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Political Thinking with Nick Robinson

The Mark Regev One

Political Thinking with Nick Robinson

BBC

News, Politics

4.62.4K Ratings

🗓️ 3 July 2020

⏱️ 36 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Israel's former ambassador to the UK on arguing his country's case, why he doesn't like being called 'silver-tongued', why he changed his name, and his reasons for optimism

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

BBC Sounds Music Radio Podcasts

0:05.3

A diplomat is a person who can tell you to go to hell in such a techful way that you

0:10.2

ask for directions. If that famous aphorism is true, my guest on this week's political

0:15.9

thinking is the ultimate diplomat. Mark Reggeve has for many years and for many people

0:22.0

been the voice of Israel. Silver tongueed but unyielding. First as spokesman for his country

0:28.5

on the international media, then as ambassador to the UK.

0:33.2

Reggeve has just returned home to work alongside a prime minister whose plans to declare sovereignty

0:38.8

or to annex large parts of the West Bank have been condemned this week by Boris Johnson

0:43.6

as a violation of international law and a gift to those who want to perpetuate. He says

0:49.2

the old story is about Israel. It has been quite a journey for the young Zionist who left

0:55.2

his native Australia to see socialism being built in its rally. Mark Reggeve, welcome

1:02.9

to political thinking. Thank you for having me. Do I talk to you now in quarantine?

1:07.3

Yes indeed. In Israel, everyone who arrives internationally has to go two weeks into self

1:13.2

isolation and I haven't left my flat since arriving in Israel and I can tell you even

1:18.8

on one morning I got an eye on the daughter check that I was in fact keeping my quarantine

1:23.4

we take these things very seriously in Israel. Now can you tell us what you've gone back

1:27.8

to Jerusalem to do with read that you're going to work alongside the prime minister Benjamin

1:32.7

Netanyahu but we don't yet know to do what? To be fair nothing is finalized until it's

1:38.6

finalized and so far there's been no official announcement and so I'm afraid that until

1:44.6

there is an official announcement I have to be rather vague about what I'll be doing.

1:48.4

But you will remain a public face of public voice for Israel.

1:51.9

I will definitely remain in the government service. Now you were in that government service

...

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