Foreign relations

The United States recognized Israel on May 14, 1948. The 2016 defense memorandum covers fiscal years 2019–2028, providing for $3.3 billion in annual military financing and $500 million for missile defense, subject to congressional appropriations. USTR reports $54.2 billion in bilateral goods-and-services trade in 2025.

Israel and West Germany established diplomatic relations on May 12, 1965. Holocaust remembrance, compensation, scientific exchange and defense cooperation are central parts of the relationship. Israel handed over Germany's first operational Arrow 3 system on December 3, 2025; the interceptor was developed jointly with the United States.

The UK and Israel signed a cooperation roadmap in March 2023 covering trade, technology and security. Britain recognized Palestine on September 21, 2025. In September 2026 it announced plans to restrict trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank; Israel opposed the measures and announced countermeasures, including closure of Britain's consulate in East Jerusalem. On October 8, 2026, a reduced British presence continued in the same building: Israel described a seven-diplomat task force, while Britain called it the UK Mission, Jerusalem.

France and Israel established diplomatic relations in 1949; scientific exchange and the two countries' Jewish and French-speaking communities sustain longstanding connections. France recognized Palestine on September 22, 2025. On September 8, 2026, France, Britain and Canada announced plans to ban imports from Israeli settlements, drawing opposition from Israel.

Italy recognized Israel in January 1949. Bilateral ties include scientific research, trade and cultural exchange. On April 14, 2026, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced suspension of the automatic renewal of the defense-cooperation agreement. This decision concerned the military framework, while diplomatic relations continued.

India and Israel established full diplomatic relations on January 29, 1992. Cooperation spans defense, agriculture, water and technology. During Narendra Modi's February 25–26, 2026 visit, the governments elevated ties to a Special Strategic Partnership and agreed to expand cooperation in emerging technologies, agricultural research and trade. Free-trade negotiations remained ongoing in July 2026.

Hungary restored full diplomatic relations with Israel on September 18, 1989, after their interruption in 1967. In May 2026, Hungary reversed its planned withdrawal from the International Criminal Court. The ICC confirmed on June 1 that Hungary would remain a party to the Rome Statute, changing the previous government's policy.

Czechoslovakia recognized Israel in May 1948 and supplied arms and military training during the War of Independence. Relations, severed in 1967, resumed on February 9, 1990. Israel established diplomatic relations with the independent Czech Republic on January 1, 1993. The partnership includes trade, defense, research and cultural exchange.

Argentina and Israel established diplomatic relations on May 31, 1949. During his April 2026 visit, President Javier Milei reaffirmed plans to move Argentina's embassy to Jerusalem. As checked in October 2026, Argentina's official diplomatic directory still lists the embassy in Herzliya; the announced relocation should be distinguished from a completed move.

Greece and Israel established full diplomatic relations in 1990. Cooperation includes defense training, tourism, energy and maritime security. At the December 22, 2025 summit in Jerusalem, Greece, Cyprus and Israel agreed to deepen defense cooperation, protect maritime infrastructure and advance energy connections, with continued cooperation through the 3+1 format involving the United States.

Israel and Cyprus established full diplomatic relations after Cypriot independence in 1960. Cooperation includes energy, tourism, firefighting, healthcare and defense. Cyprus participates in the trilateral framework with Greece and Israel and coordinates the Amalthea maritime aid corridor with Israel and international partners. Proposed electricity and gas connections remain separate projects with their own approval and construction schedules.

Azerbaijan and Israel established diplomatic relations on April 7, 1992. Azerbaijan formally inaugurated its embassy in Israel on March 29, 2023. During talks in Baku on January 26, 2026, the two governments discussed cooperation in trade, energy, agriculture, water management, tourism and artificial intelligence.

The Canada–Israel Free Trade Agreement entered into force in 1997 and its modernization in 2019. Canadian official figures put bilateral goods trade above C$2.1 billion in 2025. Canada recognized Palestine on September 21, 2025, and in September 2026 joined Britain and France in announcing plans to restrict imports from Israeli settlements, opposed by Israel.

Australia and Israel established diplomatic relations in 1949. Their ties include trade, research and a cybersecurity memorandum signed in January 2019. Australia recognized Palestine on September 21, 2025, while stating that Hamas must have no governing role. Israel opposed the recognition, arguing that it rewarded Hamas rather than advancing a negotiated settlement.

Japan and Israel established diplomatic relations in 1952. Their investment treaty entered into force in 2017, and in November 2022 they launched a joint study of a possible economic partnership agreement. On January 28, 2026, officials held their fifth political and military dialogue in Tokyo, discussing bilateral ties and regional security.

South Korea and Israel established diplomatic relations on April 10, 1962. Their free trade agreement entered into force on December 1, 2022. The Korea–Israel Industrial R&D Foundation, established in 2001 under a 1998 bilateral agreement, supports joint research and development by companies in the two countries.

