Defense Minister Benny Gantz was the principal speaker at a briefing held with the board of the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune at the Knesset on June 20. Gantz was accompanied by Orit Farkash-Hacohen, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, his chief of staff, and several MKs from the Blue and White party.
The session was organized to mark the release of the fourth issue of the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune, an independent publication founded and published by Ahmed Charai, Chairman and CEO of Global Media Holding, a publishing and broadcasting conglomerate and a Middle East adviser in Washington.
The goal of the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune, noted Charai, is “to build an intellectual bridge between the American and Israeli Establishment. Exchanging ideas, raising questions, debating policies.”
At the briefing, Charai said that “President Biden’s upcoming visit to Israel and Saudi Arabia will be a milestone in American diplomacy for years to come. His upcoming visit presents perhaps the greatest opportunity of his presidency to make a positive and historic achievement. The U.S. has been and will continue to be Israel’s most important ally. Even if differences arise, they should be resolved through dialogue and behind closed doors.”
Charai added that the Abraham Accords have great potential to change the Middle East for the better and said that “the dynamics of normalization induced by the Abraham Accords could finally lead the Jewish state to fully coexist with Arabs across every dimension: culture, science, health, sports, business, military, religion and diplomacy. It is in the interests of Israel and the United States to achieve this integration.”
Following the briefing, Defense Minister Gantz expressed his appreciation to the JST board for the constructive discussion on strategic regional challenges, as well as opportunities to deepen regional alliances ahead of President Biden’s upcoming visit.