In just two weeks, after 15 years in the Knesset and government and amidst peak tensions between Israel and the USA, former Minister Ofir Akunis will embark on a journey from Israel to New York. He will serve a three-year term (with an option for an additional year) as a consul. Amidst packing and visa preparations, and in the midst of his preparation talks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we sit for a first interview at his home in Tel Aviv ahead of his new role on behalf of the state.
"When the offer was presented by the Prime Minister, I immediately said yes," Akunis recounts the proposal he received last February. "To me, this role in the USA, at this time, against the backdrop of the ongoing war and Israel's situation since October 7, is as significant as any position in the government or Knesset."
Akunis will depart to New York on May 1st alone, while his wife will stay in Israel until the end of the school year with their daughter, who is completing 12th grade, and their son, who is currently serving in the military. "Everyone supported my decision, with Yoni in his last year of military service, Roni before her enlistment, and Adi in her career path - I'm proud that they understood the magnitude of the mission. Yoni will be a lone soldier next year, and Roni will be a lone soldier throughout her service." This wasn't the first time Akunis received such an offer. His name has come up in recent years in relation to foreign service appointments, but, he says, "politically, it didn't work out then."
The decision to leave the political arena in Israel comes with its costs. Did he consult with Gilad Erdan and Tzipi Hotovely, for instance? "I consulted with two excellent ambassadors who do their jobs admirably (Erdan and Hotovely) and others, hearing about the advantages and the challenges. It's basically a transition from the political arena I've been in since 1996, from the opposition alongside Netanyahu at Metzudat Ze'ev and tours in the Carmel Market until today. It's not an easy decision at all, but I truly believe there are many ways to contribute to the country. In the history of Zionism, there wasn't a single Zionist leader who didn't undertake a mission, and in my eyes, this is part of the Zionist story before and after the establishment of the state."
Akunis will soon face firsthand the crisis in relations with the White House. "There's no doubt, and there shouldn't be any doubt, that the long-standing alliance between the US and the State of Israel is strong and based on similar foundational principles: the democratic foundation and the values of freedom and the Western world. I was curious as to whether, in Israel's history since its establishment, especially after '67 when relations tightened, there were disagreements, of course, there were. It happens between friends and is legitimate. One of my main roles will be to express Israel's just and correct stance and to reflect the facts to reassure the American public opinion and before Congress and senators.
"I'll give you an example of how I'm feeling about international public opinion. As we get further away from the October events, there is a need to continuously go back to the fact that we did not start the fire. You want a ceasefire? There was a ceasefire on October 6. It was brutally breached on October 7 in a very cruel way. The world has not been exposed to such cruelty since World War II. What is happening now in the Gaza Strip is a clear Israeli response of a life-loving state whose enemy challenged to destroy it."
Q: Is there a diplomatic way to say no to the American demands to stop the war and not to enter Rafah?
"This discourse is taking place between the White House and the Prime Minister's Office. This is not my mandate. My mandate is to shape public opinion that will also reflect the reality of the Middle East to decision-makers. The reality is that Israel is good and Hamas is evil."
Q: In this battle, we are already losing.
"I reject the notion of giving up in advance. The challenge is certainly great, and my role is to set the truth straight. To remind public opinion that we are in this war because of October 7. Israel's October 7 is their 9/11. America's powerful and justified response against al-Qaida forces in Afghanistan and the demise of Osama bin Laden was a just end, even there it took time and mistakes happened in this war, it happens. We need to stand by the war objectives defined by the war cabinet, meaning the toppling of Hamas and the return of the captives."
Q: The governments you have sat in allowed Hamas to gain strength over the years.
"Israel did not transfer money, it was Qatari money and it was not intended for building tunnels. American, European, and even Israeli public opinion agreed that money should be transferred to sustain life in Gaza. Since the prime minister, senior ministers in the government, military chiefs, and heads of intelligence all say that a thorough investigation is required after the war, so it will be. Everything will be investigated after the war, including the aspect you asked about and others. This investigation is required for our future. But first and foremost, the two goals must be implemented: The elimination of Hamas and the return of the captives, male and female, safe and sound to their home."