Brazil and Israel established diplomatic relations in 1949. The Mercosur–Israel free trade agreement took effect for Brazil in April 2010; Brazil reports US$1.9 billion in bilateral trade in 2025. Israel downgraded its diplomatic representation in August 2025 after Brazil declined to approve a proposed ambassador. The Israeli embassy identifies Rasha Athamni as its chargé d’affaires.

Egypt and Israel signed their peace treaty on March 26, 1979, following the 1978 Camp David Accords. It ended the state of war and provided for Israel’s withdrawal from Sinai. Trade, agriculture and natural gas link the two economies. In January 2026, Leviathan’s partners approved a capacity expansion to increase gas supplies to Israel, Egypt and Jordan.

Israel and Jordan signed their peace treaty on October 26, 1994. It establishes diplomatic relations and arrangements for borders, security, water, trade and transport. Article 9 recognizes Jordan’s special role in Muslim holy shrines in Jerusalem. Water allocations and additional supply agreements are separate provisions; the treaty does not grant Jordan sovereignty over Jerusalem.

Israel and the UAE established diplomatic relations through the Abraham Accords in September 2020 and exchanged ambassadors in 2021. Their Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement entered into force on April 1, 2023. It covers goods, services and digital trade, with tariff reductions applying immediately to some products and progressively to others.

Bahrain joined the Abraham Accords in September 2020. An October 18 joint communiqué established diplomatic relations alongside agreements covering trade, aviation, finance, communications and agriculture. Diplomatic contacts continued: Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa received Israeli ambassador Shmuel Revel on December 25, 2025.

Morocco and Israel restored official relations in December 2020. Their ties include Moroccan Jewish heritage, tourism, trade and defense cooperation. After a September 16, 2026 summit with US participation, Israel announced agreement to upgrade both missions to embassies, appoint ambassadors and expand flights. Investment-protection and double-taxation agreements were targeted for completion by the end of 2026.

Sudan announced its intention to normalize relations with Israel in October 2020 and signed the Abraham Accords Declaration on January 6, 2021. A full bilateral normalization treaty was not completed. The October 2021 coup and civil war that began in April 2023 halted progress.

Saudi Arabia has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel. Riyadh has linked normalization to Palestinian statehood, while US diplomacy has connected the issue with defense and civilian nuclear cooperation. In July 2026, President Trump again sought Saudi participation in the Abraham Accords. Saudi Arabia opened its airspace to all civilian carriers in July 2022, including Israeli flights.

Oman has hosted Israeli prime ministers, including Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and Benjamin Netanyahu, but has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel. In February 2023 it opened its airspace to all qualifying civilian carriers, allowing Israeli overflights. Oman also maintains diplomatic channels with Iran and has mediated US–Iran negotiations.

Israel began strikes on Iranian nuclear, missile and command targets on June 13, 2025. Iran retaliated with missiles and drones; a June 19 missile hit Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba. The United States separately struck Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan on June 22 in Operation Midnight Hammer. A US-mediated ceasefire took effect on June 24. These were the 2025 hostilities; Israel and the United States launched another campaign against Iran in February 2026.

Iran has supplied weapons, funding and training to groups attacking Israel, including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis. Nuclear verification remains unresolved: a September 9, 2026 statement by France, Germany, Britain and the United States reported that the IAEA had received neither access to declared nuclear facilities since June nor the information needed to verify Iran’s nuclear material.

Israel expanded its campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon in September 2024 after sustained attacks on northern Israel. Airstrikes killed Hassan Nasrallah on September 27; ground operations targeted Hezbollah positions, weapons stores and tunnels in southern Lebanon. A ceasefire took effect on November 27. It did not end the conflict permanently: major fighting resumed in March 2026.

Fighting continued in 2026 despite further ceasefire efforts. Hezbollah is an armed organization within Lebanon, separate from the Lebanese state and its army.

The war began with the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages into Gaza. Israel launched operations against Hamas and other armed groups, seeking to dismantle their military capabilities and return the hostages. Fighting expanded to Lebanon, Iran and other fronts. After the October 2025 Gaza ceasefire, Israeli operations continued along the Yellow Line. The recovery of Ran Gvili's body on January 26, 2026, completed the return of the hostages, living and deceased.

The Iran-backed Houthis control much of northern Yemen. Since 2023 they have attacked Israel with missiles and drones and disrupted Red Sea shipping, prompting Israeli strikes and international naval operations. Oman’s May 2025 ceasefire covered the United States and the Houthis, not Israel. Houthi attacks on Israel resumed during the Iran war in March 2026.

After Bashar al-Assad’s fall in December 2024, Israel deployed forces in the Golan buffer zone and struck Syrian military assets, citing threats to its security. US-mediated talks in Paris on January 6, 2026 produced an agreement on a communication mechanism for de-escalation and other contacts. Talks continued in 2026, but disputes over Israeli deployments and a wider security agreement remained unresolved.

Iraq has no diplomatic relations with Israel. Its 2022 law criminalizes normalization, including political and commercial links. Iran-backed armed groups operating in Iraq have attacked Israeli and US interests. Their disarmament or integration into state forces remained a contested issue in 2026; the Popular Mobilisation Forces comprise multiple factions, not a single organization with uniform ties to Iran.

