PM Netanyahu tells a delegation of Indonesian journalists in Israel that it is time for official ties between the two countries, and that he has “quite a few Indonesian friends on Facebook.”
The delegation is in Israel as guests of the Foreign Ministry.
“The time has come for official relations between Indonesia and Israel,” Netanyahu tells the delegation during a meeting in Jerusalem. “We have many opportunities for cooperation in the fields of water and technology.”
He continues: “Israel has excellent relations with a number of countries in Asia, including China, Japan, India and Vietnam. Israel also has relations with Africa, Latin America and Russia. Even relations with the Arab world are changing, for we are allies in the fight against radical Islam.
“Relations between Israel and Indonesia must change too. I have quite a few Facebook friends who are Indonesian. It is time to change the relationship, the reasons that prevented this are no longer relevant, and I hope that your visit will help in this.”
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