Albania Israel and Albania established diplomatic relations on 20 August 1991. Albania had previously recognized Israel as a state since 1949. Albania has an embassy in
Tel Aviv and Israel also has an embassy in
Tirana.
Armenia Since independence,
Armenia has received support from Israel and today remains one of its major trade partners. Both countries established diplomatic relations on 4 April 1992. Israel maintains a consulate in
Yerevan, while Armenia has an embassy in Tel-Aviv and an honorary consulate in Jerusalem. Israel has recognized 10 Armenians as
Righteous Among the Nations for risking their lives to save Jews during the
Holocaust.
Austria Austria recognized Israel on 5 March 1949. Austria has an embassy in
Tel Aviv and 3 honorary consulates (in
Eilat,
Haifa and
Jerusalem). Israel has an embassy in
Vienna. Both countries are full members of the
Union for the Mediterranean. The Austrian Foreign Ministry lists the bilateral treaties with Israel.
Azerbaijan Azerbaijani–Israeli relations are good, and Israel has an embassy in Baku. In May 1999, the U.S.-Azerbaijan Council sponsored a seminar to discuss relations among Azeris, Jews, and Israel. In April 2000, an Israeli trade delegation visited Baku to discuss ways of strengthening bilateral economic relations. The Azerbaijan–Israel Friendship Society facilitates and promotes bilateral diplomatic and business links. In October 2001, President Aliyev pledged to open an embassy in Israel and send his Foreign Minister to visit the country. Although neither has occurred, Azerbaijani–Israeli strategic cooperation continues to grow. For many years, Azerbaijan has maintained high rates of immigration to Israel due to the economic and political situation in the country. In 2002, 475 Jews made
aliyah and 111 immigrated to the United States. The Azeri government gets regular updates from Israel regarding Azeri Jews in Israel, who are plagued by unemployment, crime, and other social issues as new immigrants in Israel.
Belarus Israel established relations with Belarus in 1992 and continue to maintain friendly relations. In April 2000, Belarus and Israel signed an agreement on trade, science, culture, and education. The two countries also formed a joint committee to improve relations between the two nations. Belarus has an embassy in Tel Aviv and Israel has an embassy in Minsk. The two countries have also discussed implementing a visa-free regime between the two countries. Belarus Foreign Minister
Vladimir Makei continues to satisfied with the relations between the two countries and also expressed hope for new opportunities to facilitate further all-round cooperation with Israel in conjunction with fostering progressive development with the Jewish state. Both nations celebrated its 20th anniversary in December 2012. Bilateral cooperation has since then encapsulated tourism, culture, trade, economy, science, education and other fields. In 2013, Belarusian Vice Premier Mikhail Rusyi met top Israeli officials from the Belarusian Agriculture and Food Ministry, the State Committee for Science and Technology, Belarusbank and the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee to further facilitate economic cooperation as well as development of innovative technologies into the Belarusian agricultural sector.
Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Israel and Bosnia and Herzegovina established diplomatic relations in 1997.
Bulgaria Israel and Bulgaria have strong ties. Bulgaria
saved the majority of its Jews during
World War II — 48,000 were rescued, 11,343 were deported. Israel and Bulgaria established diplomatic relations in 1948. After the Six-Day War Bulgaria cut diplomatic ties with Israel. In 1988, Bulgaria joined the wave of first nations to recognise the
State of Palestine, something it has never withdrawn. In 1990 diplomatic relations were renewed. Bulgaria has an embassy in Tel Aviv and Israel has an embassy in
Sofia and honorary consul in
Varna. In January 2012, Israel and Bulgaria signed two memorandum of understanding, one was for joint military training exercises and one for cooperation in the defence sector. The two agreements were signed by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Bulgarian Defense Minister
Anyu Angelov. Minister Angelov said the two agreements, in addition to their economic and defense benefits, also "bring a political message – Bulgaria and Israel are a step closer towards stronger cooperation and a strategic dialogue." After the 2012 Burga bus bombing, Bulgaria and Israel pledged to increase security relations between the two countries discussing various aspects of bilateral cooperation at a meeting at the Ministry of Interior between Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Tsvetlin Iochev and Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister, Avigdor Leiberman in November 2013. An international investigation led by Bulgaria has established was the work of people linked with the bombing to the military wing of Hezbollah where five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian citizen died. The governments of both countries also intend to cooperate in the high-tech sector, the communications sector, health care and agriculture and to continue the positive development of tourism between the two countries and energy resource divestment. Israel also intends to join with Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece and Romania to launch a regional group for crisis response which will boost the partnership between these countries in cases of common security challenges as result of a March 2014 meeting between
Avigdor Lieberman and Bulgarian Interior Minister Tsvetlin Yovchev.
