Statecraft of this Nature Requires Good Wages

I'll admit that it looks like a pretty tough job right now to be a member of the Israeli Foreign Ministry. You're working for a minister who came to his position not by having any experience as a diplomat, but through the performance of his party in the previous election. And his tactics are a bit inappropriate, looking to destroy the reputation of counterparts and demean visitors, to go along with his penchant for speaking out of turn. Well, now the Foreign Ministry is doing neither, and it is hurting the Israeli reputation abroad.

The Foreign Ministry is on strike for better pay, and working for Lieberman is a hardship that should be taken into consideration for these negotiations to go along with the complaints of many expenses having to come out of pocket. In the mean time, all foreign ministry outposts, including embassies, missions to the UN, and consulates, are closed for the work stoppage. It is alienating Diaspora communities, damaging short-term support, but it's also hurting relations with larger countries not known for the support engendered in their Jewish communities. Not to mention Bibi will be stuck in Israel without the means to facilitate any sort of state visit. Not to mention that intelligence is not being facilitated due to its reliance on unionized Foreign Ministry workers.

Last week, Dimitri Medvedev became the first head of government in a very long time to cross the Allenby Bridge from Jordan into the West Bank and voiced his support for Palestinian independence. This follows the trend started by Latin American countries to recognize Palestinian independence in the lead up to a possible UN Security Council vote that could make this goal happen.

All of this could have easily been avoided had the Foreign Ministry workers received their fair pay. Lieberman has already charmed the Russians with his fluency, and he should take the blunt of the blame. If Medvedev had traveled through Israel before going into the West Bank, it is very likely that Lieberman could have stalled him in making this statement. It is the fault of the leadership that those who practice state craft are not being paid enough to do so. If Netanyahu wants to stop alienating allies, he needs to get the Foreign Ministry paid and back to work as soon as he can.