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Israel has decided to lift its diplomatic ban on three far-right European political parties, including France's National Rally, Sweden's Sweden Democrats, and Spain's VOX, while maintaining its embargo on Austria's Freedom Party and Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD), which secured strong results in recent elections.
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen directed his office and Israeli embassies in France, Sweden and Spain to engage with these far-right parties, noting that the move was based on a thorough review of their positions on Israel, antisemitism and Holocaust denial.
"We are examining how these parties behave today," Cohen said in a meeting with Jewish community leaders and pro-Israel organizations in Belgium. "We do not want to isolate ourselves from potential allies in Europe, but we also do not want to legitimize neo-Nazi movements."
Cohen emphasized that Israel's decision-making process involves a detailed assessment of each party's stance on critical issues such as antisemitism, support for Israel, and their position on Jewish traditions like circumcision and kosher slaughter. He also pointed out that some of these parties have problematic historical roots, but Israel is focusing on their current actions and whether they are distancing themselves from any antisemitic rhetoric.
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Regarding the continued ban on the AfD and Austria's Freedom Party, Israeli officials explained that it was not a random decision but based on specific criteria. They stated that, while Israel has traditionally viewed these parties with skepticism, they are closely monitoring whether they are taking effective measures to distance themselves from antisemitic elements. "It’s about updating and reassessing based on their actions," one senior official said.
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While the Sweden Democrats have Nazi roots, Israeli officials acknowledged that the party has evolved, with changes in both its leadership's rhetoric and internal policies. In contrast, the AfD and the Freedom Party's efforts to distance themselves from problematic elements regarding antisemitism have been deemed insufficient, officials said.
“We want to see how they treat Jewish life and Israel, and we will make our decisions accordingly,” the official added.
Israeli officials also stressed the importance of dialogue with Jewish community leaders in these countries, ensuring that decisions regarding the relationship with these parties will be based on real-time developments rather than historical precedents.