Croatia with Israeli president
Reuven Rivlin, July 2015 While Croatia was part of the
Yugoslavia Federation (1943–1991) it established diplomatic relations with Israel in year 1948 through the Federation, but after Israel attacked Yugoslavia's
Non-Aligned Movement ally
Egypt in the
Six-Day War in 1967, Yugoslavia severed all diplomatic relations with Israel. After the
breakup of Yugoslavia occurred as a result of a series of political upheavals and conflicts Croatia declared independence on 8 October 1991 and officially renewed its bilateral relations with Israel which recognized Croatia as an independent state on 16 April 1992, but due to some disagreements with the Croatian President
Tuđman full diplomatic relations were established 5 years later, on 4 September 1997. Since then relations between Croatia and Israel have been excellent. Croatia has an embassy in
Tel Aviv and 4 honorary consulates (in
Ashdod,
Caesarea,
Jerusalem and
Kfar Shmaryahu). Israel has an embassy in
Zagreb. In addition, Croatia does not recognize the
State of Palestine.
Cyprus , meets the Cypriot President,
Demetris Christofias. Israel has had diplomatic relations with Cyprus since Israel's independence in 1948, when Cyprus was a British protectorate. Israel and Cyprus' associations have continued to expand since 1960, the year of Cyprus' independence. The neighboring countries trade regularly and there are high flows of tourism between them. However, Cypriot politicians have frequently spoken out against Israeli military raids in the Palestinian territories as well as the 2006 Lebanon War, during which Cyprus was forced to manage a heavy flow of refugees and aid out of and into Lebanon. However, the discovery of natural gas in the
Leviathan gas field led to a thawing of relations between the two governments. The two countries demarcated their Exclusive Economic Zones in 2010. Israel's rising antagonism with Turkey further increased the level of cooperation between the two countries, as Israel compensated by improving its relations elsewhere. In February 2012, Netanyahu visited Cyprus, the first visit of an Israeli Prime Minister in history. Relations between Israel and Cyprus are based on mutual respect for Western values, the support for free-market economy and the establishment of democracies in the Middle East that would co-exist peacefully.
Czech Republic Israel and the Czech Republic share a special relationship. Czechoslovakia was the only country to send aid to Israel in its early years e.g.
arms shipments from Czechoslovakia to Israel 1947–1949. In December 2008, the Czech Air Force wanted to train in desert conditions for the upcoming mission in Afghanistan. No country agreed to help, except Israel. Israel saw it as an opportunity to thank the Czechs for training Israeli pilots when the country was first established.
Denmark The relations between Denmark and Israel have been friendly and warm. Denmark voted for the
partition of Palestine in 1947 and supports Israel in the
United Nations. Denmark was one of few countries in Europe to
save most of its Jewish population during the WWII. In
Jerusalem, there is a monument to the rescue of
Danish Jews, a school is named in Denmark's honor, and the King
Christian X hospital in
Eitanim is named after Denmark's king during World War II. Denmark has an embassy in Israel, and Israel has an embassy in Copenhagen. The political lives of the two states have been somewhat intertwined: The former Israeli minister of social and diaspora affairs
Michael Melchior was born in Denmark and is the son of former chief rabbi in Copenhagen,
Bent Melchior, the nephew of former Danish minister of traffic and minister of tourism and communication
Arne Melchior, and the grandson of the acting rabbi for the Jewish refugees from Denmark in Sweden 1943–45,
Marcus Melchior; the executive director of the
Peres Center for Peace 2001–2011,
Ron Pundak who played an important role in starting the
Oslo peace process and was part of the core group behind the
Geneva Initiative, is the son of the influential Danish journalist
Herbert Pundik; and the prominent Israeli politician
Yohanan Plesner, former chairman of the
Plesner Committee, is the son of Danish architect
Ulrik Plesner.