Q: We are on the eve of a deal to release captives, how far will the government be willing to pay high prices that could lead to ending the war?
"I don't know the details oAf the upcoming deal and I'm not required to vote in the government. Since the Jibril deal in 1985, Israel has paid very heavy prices for every deal. This is the difference between us and them when it comes to the value we attribute to life. If our enemies demand 150 terrorists for every captive man or woman, that says what their attitude is toward themselves."
Q: They say that Netanyahu, who actually appointed you to this mission, is the obstacle to relations with the US and not the issues on the table.
"I am a small D democrat, and I believe in it, whether I win or lose, and by the power of the voter, a government is formed in Israel. Want to discuss electoral reform? That's up to our elected officials. I respect the election results that reflect the will of the people in Israel, just as in the US, France, and Italy. Therefore, just as I respect the choice of the American people who are currently in an election campaign, I expect the public and leadership there to respect the choice of Israeli citizens."
Q: The intensive and intrusive protests that have reached your doorstep over the past year because of the judicial reform, were they also a factor in your decision to take on this mission?**
"Absolutely not. There was only one consideration and that was the national mission at this time. Protests are legitimate and a cornerstone of democracy, although there is no need for torrents of curses and dragging families into it. I have never behaved that way. As long as protests are within a democratic and legal framework. When it was said in the past that Israeli democracy was in danger, the protests came and showed that democracy is resilient. Woe to a democratic state where the right to protest is not a fundamental right."
When I try to ask about the burning disputes with the ultra-Orthodox community and the draft issue, Akunis deflects the questions. What he allowed himself to say freely as a politician until a month ago, he now refuses to say in his new shoes as a diplomat. So we return to the international antisemitism and hypocrisy that he will have to deal with. "We need to separate criticism of war efforts and the discourse between us, the US and Europe, from elements that are inherently seen as antisemitic," says Akunis. "The calls to liberate Palestine from the river to the sea mean the destruction of the State of Israel, just like Hamas' charter. If these callers coming from protesters in New York and London do not understand the meaning, I will clarify this meaning to them and tell them they are not pursuing the liberation of 'Palestine' but for the liberation of 'Palestine' through the destruction of the State of Israel."
Q: In the Jewish communities in the US, which you will also be in charge of relations with, there is great discontent with the incumbent government and its actions over the past year on issues of who is a Jew and of course the judicial reform. How will you restore the connection?
"You would be right if you were conducting this interview on October 6. Then there was a huge debate about the judicial reform, the conversion issue, and the Western Wall, nothing new. I'm telling you that since October 7, there has been a huge shift in American Jewry. Something happened. We saw it in fundraising and support, public declarations for the return of the captives. Do they need my backing on this as a representative of Israel? Of course, they do, and vice versa. Any other debate now moves aside, there will be a time and style to conduct it, not in the style of October 6. This style must leave the world.
Q: Young people on campuses are turning against Israel, we are failing to sway opinions there that sometimes reach outright antisemitism.
"Israel could not stand up factually to Qatari money. We did not have the resources and this was a historical failure. There were attempts by Hillel and others but it was David vs. Goliath. The funds that were previously injected by Jewish donors overpowered them. We need to curb this deterioration with a screeching of brakes. The Washington hearing [on antisemitism on US campuses] also shook American public opinion. I have no doubt we will overcome this and I intend to establish a dedicated task force to address this problem.
"I go out with my head held high as a Zionist and Israeli Jew. I do not intend to lower my head and apologize. This is a mission that one goes out to with their head held high as one who believes in the Zionist idea that is unparalleled in the history of nations. There has never been a people that was in 70 diasporas and reunited and became a people again. I believe that our ability to prevail stems from our internal unity and I think most of the public is united, contrary to what is reflected in the media. This is also required of Jewish communities in the US that reflect the streams of the Jewish religion from the 16th century. We can continue to disagree on certain issues that have accompanied Israel since its founding, but the unity around deflecting criticism of Israel must be very broad."
