announcing sanctions now, and how Israel should respond. According to Abravanel, domestic politics is the main driver of the decision to impose sanctions on Israeli settlements. He said that countries are willing to harm their own interests to appease anti-Israel voters, and that an advisor to the previous British prime minister Keir Starmer told him as much. He said that Israel should not "go too far" in its response to the sanctions. Europe is Israel's largest trade partner, he stressed. Israel must keep lines of communication with European countries open, and stress that Israel is a democracy fighting for shared values. Encouragingly, Abravanel noted that opposition parties in many countries considered hostile to Israel, including in Spain, pledge that they will overturn anti-Israel moves by sitting left-wing governments. He emphasized that Germany, which opposed the sanctions, works to protect Israel in the EU every day, and Israelis should recognize the lengths to which Germany goes for the Jewish state. Lazar Focus is available on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Ari Schlacht.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.