Estonia Estonia and Israel maintain excellent relations. Israel officially recognized the Republic of Estonia on 4 September 1991 and diplomatic relations were established on 9 January 1992. Foreign Minister Urmas Paet opened the Estonian Embassy in Tel Aviv in November 2009. As of 2012, bilateral trade with Israel was 19.9 million euros.
Finland In 2004, a joint Finland-Israel Technology (FIT) cooperation program was created for research and development projects in the field of ICT. The Office of the Chief Scientist in Israel and
Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Research and Innovation, allocated five million euros each for the funding of projects. In 2005, Finnish exports to Israel totaled 155,24 million euros and imports from Israel to Finland totaled 95.96 million euros. Finland's leading exports to Israel are telecommunications equipment and machinery, and Israeli fruits and vegetables. This new reality became clear when, in the crisis leading up to the
Six-Day War in June 1967,
Charles de Gaulle's government imposed an arms embargo on the region, mostly affecting Israel, which had relied on France for weapons over the previous decade. Under
François Mitterrand in the early 1980s, French–Israeli relations improved greatly. Mitterrand was the first French president to visit Israel while in office. In 1967, after the Six-Day War, 5,300 French Jews immigrated to Israel.
Georgia Relations between Israel and Georgia remain excellent. Georgia's former defense minister from 2006 to 2008,
Davit Kezerashvili, had previously lived in Israel. Israel has been selling weapons to Georgia for seven years financed by grants from the USA Georgia has its embassy in Tel Aviv, and the State of Israel has its embassy in Tbilisi. In June 2013, Georgian Prime Minister
Bidzina Ivanishvili praised the Jewish people and Israel and has sought to increase relations between Israel and Georgia elucidating his special relationship between him, Georgia and the Jewish people. Ivanishvili also wanted to extend strategic partnerships and as well as furthering economic cooperation by making it easier for Israeli entrepreneurs and investors to not just do business in Israel, but also facilitate the right paths to do business for the Georgians. The Israel-Georgia Chamber of Business was established in 1996 in order to facilitate business transactions between the two friendly countries and acting as a guide for Israeli businesses through the Georgian economy. Major sectors include insurance, real estate and construction, medical and dental solutions, industrial and utility projects, and energy.
Germany Due to its role in the Holocaust, Israel was at first extremely hostile towards Germany and initially refused to establish relations with them. However, relations gradually thawed as Germany offered to pay
reparations in 1952, and diplomatic relations were officially established in 1965. Israel and Germany now maintain a "special relationship" based on shared beliefs, Western values and a combination of historical perspectives. Among the most important factors in their relations is
Nazi Germany's role in the
genocide of 6 million Jews during
the Holocaust. Germany is a prime supplier of arms to Israel, including
Dolphin submarines. The military co-operation has been discreet but mutually profitable: Israeli intelligence, for example, sent captured
Warsaw Pact armor to West Germany to be analyzed. The results aided the German development of an
anti-tank system.
Greece Both Greece and Turkey recognized the State of Israel in the late 1940s, but were diplomatically represented in Tel Aviv on lower-than-embassy levels. Greek–Israeli relations improved in 1995. . and Prime Minister of Greece
Antonis Samaras in August 2012 in
Athens Bombardier 415s fighting flames at
Ein Hod on 4 December 2010 Greece–Israel relations improved as Turkey–Israel relations worsened in the aftermath of the
2010 Gaza flotilla raid. In October 2010, the Israeli and Greek air-forces trained jointly in Greece. According to the BBC, this signified a boost in ties that was due in large part to Israel's rift with Turkey. In November 2011, the
Israeli Air Force hosted Greece's
Hellenic Air Force in a joint exercise at the
Uvda base. The joint Cyprus–Israel oil and gas explorations are also an important factor for Greece, given its strong links with Cyprus. Additionally Greek and Israeli state controlled energy companies are planning to lay the world's longest subsea power cable, linking Israel, Cyprus and Greece by 2023. The link, called the
EuroAsia Interconnector project, will be the longest in the world. A new joint action committee for the Greek–Israeli alliance has been created in the U.S. Congress in early 2013. The creation and goals of the Greek-Israeli Caucus under the name Congressional Hellenic-Israel Alliance were announced at a special event held in the Congress. It is co-chaired by Congress members
Gus Bilirakis the Republican representative from Florida and
Ted Deutch the Democrat from Florida, and the Greek-Israeli Caucus consists of powerful members of both Republican and Democratic party. It is estimated that it may become the most important pressure group in Congress by 2014.
