Israel has been given the green light to open offices in the NATO Brussel’s Headquarters following years of delay caused by Turkey’s veto of the move. This has been confirmed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu during a Likud faction meeting in Knesset. It is explained that while Israel is not a NATO member, Jerusalem maintains good ties with the international organization. The move has been blocked for a number of years by Turkey, using its veto power during a period in which relations between Israel and Turkey deteriorated significantly. Reports signal that both countries are now working to rehabilitate the once close ties between the nations.

In response to the decision Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said, “I welcome the NATO statement inviting the State of Israel to open office at the organization’s headquarters. This is a goal that we have worked on for many years. I announce that Israel will accept the invitation; we will open an office soon. I think that this is also an important expression of Israel’s standing in the world. The countries of the world are looking to cooperate with us due to – inter alia – our determined fight against terrorism, our technological know-how and our intelligence services”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)