On 7 November 2023, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Krišjanis Kariņš, met with the Ambassador of Israel to Latvia, Sharon Rappaport-Palgi. The meeting took place a month after the attack by Hamas terrorists on Israel, in which more than 1,400 Israelis were killed, including a dual Latvian-Israeli citizen. The meeting was held to discuss current developments in Israel and the region, including Israel’s efforts to free hostages captured by Hamas.
During the conversation, the Foreign Minister reaffirmed Latvia’s solidarity with Israel in its fight against Hamas to defend the security of its citizens. At the same time, Krišjānis Kariņš called on Israel to abide by international law, including international humanitarian law, in order to reduce threat to civilians. Krišjānis Kariņš underlined the need to ensure a sustainable and safe humanitarian assistance to civilians in the Gaza Strip in order to prevent the worsening of a humanitarian disaster. The Minister also noted the importance of a long-term political solution to achieve the establishment of two states and prevent further outbreaks of violence.
The Israeli Ambassador thanked Latvia for its current support and explained Israel’s position, which is aimed at preventing further threats to its citizens. The Ambassador also confirmed that Israel was committed to continue honouring its international commitments as far as possible in order to reduce threat to civilians.
Shortly after the Hamas attack on Israel, on 15 October, Foreign Minister Kariņš had a phone call with his Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen. The Israeli Foreign Minister’s visit to Latvia is planned to take place later this year. Krišjānis Kariņš expressed his interest in visiting Israel and the Middle East region as soon as possible.