Holy See Before the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the
Vatican opposed Zionist policies and objectives in Palestine. In 1947, during discussions at the United Nations about the
United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, the Vatican supported the
internationalization of Jerusalem, in order to keep the
holy places away from either Israeli or Arab sovereignty. In October 1948, as the
1948 Arab–Israeli War was in progress,
Pope Pius XII, deeply disturbed by that violent conflict, issued the
encyclical In multiplicibus curis, in which he called on the peace-makers to give Jerusalem and its outskirts "an international character" and to assure – "with international guarantees" – freedom of access and worship at the holy places scattered throughout Palestine. In April 1949, he issued the encyclical
Redemptoris nostri cruciatus, in which he appealed for justice for the
Palestinian refugees and repeated his call for an "international status" as the best form of protection for the holy places. In January 1964, Pope
Paul VI visited Israel, the first such Papal visit. Following the
Six-Day War, the Vatican modified its position on the holy places. In an address to the
College of Cardinals in December 1967,
Pope Paul VI called for a "
special statute, internationally guaranteed" for Jerusalem and the Holy Places, thus changing the previous demand for the internationalization of Jerusalem. Diplomatic relations between the Israeli government and the Vatican were established in 1994, following the conclusion of the
Fundamental Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Israel, signed on 30 December 1993. The Holy See (the Vatican), which has UN observer status, is the only non-UN member state with which Israel has diplomatic relations and the only non-UN member state recognised by Israel. An important organ in these relations is the Israel-Vatican Bilateral Commission, established under article 10 of the Agreement to resolve economic issues between the parties. In 2000,
Pope John Paul II visited Israel, followed by visits of
Pope Benedict XVI (2009) and
Pope Francis (2014). The bilateral commission convened on 30 April 2009 and 10 December 2009.
Hungary Hungary and Israel established full diplomatic relations in 1948 and severed during the Six-Day War in 1967. Relations were restored in 1989 with improved relations as well as the opening of embassies and consulates with Hungary having an embassy in
Tel Aviv and 4 honorary consulates (in
Eilat,
Haifa,
Jerusalem and
Tel Aviv) and Israel has an embassy in
Budapest and an honorary consulate in
Szeged. Both countries have stressed the increasing of trade and tourism between one another and an estimated 30,000 Hungarian Jews emigrated to Israel in 1948. Both nations are also members of the
Union for the Mediterranean. In January 2022, Israeli Prime Minister
Naftali Bennett thanked his Hungarian counterpart, Prime Minister
Viktor Orbán, for the Hungarian government's consistent support of Israel at international forums.
Ireland Full diplomatic relations between Ireland and Israel were established in 1975. As of 2023, the Israeli ambassador to Ireland is
Dana Erlich and the Irish ambassador to Israel is
Sonya McGuinness. The Irish government followed a similar line to other EU governments during the
2006 Lebanon War, with the Irish
Taoiseach,
Bertie Ahern, condemning the actions of Israel as "reckless and disproportionate" and calling for an immediate ceasefire on both sides, while also condemning the actions of Hezbollah. During the conflict, a shipment of bombs that attempted to land in Ireland from USA to Tel Aviv was denied use of Irish airspace and airfields by the Irish Government. The weapons were part of a series of agreed arms shipments between the United States Government and Israel. The shipments were diverted via Scotland, where they also caused controversy. In 2010, the Israel Defense Forces forcibly boarded an Irish aid ship destined for the Gaza Strip which resulted in worsened relations, Israel's Mossad was also involved in the counterfeiting of Irish passports, and two members of the Israeli ambassador's security staff in Dublin were subsequently deported. In 2010, there were numerous protests at the Israeli embassy in Ireland over the treatment of Palestinians. In December 2024, Israel announced that it would close its embassy in Dublin due to what it described as "the extreme anti-Israel policies of the Irish government".
Italy and
Italian Air Forces conclude an extensive, two-week joint exercise in
Sardinia, 17 November 2010. Relations between Italy and Israel remain strong, with frequent diplomatic exchanges and a large volume of trade. The Israeli Government has followed with great attention the fight against international terrorism pursued by the Italian Government.
