Israel Minister of Economy and Industry, Nir Barkat, expressed his support for US president-elect Donald Trump’s recent threat to BRICS countries regarding their de-dollarisation efforts, saying that “I think it’s in the best interest of the free world.”
Speaking to media on December 3, Barkat stated that, “I think it’s a bold and smart move and I don’t think India is going to be part of any kind of currency, neither will Israel.”
“President Trump is making geopolitical order – aligning in the interest of the West and Democracies and also defining who are the bad guys, enemies and jihadists. Iran, Qatar, the proxies in our region that are trying to destabilise peace – it’s not only in the interest of Israel but also for the free world that we align against bullies,” he added.
As Trump prepares to assume charge in Washington, Barkat has expressed his support for Trump’s economic approach. Barkat stated, “I think what President Trump is doing, he is aligning his economy with the geopolitics. In other words, if you are an adversary – you’ll pay heavy taxes but if you are an ally, the doors are open – having a good relationship (of the US) with Israel and India – will only do good to us…”.
#WATCH | On president-elect Donald Trump assuming charge in Washington, Israeli minister Nir Barkat says, "I think what President Trump is doing, he is aligning his economy with the geopolitics. In other words, if you are an adversary – you'll pay heavy taxes but if you are an… pic.twitter.com/9jKDCVdQkp
— ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2024
On November 30, Trump threatened the BRICS nations, with 100 per cent tariffs and called for a clear commitment from these countries to refrain from creating a new currency or supporting any other currency to replace the US dollar.
He further if Israel was concerned about the Adani Group’s investments in Israel following the indictment charges against the group in the US, Barkat said, “It’s not our issue. It’s not going to impact what is happening in Israel.”
Speaking to media on December 3, he highlighted Israel’s innovative prowess and also emphasised the importance of the close relationship between both nations.
“Israel is a powerhouse of innovation. The areas we excel in are relevant to the global market. We have advanced industries. The close relationship between Israel and India – government to government and people to people, creates an ecosystem for scaling these ideas in India and influencing the rest of the region and world. India is on the right track,” the Israeli minister said. .
VIDEO | "It's (charges against Adani in the US) not an Israeli issue. We are focused on making sure that foreign investors in Israel get a good return, and it's not an Israeli issue," says Minister of Economy and Industry of Israel Nir Barkat (@NirBarkat) when asked about US… pic.twitter.com/yOtYxlBwbJ
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 3, 2024
Further, Barkat expressed his gratitude to the Indian government for their support during difficult times.
“On October 7, one of the first calls was from PM Modi. We as Israelis respect that. We understand how deep the relationship is. It’s also an opportunity to say thank you to the whole govt of India. You (India) know how to stand beside us in times of trouble. We have a long good memory about India,” Barkat told media.
VIDEO | "India is a great friend of Israel, when Modi government supported us, we were thankful, we remember, we have a long memory. The government-to-government relation is very good, moreover, we have people-to-people relation, it is very good, so there is a classic ecosystem… pic.twitter.com/wVuKNbxFSj
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 3, 2024
Further, the Israel minister called on Israel’s neighbors to recognise the State of Israel and seek peace and collaboration.
“Unfortunately, we have neighbors that are jihadists. It’s a holy war, they want to destroy Israel,” Barkat said. “The only hope to reshape the Middle East is that they recognize the State of Israel and they understand that rather than building tunnels and terror, they want to build Dubai and cities and towers and jobs.”
#WATCH | On Israel facing major conflicts in the region with states and non-state actors, Israeli minister Nir Barkat says, "Unfortunately, we have neighbours that are jihadists. It's a holy war, they want to destroy Israel… The only hope to reshape the Middle East is that they… pic.twitter.com/uM7MLNurpo
— ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2024
“We want to see our neighbours build Dubai and not Gaza. We want to have peace like Dubai. We want to expand the Abraham Accord to include the Saudis, Indonesia and other modern Arab states that are seeking to create win-win deals,” he added.
On October 7, Hamas launched a terror attack on Israel, killing over 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. Around 100 of them are still in captivity, and many are feared dead. In response, Israel launched a strong counteroffensive targeting Hamas units in Gaza. The Israeli operation has, however, resulted in the deaths of over 45,000 Palestinians in Gaza.
(with inputs from ANI)
