Israel's Foreign Ministry has established contact with three European parties classified as "right-wing," following the directive of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, Walla first reported on Monday, citing senior Foreign Ministry officials.
The parties are the National Rally (France), the Sweden Democrats, and Vox (Spain), all of which Israel has not engaged with until now.
An Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post, "This is not a secret dialogue; the decision was made after extensive discussions on the matter."
The contact with far‑right parties in Europe began several months ago when former foreign minister Israel Katz instructed members of his ministry to carry out a staff study on the subject. As part of the study, the Austrian Freedom Party and the Alternative for Germany (AfD), were also examined.
When Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar assumed office, the findings were presented to him. This included an examination of the far‑right European parties based on several criteria, such as their current support for Israel, their positions toward the Jewish community and the Jewish community’s attitude toward them, their disavowal of antisemitism, and their rejection of their Nazi past.
Embassies notify heads of Jewish organizations
Sa'ar instructed the Israeli embassies in Paris, Madrid, and Stockholm to update the heads of Jewish organizations with regard to the decision and to coordinate with them regarding the establishment of contact with the three parties, a senior Foreign Ministry official said.
After the ambassadors updated the Jewish organizations, meetings were held with representatives of these three parties.