Kosovo On 17 February 2008, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia, a move Serbia rejects. Kosovo has been
recognized by a substantial number of UN members, including the United States and most members of the European Union. At the time of the declaration, an Israeli Foreign Ministry official stated: "We haven't decided when we're going to decide, and instead will monitor events and consider the issue." Israel was reluctant to recognize Kosovo's independence, in part because of the possibility of Palestinians using recognition of Kosovo to justify their own unilateral declaration of independence. On 21 September 2018 the president of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci told that he would place the Kosovo embassy in Jerusalem if Israel recognized Kosovo as an independent state. Israel and Kosovo agreed to establish diplomatic relations on 4 September 2020. In March 2022, Kosovo officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem after becoming the first Muslim-majority territory to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Latvia Latvia and Israel established diplomatic relations 6 January 1992. In October 2012, Foreign Minister
Edgars Rinkēvičs called on Israeli officials for the development of economic and trade contacts between both countries and support for Latvia's accession to the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Rinkevics also met with Israeli President Shimon Peres on behalf of President Berzins to visit Latvia. Rinkevics and Peres agreed on the key significance of education and knowledge-based economies for the development of small countries further paving opportunities for our future cooperation between the two nations. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman also corroborated claims that Israel is interested in forging closer relations with Latvia as Rinkevics emphasized the 20th anniversary of relations between Latvia and Israel in 2012 and both foreign ministers expressed their commitment to strengthening economic and trade cooperation, including contacts between Latvian and Israeli entrepreneurs and a more cooperative operation in the fields of education, culture and science. Lithuanian achievements, particularly Lithuania's achievements in biochemistry and the biosciences have attracted Israeli entrepreneurs and investors to invest in Lithuania's science and technology sector and Lithuania is enthusiastic in combining Israel's knack for unlocked untapped entrepreneurial and intellectual potential combined with Lithuania's strong science and technology research base and talented workforce. Both nations have concluded an agreement on cooperation in industrial research and experimental development as further cooperation within venture capital to fund joint research projects remains underway. Bilateral meetings between both nations reached unexpected highs between 2009–2011 and cooperations between the two nations remain excellent with several forms of cooperation that include science, economics, education, and culture as emphasized by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis. Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite has stated Israel as model of innovation in which is one of the reasons that Lithuania is interested in enhancing its bilateral relations. In 2011 alone, Israeli tourism to Lithuania grew by 62 percent, and Lithuanian exports to Israel increased by 54 percent. Israel's leading pharmaceutical company, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, has a manufacturing plant in Lithuania and TEVA recently invested in "Sicor Biotech", a Lithuanian biotechnological pharmaceutical company, further signifying economic cooperation and encourages the development of such sciences as biotechnology and genetic engineering in Lithuanian universities. Israeli companies have taken a very active interest in possibilities for carrying out clinical research in Lithuania; many of them are already in cooperation with Lithuanian medical institutions and have invested in Lithuania's burgeoning life sciences sector. In 2013, Lithuanian biotechnology company ProBioSanus signed a representation agreement with Bharat Israel where ProBioSanus' natural, probiotic-based cleaning and personal care products will be available for sale in Israel for the first time. The company already opened stores in Lithuania and Scandinavia. Mr Andrejauskas, head of ProBioSanus spoke of this agreement saying that "We have a strong scientific base and intellectual potential in Lithuania, so we are allocating particular attention to the creation of new formulas and products." Besides Israeli investments in the Lithuanian life science's sector, Lithuanian presence in Israel in the food industry remains strong as Israeli supermarkets sell Lithuanian cheese, curd desserts, Vilnius mayonnaise, Žemaitijos Pienas butter, Panevėžys ice cream, Švyturys-Utenos Alus beers and various styles of Lithuanian liquors. According to Vadimas Ivanovas, a business and financial analyst at Enterprise Lithuania, says that Israeli retail chains are very interested in Lithuanian sweets, pastries, canned vegetables, various sauces, alcoholic beverages, mineral water. "Veal is particularly popular."