Turkey recognized Israel in 1949. Relations deteriorated sharply during the Gaza war: Turkey suspended bilateral goods trade in May 2024 and announced port and aviation restrictions in August 2025. The aviation measures did not cover civilian transit flights. In February 2026, Turkey also tightened rules on preferential-origin documentation used for indirect trade through Europe. Israel has opposed these restrictions.

Qatar has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel. An Israeli trade office operated in Doha from 1996 until Qatar ordered its closure in January 2009. Qatar has hosted Hamas’s political office and mediated hostage and ceasefire negotiations. Israel struck Hamas leaders in Doha on September 9, 2025; Netanyahu subsequently expressed regret for a Qatari citizen’s death while stating that Hamas was the target.

The Palestinian Authority was established in 1994 through the Oslo process to exercise limited self-government. Its responsibilities and security arrangements vary across the West Bank. Reform of payments to prisoners and families of attackers remains disputed: Abbas ordered a needs-based system in February 2025; a 2026 external audit found substantial separation from the old scheme, while Israel and the US alleged payments continued through other channels. The US extended visa sanctions in September 2026.

The Abraham Accords began with agreements signed by Israel, the UAE and Bahrain in September 2020. Morocco restored relations later that year. Sudan signed the declaration in January 2021 but has not completed a bilateral normalization treaty. Kazakhstan joined the framework in November 2025, having already established diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992.

I2U2 brings together India, Israel, the UAE and the United States. Its first leaders’ summit took place on July 14, 2022, with proposed investments in food security, energy, water, transport, health and technology. In February 2026, India and Israel reaffirmed their commitment to the partnership.

IMEC was proposed in a September 2023 memorandum linking India, the Arabian Peninsula and Europe through shipping, rail and energy infrastructure. Israel and Jordan are envisaged along the route but did not sign that memorandum. India and Israel discussed advancing the initiative in February 2026. The planned corridor is not a completed, continuous transport network.

The Cairo-based East Mediterranean Gas Forum brings together Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan and Palestine for cooperation on natural gas. Its June 2026 ministerial meeting addressed regional energy links and appointed Israel’s energy minister as president for August 2026–June 2027. The EU, United States and World Bank participate as observers.

The Negev Forum grew out of the March 2022 summit in Sde Boker with Israel, the United States, Egypt, the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco. Its cooperation framework was adopted in November 2022, followed by working-group meetings in January 2023 on regional projects. A further ministerial summit planned in Morocco for 2023 was postponed.

Israel joined the United Nations on May 11, 1949, under General Assembly Resolution 273. Membership gives Israel a vote in the General Assembly and participation in UN institutions. General Assembly recommendations, binding Security Council decisions and judgments of international courts have different legal effects; votes on Israel should be read in that institutional context.

The EU–Israel Association Agreement entered into force in June 2000. In 2025 the EU accounted for 31.7% of Israel’s goods trade: €43.3 billion, including €15.3 billion of EU imports from Israel and €28 billion of exports to Israel. The Commission proposed suspending trade preferences in September 2025; the proposal had not been adopted by September 2026, amid divisions among member states.

Israel became an OECD member on September 7, 2010. The organization compares economic and social data and conducts policy reviews. Its 2025 Israel survey examined the economy’s response to war, the cost of living, infrastructure, education, employment and artificial intelligence.

Israel joined NATO’s Mediterranean Dialogue in February 1995. This partnership provides a framework for political consultation and practical security cooperation with countries outside the alliance. Israel is not a NATO member and does not receive the collective-defense commitment that Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty provides to member states.

Israel joined the World Trade Organization on April 21, 1995, after participating in its predecessor, GATT, from July 5, 1962. WTO membership covers commitments on goods, services and intellectual property, trade-policy review and dispute procedures. Israel’s tariff schedules and trade statistics are published in the WTO’s country records.

The Defense Ministry reported $19.2 billion in defense export contracts signed during 2025, nearly 30% more than in 2024. Europe accounted for 36%, Asia-Pacific 32%, the Middle East and North Africa 15%, North America 13%, and Latin America and Africa 2% each. Missiles, rockets and air defense represented 29% of contract value. These are newly signed agreements, often delivered over several years, rather than the value of equipment shipped in 2025.

China and Israel established diplomatic relations on January 24, 1992. Commercial ties include the SIPG-operated Bayport container terminal, opened in Haifa in 2021; this is separate from Haifa Port Company. Political disagreements persist: in March 2026, China opposed Israeli and US strikes on Iran, while Israel described the campaign as addressing Iranian nuclear and missile threats. Herzog met Wang Yi in Baku on October 15, 2026 to discuss bilateral ties and regional developments; Herzog raised the threats posed by Iran and its proxies.

Full diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union were restored on October 18, 1991. Russian-speaking Israelis and Jewish communities in Russia sustain cultural and family ties. Putin and Netanyahu discussed Iran in January 2026. Russia also maintains a strategic partnership with Iran, covering defense and intelligence cooperation; Israel faces Iranian missile attacks and treats Iran’s military capabilities as a major security threat.