Ex-diplomats, ambassadors warn new government will hurt Israel’s global standing

Over 100 former Foreign Ministry workers sign letter saying country may face ‘wide-ranging political and economic ramifications’ if incoming coalition enacts hard-right policies

28 December 2022

More than 100 former Israeli diplomats and ambassadors on Wednesday signed a letter to incoming prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning of damage to Israel’s global standing if the new government implements hard-right policies.

In the letter, published in Hebrew and English, the signatories expressed “profound concern at the serious damage to Israel’s foreign relations, its international standing and its core interests abroad emanating from what will apparently be the policy of the incoming government.”

The missive cited concerns over potential policy changes in the West Bank and the advancement of “extreme and discriminatory laws” that would allow service providers to deny service to a customer on religious grounds, as the parties that will compose the new government agreed in their coalition deals.

Without citing any specific proposals, the letter also warned that free speech and democratic values could be undermined, while adding that decisions to curb the independence of the judiciary or to reject an international treaty aimed at combating violence against women could hurt Israel’s image as a liberal and democratic country.

The former Foreign Ministry employees said they were concerned about a backlash that could harm Israel’s alliance with the US and undo the progress of the Abraham Accords normalization agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.

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