Moldova Relations between Moldova and Israel were established on 6 June 1992. Israel recognized Moldova on 25 December 1991. Israel is represented in Moldova through its embassy in Chisinau and Moldova has an embassy in Tel Aviv and an honorary consulate in Haifa. Relations between the two countries are friendly and a warm one based on mutual support. A myriad of efforts are primarily focused on the realization of achieved accords on cooperation in the fields of economy, medicine, industry, agriculture, social and cultural issues. Though the volume of trade between Israel and Moldova was low,
Larisa Miculet, the third Ambassador of Moldova to Israel, has stated that there numerous untapped potential of increasing bilateral trade. For Israeli entrepreneurs and investors, Moldova is geopolitically convenient because of its location in the center of Europe, its high transparency between public authorities and foreign investors and due to its having eliminated most of the bureaucratic barriers that hinder business activities. Various business sectors of cooperation between Israel and Moldova range from pharmaceuticals, energy, information technology and software, electronics and electronic equipment, power engineering, metal and plastics processing and construction materials but Moldova has stressed foreign Israeli investments in all segments of the Moldovan economy.
Netherlands In 1947, the Netherlands voted in favor of the establishing Israel and established diplomatic relation in 1949. Israel has an embassy in The Hague and The Netherlands has an embassy in Tel Aviv.
North Macedonia Norway (MIFF),
Oslo Norway was one of the first countries to recognize Israel on 4 February 1949. Both countries established diplomatic relations later that year. Israel has an embassy which serves Norway and Iceland in Oslo. Norway has an embassy in
Tel Aviv and 2 honorary consulates (in
Eilat and
Haifa).
Israels Venner på Stortinget (Friends of Israel in the Parliament of Norway) is a pro-Israel caucus group consisting of members of the Parliament of Norway (
Stortinget).
Poland Following the severing of relations after the
Six-Day War, Poland was the first
Eastern Bloc country to restore relations with Israel in 1986 (beside Romania, which had continuous relations with Israel). Full diplomatic relations were reestablished in 1990, after the fall of Communism in Poland.
Portugal The
Estado Novo regime did not recognize Israel. Full diplomatic relations with the Portuguese government were established on 12 May 1977, following the
Portuguese revolution of 1974.
Romania Romania and Israel established full diplomatic relations on 11 June 1948. Between 1967 and 1989, Romania was the only Eastern Bloc country to maintain relations with Israel, after the Six-Day War. Israel has an embassy in
Bucharest. Romania has an embassy in
Tel Aviv and 3 honorary consulates (in
Haifa,
Jerusalem and
Tel Aviv). The two countries have signed many bilateral treaties and agreements and both of them are full members of the
Union for the Mediterranean and many other international organizations.
Russia and the Soviet Union and
Vladimir Putin at the
2018 Moscow Victory Day Parade The
Soviet Union voted in favor of the
United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine in 1947, which paved the way for the creation of the State of Israel. On 17 May 1948, on the third day of Israel's independence, the
Soviet Union granted de jure recognition to the State of Israel, becoming only the second country to recognise Israel (preceded only by the United States'
de facto recognition) and the first country to grant Israel
de jure recognition. The Soviet Union and the other
communist states of Eastern Europe (with the exception of Romania) cut diplomatic ties with Israel during the Six-Day War. Relations were restored on 19 October 1991, a few months before the
dissolution of the Soviet Union, despite the fact that hostile Arab countries such as Syria also maintain close ties with Russia. Russia is known to supply Syria with weapons. In September 2010, Israel and Russia signed a comprehensive military agreement that will "increase cooperation on combating terrorism" and the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Israeli Defense Minister
Ehud Barak met with his Russian counterpart,
Anatoly Serdyukov and Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin, and signed the agreement during a ceremony in Moscow. The Russian military plans on purchasing additional Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles. Russia previously bought 12 drones from the
Israel Aerospace Industries following the
war in South Ossetia.
Serbia Diplomatic relations between Israel and Serbia's predecessor state,
Yugoslavia, were severed for twenty-four years, from 1967 until 1991, when they were officially renewed, by which time Yugoslavia was in the process of disintegration. Diplomatic relations continued when, in April 1992, the two remaining Yugoslav republics, Serbia and Montenegro, formed the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (renamed to
Serbia and Montenegro in February 2003). On 3 June 2006, Montenegro and Serbia dissolved the union.
