We should increase our collective efforts to support the growing tech sector here in Georgia » FINCHANNEL

Has Israel’s role in world politics and trade changed over the past decade?

About two years ago the Abraham Accords were signed and the Middle East changed dramatically. The peace agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, together with the existing peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan, paved the way for far more advanced and broader regional cooperation. We established the Negev Forum, a platform of Heads of State to promote regional health, food security, education and tolerance, and security for greater prosperity for people in the ME and beyond. Israel’s proven ability to offer innovative technological solutions to many of today’s global challenges is now being integrated into regional architectures. In addition, Israel is booming in the technology sector and our well-known ecosystem for creative, innovative entrepreneurship attracts investors and international companies and strengthens our role in the global economy.

Over the years we have worked in cooperation with Georgia’s public and private sectors to expand and share our knowledge and experience in the fields of agriculture, education, technology and more. We definitely plan to continue this collaboration in the years to come.

What is Israel doing for the security of the Jewish community in Ukraine – which is currently under massive attack from Russia? – How is Israel supporting Ukraine in the crisis?

Israel has stood by Ukraine since the beginning of the war. We unequivocally condemned the Russian invasion, rejected Russia’s declaration of annexation of parts of Ukraine, and coordinated with Ukraine in all important votes in the various UN bodies. Israel became the first and only country to deploy a field hospital to Ukraine back in April, when Israeli doctors treated and assisted thousands of Ukrainians in need. We have and will continue to provide support and assistance by treating seriously injured soldiers in Israeli hospitals, admitting children from Ukraine to Israeli hospitals for oncology treatment, training mental health and psychosocial skills specialists in post-trauma and building resilience capacities, and providing medical equipment for Hospitals, Water, Food, Mega Generators and more. We have assisted women and children from the general population who wanted to leave Israel to find help and protection in Israel. As part of our care for the general population, our team in Kiev also maintains contact with the Jewish community

Ms. Hadas Meitzad has been an Israeli diplomat since 2006.

Ms. Meitzad has served as Chief of Staff to the Political Director of the State Department in Jerusalem, Israel, since August 2018.

From 2013 to 2018, Hadas worked at the Israeli Permanent Mission to the United Nations, first as an Advisor on Sustainable Development and since 2015 as Ministerial Advisor for Political and Strategic Affairs and Head of the Political Team.

In the past, she worked in the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Eurasia Divisions of the Department of State. From 2007 to 2009 she headed the Public Diplomacy Department of the Israeli Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.

Ms. Meitzad joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2006 after serving eight years as a captain in the Israel Air Force with the rank of captain. She holds a BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science from Bar Ilan University and an MBA from Tel Aviv University.

Ms. Mietzad was born and raised in Arad, Israel. She has a daughter.

She is fluent in Hebrew and English

Do you think regional security is deteriorating or improving over time?

I think we’re seeing opposing trends. On the one hand, the world is becoming more united and more responsive as new threats emerge. For example, we have all seen the international community’s immediate response to the Iranian regime’s involvement in the war in Ukraine in the form of new waves of sanctions. We have seen UN members send a clear message to the Iranian regime by their decisive decision to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women.
Among the positive trends we also count the development of various regional cooperations around the world. Architectures that allow us, the moderate countries, to act together against those who spread terrorism and radicalization.
On the other hand, the devastating war in Ukraine also continues, oppression and radicalization have yet to be eradicated from our world.

We are still challenged by the ongoing trend of Iran’s illegal transfer of advanced weapons systems, including UAVs, into the hands of non-state actors – mostly unaccountable militias and terrorist organizations and the battlefields in Ukraine.

The Jewish people recently celebrated Hanukkah and the main story of this holiday is about how the light drives out the darkness – I wish for all of us to accelerate all the positive trends that bring more light into our world.

How does Israel view the strategic relationship between Russia and Iran or Syria?

Israel has maintained a continuous, comprehensive dialogue with Russia for many years, including on Israeli national security issues. In this conversation we also have differences of opinion. Since the invasion of Syria by Russian forces in 2015 and during the various rounds of negotiations on the Iran nuclear file, we have been very clear in expressing our concerns and analysis about the relationship and the negative role Iran is playing in the Middle East, including in Syria and beyond. Russia is well aware of the Israeli perspective.

Iran continues to defy all international laws and norms – from the oppression of its wives and children, the execution of Iranian citizens without due process, the advancement of its military nuclear capabilities, and repeated attempts to impede maritime trade and commerce. It also continues to undermine world stability by arming militias with advanced weaponry and funding terrorist organizations and attempting to carry out terrorist attacks around the world, including the recent attempt here on Georgian soil. We have always been concerned about Iran’s activities to improve its unmanned aerial vehicles, and now we are witnessing the spillover from the Middle East to Europe.
The crisis in Ukraine has worsened relations with Russia, but still many Russians travel to Israel as tourists or do business with Israeli companies.

How is society reacting to the current crisis and its relationship with Russia?

Israeli society supports the Ukrainian people and wishes the end of this war in the near future. As you know, the interpersonal relationship between Israelis and Russians is strong, partly due to the massive immigration of Jewish people from that region in the 1990s and the large Jewish community in Russia.

The Jewish community in Russia is the third largest in the world and our relationship with this community is very important to us. We should also keep in mind that no visa is required for Russians visiting Israel. At the same time, Israel is extremely vigilant and making sure it is not used as a platform to circumvent international sanctions against Russia.

In which sectors can Israeli investors be interested in Georgia?

The traditional areas of interest are agriculture, real estate and tourism. I believe the plans for major developments in energy, connectivity including digital connectivity, and infrastructure will attract more Israeli investors. The recently signed Black Sea Cable MoU and other similar projects are attracting the attention of companies and investors.

It is an interesting time and I hope that Georgia will take full advantage of its location, capabilities and continued stability in the region. I believe we should increase our joint efforts to support the growing technology sector here in Georgia.

From your personal point of view, who should be named Hero of the Year?

The brave women of Iran who continue to stand up for their basic rights before an oppressive, narrow-minded regime.