Sa’ar: World largely backing Israel despite Iranian diplomatic offensive

At the opening of a Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar touts Israel’s diplomatic standing during its newly launched war with Iran, saying Israel is receiving widespread backing for its preemptive strikes on Tehran’s nuclear program despite efforts by the Islamic Republic to undermine support.

“In parallel to the military campaign, a political and informational campaign is constantly underway,” Sa’ar says, addressing Hebrew media alongside Committee chair MK Yuli Edelstein ahead of the meeting.

“We are proactive, active, and offensive in the political arena just as we are in the military one. On the diplomatic front, the Iranian side has displayed considerable activism, but so far all of their efforts have been thwarted,” Sa’ar continues, saying that Iran-initiated efforts to weaken support for Israel’s actions, including an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council over the weekend and a convening of the IAEA Board of Governors yesterday, both “concluded with no outcome against Israel.”

“This morning, even as we speak, a Zoom meeting of the European Union foreign ministers is being held, specifically focused on this campaign,” Sa’ar adds, saying he had spoken to multiple counterparts from EU member states ahead of the meeting.

“I estimate that we will continue to see further attempts in these forums, as well as efforts to bring the issue before the UN General Assembly,” he says.

Key European allies, as well as US President Donald Trump, have expressed their desire for de-escalation in the region, but have paired this with an affirmation of Israel’s right to self-defense and an assertion that Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon.

Sa’ar says that “a broad-scale public diplomacy campaign is being carried out, involving several bodies operating in global media and across social networks. We will detail these efforts further.”

“Our international standing with regard to Operation [Rising Lion] is strong,” Sa’ar claims. “There is widespread understanding of the action we have taken, and recognition that the existential threat to Israel also carries implications for the security of the entire region, for Europe’s security, and for the global order.”

“Naturally, there are also dissenting voices in the international arena. But certainly within what we call ‘the Western world,’ despite the usual concerns about escalation and the like, the general approach is a positive one,” he concludes.