Israeli army chief discusses Lebanon, Iran with French counterparts
The visit of IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi to Paris offered Jerusalem the possibility to discuss the security situation in Lebanon, and how France can play a constructive role against the Hezbollah threat.
PARIS — Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi concluded his visit to Europe today. Kochavi traveled at the beginning of the week to Poland for a three-day visit, continuing on the evening of Sept. 20 for a two-day visit to France. Poland and France are both members of NATO. The visit of Kochavi comes as Israel — a nonmember partner of NATO — tries actively to develop its cooperation with the organization.
The visit of Kochavi to Poland was essentially diplomatic and symbolic, including a wreath-laying ceremony at the Memorial to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, a visit to the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews and a visit to the Warsaw Jewish Cemetery.
Israel’s diplomatic relations with Poland had deteriorated in the past year and a half, after the Polish parliament approved last year legislation limiting the ability of Jews to recover property seized by Nazis in Poland during World War II. Then-Foreign Minister Yair Lapid criticized openly and repeatedly Polish leadership over the issue. With this crisis, and with the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, Israel practically halted visits of Israeli high school students and of IDF soldiers to Polish concentration camps. The visit of Kochavi this week signaled Jerusalem’s willingness to revive these visits.
Reports said that the role played by Poland and the Polish army in supporting Ukraine contributed to Jerusalem’s willingness to rediscuss issues with Warsaw. Israel’s humanitarian aid to Ukraine is transferred through Poland, and cooperation between administrations of both countries has been efficient and constructive. The Polish army, it was suggested, is keen to cooperate with Israel on issues such as intelligence sharing and technological innovations.
