On November 11, a day after taking up his new position as foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar did something that showed he is acutely aware of the enormous challenges that he and Israel are facing in the international arena. He held a briefing in English at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Jerusalem for the foreign media, which was attended by dozens of journalists from major media outlets in the world. These are the main points of his briefing:
“The most important issue by far for the future of this region and the security of the State of Israel is to avoid Iran getting a nuclear weapon. I am sure that we will be able to work together with the US to stabilize the region and guarantee the future of the region. A nuclear weapon for Iran will be a danger not only to Israel. Iran attacks other neighbors – the Saudis, for example. Iran is directly connected to, financing, instructing and responsible for so many terror organizations, some of which became terror states in the region. That’s the number one issue from the point of view of the State of Israel."
"There is some progress in the attempts to reach a settlement with Lebanon. We are working with the Americans on the issue. We can be there when we know that Hezbollah is not on our border, that it is north of the Litani River, and that Hezbollah will not be able to rearm itself with new weapon systems through Syria, from the sea, from the airport, in any way. Our main challenge will be to enforce what is agreed upon."
"We will insist on all issues related to Israel’s national security. We want to bring our citizens home safely. I hope that the change in the balance of power in Lebanon will bring Lebanon into a new era, but that is not our role. Lebanon belongs to the Lebanese people, not to Iran. We will make sure that Hezbollah does not pose a threat to Israel. The international community can guarantee the future of Lebanon as a free country, as a sovereign country, not as an extension of Iran, and I am sure that the majority of the Lebanese people do not want to be an Iranian extension."
Sa’ar is a savvy politician who clearly knows how to talk to diplomats and journalists. It helps that he’s married to Geula Even-Sa’ar, a top radio and TV presenter who retired in 2018 to allow her husband to make his political comeback. After first entering the Knesset and later the government on the Likud list in 2003, he has now returned as the head of his own political party, New Hope. And as Israel’s war on multiple fronts rages on, Sa’ar is currently in a powerful position in which he can literally offer new hope by leading a rehabilitation and perhaps even a revolution in the sphere of Israel’s dismal public relations. Among other things, Sa’ar should:
Engage in effective shuttle diplomacy with major international powers, focusing on the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the US, UK, France, China, and Russia – to convey Israel’s moral, military, and diplomatic positions vigorously and unequivocally. He has access to foreign ministers from around the world. He should use this access as much as he can.
Establish a professional hasbara (public relations) unit that would take charge of eloquently articulating Israel’s stance on a range of issues to international mainstream media as well as social media. (He might even invite local and international stars to advise him, from Eylon Levy and Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, to Douglas Murray and Ben Shapiro).
Form alliances with powerful pro-Israel political, religious and cultural organizations and personalities around the globe, especially in the Middle East, to expand the Abraham Accords and the peace treaties that already exist with Arab states, and set up a channel of communication with moderate Palestinian figures who support peace and coexistence.
This mission is not impossible. Should he choose to accept it, Sa’ar will surely have the support of all Israelis.