The phrase Foreign Ministry usually connotes two situations: An emergency command center to deal with some earthquake in some far-flung country and cocktail parties with tuxedos.
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But the Arrow 3 deal that was announced last week between Israel and Germany, which is likely going to generate some 14 billion shekels for Israel, is a great opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at the world of Israeli diplomacy. This world can be compared to an orchestra whose members have been playing together for more than a year, with synchronization. It comprises security officials and diplomats, whose work will now reap dividends for Israeli citizens on a whole host of levels, from security to the economy and Israel's overall image.
Why was it such a complicated ordeal? In the wake of the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, a special fund was allocated to bolster Germany's defense, totaling some 100 billion euros that would go toward procurement over several years. Since the Arrow is a joint Israeli-American project, several government agencies had to sign off on the deal, both in Germany and the US: The German Defense Ministry had to issue a recommendation; various defense committees in both countries; Germany's parliament and the US Congress. Of course, on top of that, Israel's export agencies had to sign off on the matter. The finalization of the deal marks a phenomenal success for Israeli diplomacy and its defense agencies.
But the complex rhythmic dancing on the part of the various actors at play took time. A lot of time. Throughout this period, and all through this period, there were unsung heroes who invisibly lay down the groundwork for this: The members of the Israeli diplomatic service. For years, they did their world diligently in Israel's forward operating bases in diplomatic missions abroad so that this deal could move forward and culminate with a deal being sealed.
The diplomatic dividend is what gives Israel a line of diplomatic credit abroad. Our ability to get support in international forums, in mega deals, in obtaining legitimacy, in cooperation, and in scientific collaboration. All these do not happen with countries that the world shuns.
The security-related benefits of the deal are no less important. Alongside the Defense Ministry, the Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure, and IMDO – Israel Missile Defense Organization, the Foreign Ministry led the diplomatic effort in a way that could on the one hand increase Germany's motivation to seal the deal and provide impetus for the US to give a green light. The war in Ukraine and the shifting security paradigm in Germany swayed the balance in favor of the decision to go ahead with the deal, but it was Israeli diplomats in Washington, Berlin, and Jerusalem who talked with their counterparts through all available channels and pressured to have it completed.
Finally, there is also an economic boon for Israelis, who feel the economic pinch of the rising cost of living. This deal, which has been pursued by Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, will automatically translate into a boost of energy for the Israeli economy. An injection of 14 billion shekels is a lot of money and all of it could pay for a pay hike to all of Israel's teachers over the next three years. This sum can provide food security and a decent lifestyle to all the Holocaust survivors in Israel for the rest of their life. Every shekel that is invested in foreign relations will see a return on investment in many more multiples.
For me, the symbolic aspects are of great personal value. Germany's impact on Israeli history is well-known and substantial. My personal life story has been intertwined in the bilateral relations. My father Ulrich Proskauer left Berlin in 1936; my first diplomatic posting was in Bonn, then West Germany's capital, and my current assignment as Israel's ambassador to Germany is a dream come true professionally. The fact that the Jewish nation-state, some 75 years after its foundation, has been helping Germany defend itself, is not just a source of national pride but also a generator of real and tangible benefits to Israel on various levels. This is how effective diplomacy is done.
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