EXCLUSIVE! Boaz Toporovsky, the chair of the ruling Yesh Atid parliamentary group: SERBIA HAS A SINCERE FRIEND IN ISRAEL!

Foto: ST/V. LUKIĆ

BELGRADE - I have never, not even for a second, experienced anti-Semitism here in Serbia, quite contrary to the European Union, Boaz Toporovsky, the chair of the Yesh Atid parliamentary group, says for Srpski Telegraf and Republika. Yesh Atid is the ruling party in Israel and when translated, its name means There is a future.

This official in the centrist party of the current Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel, Yair Lapid, whose father Tommy Lapid was born in Novi Sad, is also the vice-chair of the coalition government formed with HaYamin HeHadash (The New Right), the party of the current Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, and other minor parties, one of which is Arab.  According to an agreement with Bennett, Lapid is going to take over the Prime Minister position in 2023, and the current Prime Minister is going to become the Foreign Affairs Minister.  This year, the coalition managed to end the perennial reign of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Foto: Profimedia

Where does your interest in Serbia stem from?

- The moment I stepped onto Serbian ground, and this is my third time here, I fell in love with Serbia, in more ways than one - because of your kind people, friendly manner, delicious food, wonderful atmosphere. Before the Coronavirus pandemic I used to travel a lot and everywhere in Europe I was exposed to anti-Semitism, in France, Great Britain, Belgium and elsewhere, but I have never felt that way in Serbia, quite the contrary, I felt loved and appreciated. The more I learn about Serbia, its economy, history, the political scene, I see that together we can accomplish much more.  We complete each other in many ways and I think that we can establish a great alliance in the deepest sense of this word, which means that one side would never do anything without the prior approval of the other.

Foto: Tanjug/S. AĆIMOVIĆ

How can we improve the relations of our two countries?

- We primarily need to enhance the economic ties, Israeli investments need to come to Serbia, these investments would mostly be directed towards agriculture, information technology (IT), defence, health care... My initiative is to open up the market and secure a free trade agreement.  For example, we import large quantities of raspberries from Serbia, However, we import slightly more from Poland, because Israel has a free trade agreement with the EU.  Unfortunately, we do not have this kind of an arrangement with Serbia, and because of this Serbian raspberries cost us 8 per cent more than the Polish ones. I wish to ensure a free trade agreement between Serbia and Israel which would be beneficial for both sides. For this initiative, I have the support of all the necessary people.

What is the reputation of Serbia in Israel?

- I am impressed to see everything that your state authorities headed by your President Aleksandar Vucic have accomplished, not just in Serbia, but also in terms of the reputation Serbia has gained outside your country borders, thanks to the ruling party and its skillfully lead politics. Your President is very popular in Israel and we see him as a strong leader who is very courageous in taking his country forward, we admire him and we respect his support in developing good relations between our two countries.  In Israel, Belgrade is mentioned as an increasingly interesting place to visit.  Many Israeli visitors have gone beyond Belgrade territory and by doing so, they have discovered just how wonderful Serbia is, in its entirety.  Wherever I go within Serbia, I see potential.

You have mentioned the defence sector, do you have any specific projects in mind?

- There is room for strategic and defence cooperation between Israel and Serbia. We only need to make it happen. Arranging the visits of the two Defence Ministers would be a step in that direction. You are also experiencing issues with your borders, refugees, you have a higher chance of being overcrowded by refugees due to the current situation in Afghanistan and some other Middle Eastern countries and you need good border protection. I do not know what your current level of protection is, but ours is one of the best in the world, if not the best, because we are surrounded by hostile countries. This means that Israel can help you with that, border control, your police force, armed forces.  We have one of the most advanced militaries in the world.

What about when it comes to health care?

- Israel is one of the leading world countries when it comes to the health care domain, we have advanced technologies, a good public and private health care sector. I have spoken to "Assuta", one of the biggest chains of private hospitals in Israel, and they are very interested in coming to Serbia and building hospitals here.