Slovakia Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1993. Israel has an embassy in
Bratislava, with its first
resident ambassador in Slovakia being
Yael Rubinstein. Slovakia has an embassy in
Tel Aviv. In May 2008, Slovakian Prime Minister
Robert Fico called
Ehud Olmert and
Shimon Peres for the strengthening of diplomatic relations between Israel and Slovakia. An Israel – Slovakia Chamber of Commerce and Industry also exists to facilitate further economic and business cooperation between the two countries.
Slovenia Israel and Slovenia established full diplomatic relations when Israel officially recognized Slovenia on 16 April 1992 and on 28 April 1992 when the countries signed the Protocol establishing diplomatic relations between each other. The Slovenian-Israeli Chamber of Commerce was established in 2010 signifying a strengthening of ties and both countries have discussed bilateral cooperation in business, tourism, science and technology, and agriculture.
Slovenian Jews in Israel A sizable Slovenian Jewish community was presently in the
Gush Dan area.
Spain Francoist Spain did not recognize Israel, citing an
international conspiracy of Jews and Freemasons against Spain. Israel and Spain have maintained diplomatic ties since 1986. Nevertheless, Israeli exports to Spain are on the rise, totalling $870 million in 2006, and Israeli firms doing business with Spain include the
Dead Sea Works,
Haifa Chemicals,
Amdocs,
Comverse and
Teva Pharmaceuticals. The Spanish foreign minister visited Israel for an official visit in May 2008. Since the outbreak of the
Gaza war, Spain has been among the
most outspoken critics about Israel's actions. As of September 2025, both countries have recalled their respective ambassadors.
Sweden Sweden voted in favor of the
United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine in 1947. Relations between Sweden and Israel were good during the 1950s and 1960s, and Sweden expressed strong support for Israel during the
Six-Day War. However, from 1969, Sweden became more critical of Israel. In October 2014, Sweden became the first
European Union member to officially recognize the
State of Palestine.
Switzerland , André Blattmann, visiting Israel as a guest of
IDF Chief of General Staff,
Benny Gantz, 27 November 2011 The
First Zionist Congress was held in Basel in 1897, and 15 out of a total of 22 congresses were held in Switzerland. Before the establishment of the State of Israel, Switzerland maintained a consulate in Jerusalem and a consular agency in Tel Aviv. It recognized the new state in 1949 and opened a consulate in Tel Aviv, which was upgraded to an embassy in 1958. The Swiss community in Israel is the largest in the Asian region, totalling around 12,000 persons. After escalation of the Middle East conflict, Switzerland halted arms sales and military cooperation with Israel from 2002 to 2005. Since 2004, there has been regular political dialogue between Switzerland and Israel.
Ukraine Both countries established diplomatic relations on 26 December 1991. Israel has an embassy in
Kyiv. Ukraine has an embassy in Tel Aviv and a consulate-general in Haifa. In July 2010 the foreign ministers of two countries sign an agreement of non-visa traffic between Israel and Ukraine. This came into effect on 9 February 2011 and since then Ukrainians and Israelis may enter territory, travel through it or stay on Ukraine/Israel without having to obtain visas for 90 days within a period of 180 days.
United Kingdom Israel established
diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom in 1950. • Israel maintains an
embassy in London. The UK governed
Israel from 1921 until 1948, when it achieved full independence. Both countries share common membership of the
OECD, and the
World Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have a
Trade and Partnership Agreement, a Reciprocal Healthcare Agreement, and a Strategic Partnership. The two countries are currently negotiating a new
Free Trade Agreement. Relations between the Israel and the UK began as hostile. During the
1948 Arab–Israeli war, Britain detained 8,000 Jewish men of military age attempting to make
aliyah to Israel in Cyprus, so they could not participate in the fighting. Britain supplied weapons to the Arab states, and almost went to war with Israel. When Israel captured the Negev, the British Ministry of Defence began to draw up plans for a possible invasion of Israel. British planes spied on Israeli positions, and war between the two countries became even more possible when four British planes were shot down by Israel. However, the two countries began to soften later on, and trade began. In 1956 Israel invaded
Sinai Peninsula in agreement with France and the UK that
invaded Suez. Nevertheless, Anglo-Israeli relations became turbulent in the summer of 2006 when Prime Minister
Tony Blair, along with many other
European leaders criticized
IDF airstrikes against
Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, which had high civilian casualties. During the
Cameron premiership, relations between the two countries continued to remain close. == Central America ==