Israel envoy: No bad blood over UN walkout
Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Dana Kursh affirmed bilateral ties between the Philippines and Israel remain strong despite the Philippines joining a walkout during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the United Nations General Assembly last month.
Speaking on Daily Tribune’s Straight Talk on Wednesday, Kursh acknowledged disagreements between the two countries over the Gaza war but said these have not derailed cooperation in areas including tourism, agriculture, water management, cybersecurity, health and education.
“We can disagree, but we have to stick to pakikipag-usap on the things that we disagree on,” Kursh said.
The Philippines was among the delegations that left the UN General Assembly hall as Netanyahu began his address on 24 September.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said the move was in solidarity with calls for peace in the Middle East and reflected Manila’s concerns over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Israel’s E1 settlement plan and settler violence in the West Bank.
Kursh said she respected the Philippines’ position but would have preferred that countries remain in the hall to hear and engage with different views.
“I think that there is a terminology here in Tagalog. I’ll probably pronounce this badly, but I’ll try. It’s pakikipag-dialogo,” she said.
Engagement essential
The ambassador maintained that Israel is not diplomatically isolated despite criticism over its conduct of the war in Gaza.
“I do not think that Israel is isolated,” Kursh said, adding that Israel continues to seek dialogue with countries with which it disagrees.
Kursh also pointed to a forthcoming development she said would further strengthen people-to-people ties: direct flights between Manila and Tel Aviv starting 3 January 2027.
Israeli carrier Arkia is set to operate the first nonstop route between the two countries, initially once a week. The service is expected to take about 11 hours from Tel Aviv to Manila.
Kursh said Israel is also encouraging Philippine carriers to consider operating the route.
She said the two countries are also working toward deeper economic cooperation, including discussions on a possible free trade agreement.
“Despite the war, this bilateral relationship is strong,” Kursh said.