BRUSSELS— The assertion that Israel has much better relations with individual EU countries than with the European Union as a bloc has been again confirmed this week when Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Lithuania, the first-ever such visit by an Israeli premier.
Netanyahu, who clearly told reporters before departing for Vilnius that he was interested in ‘’balancing the not-always-friendly EU approach toward the State of Israel, so that we can get a more reasonable approach’’
“I do this through contacts with blocs of countries within the EU – the countries of Eastern Europe, now with the Baltic states and, of course, with other countries,” he added.
The Israeli premier was invited to take part in a Baltic summit which included Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis, Latvian Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis and Estonian Prime Minister Jüri Ratas.
He said Israel is interested in strengthening economic and diplomatic ties with those countries, and they are equally interested in developing ties with Israel.
The first result of his visit was a proposal from Lithuania’s Prime Minister Saulis Skvernelis to hold talks between the EU and Israeli Interior Ministers focused on terrorism.
“Lithuania will initiate discussion in EU Interior Ministers Council with Israeli public security minister over terrorism threats and other security issues,” he told Agence France Presse in an interview.
Skvernelis said he discussed the idea with Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.
Lithuania is one of Israel’s strongest allies within the European Union and was behind Netanyahu’s invitation to meet with EU Foreign Ministers in Brussels last December.
Skvernelis says his country backs the EU position on a two-state solution to the Palestinian conflict, the status of Jerusalem and the Iran nuclear deal, but wants more direct dialogue between the EU and Israel.
“We want the discussion to happen as it would help to seek compromise on complicated international issues,” he said.
In another interview, this time with the Baltic News Service, the Lithuanian Prime Minister declared : “I believe Lithuania really has a better understanding of Israel and that understanding could be spread among other EU countries. ”
“We need to better listen, hear them out and understand their position. We definitely lack a direct dialogue,” he said.
“But we have to admit that today Israel is not only waging war and defending its independence, the lives of its people, but is also fighting in a wider context, if we speak about terrorism and potential expansion of IS fighters to Europe,” Skvernelis said.
After meeting with his Lithuanian counterpart, Netanyahu said he wanted to thank Lithuania for “the strong positions you have taken in the forums of the EU on behalf of truth, on behalf of Israel, on behalf of decency.”
Netanyahu said Israel is “often mistreated in Brussels,” and the target of “many distortions.”
He said it is “refreshing” to see Lithuania take a stand, “of clarity, of truth, and courage.”
Netanyahu said he also appreciated the “sober” position Lithuania has taken on Iran, and praised British Airways and Air France for their decision on Thursday to join KLM and stop flights to Tehran. Netanyahu said that more countries should take this move, and that more countries will.
Vilnius is known as the “Jerusalem of Lithuania” and a great center of Jewish learning. It had some 100,000 Jews before the war, making up about 45% of the city’s total population.
During his visit, Netanyahu paid homage to the country’s Jewish past, both the glorious and tragic parts, as he attended a memorial ceremony at the Ponary forest outside of Vilnius where 75,000 people, mostly Jews, were murdered during the Holocaust.
He also visited the historic Choral Synagogue, Vilnius’s only Jewish house of prayer which survived WWII, where he met members of the Lithuanian Jewish community. Around 3,000 Jews live today in the country.