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The Romanian Embassy in Israel celebrates 75 years of uninterrupted diplomatic relations between Romania and the State of Israel with a documentary exhibition of photographs and archival documents reflecting the most important moments of the bilateral relationship.
The photographs and documents on display come from the Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the AGERPRES National News Agency and the Rubin Museum of Art.
The festive opening of the exhibition took place on Sunday evening at the Rubin Museum in Tel Aviv. The speeches were delivered by the President of the State of Israel, Isaac Herzog, the Secretary of State for Global Affairs and Diplomatic Strategies, Traian Laurentiu Hristea, the Ambassador of Romania in Tel Aviv, Radu Ioanid, and the director of the Rubin Museum in Tel Aviv, Carmela Rubin, daughter-in-law of the first diplomatic representative of Israel in Bucharest, Reuven Rubin.
Also present were members of the Knesset and other Israeli officials, the director of the Diplomatic Archives of the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Doru Liciu, and AGERPRES National News Agency Director General Claudia Nicolae.
The opening event was symbolically scheduled for June 11, the date on which Romania officially recognised the new state. The location of the exhibition is also symbolic, as the Rubin Museum is the former residence of artist Reuven Rubin, who was born in Romania and was the first Israeli diplomatic envoy to Bucharest.
The President of Israel spoke of 75 years of ''truly unique'' diplomatic relations between Romania and Israel, which were established in the first moments of Israel's independence and ''have persisted in troubled times for our countries and for the world'', with rich ties in the fields of culture, economy, trade, security and much more.
He stressed the role of Romanian Jews in Israel as an integral part of Israeli nation-building since the early days of the Zionist movement, being at the heart of the evolution of key areas such as the arts, economy, military industry, literature and culture, as well as agriculture. One of the first Jewish agricultural settlements, in northern Israel, was established by Romanian Jews, the Israeli head of state recalled.
''I would like to thank my good friend and colleague, the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, for the development of the relations between our nations, the Prime Minister and the ministers of the Romanian government, as well as the Ambassador of Romania, Radu Ioanid, for his extraordinary work, as a historian and Holocaust scholar who knows perhaps better than any of us the pain of the Jewish experience in Europe and the potential of working together for healing and a better future,'' Herzog said.
Secretary of State Traian Laurentiu Hristea said that bilateral relations between Romania and Israel have been marked by continuity through strong and friendly cooperation and recalled historic moments in this relationship, such as the special role played by Romania in the peace negotiations between the State of Israel and the Arab Republic of Egypt.
''The Jewish community has played a very important role in Romanian society for several hundred years, and their contribution to the culture and civilization of my country is both recognized and valued by promoting our common heritage and deep roots in our history,'' Hristea said.
Reviewing bilateral relations, with a special focus on relevant historic moments, Romania's Ambassador to Israel, Radu Ioanid, stressed the importance Romania attaches to combating anti-Semitism and promoting Holocaust remembrance.
The history of relations between Romania and Israel is very complex, said the diplomat, who recalled that Romania was the only communist country that refused to toe Moscow's line and did not break diplomatic relations with Israel in 1967. ''This was the first important decision reflecting a very particular foreign policy,'' said the ambassador.
Carmela Rubin, director of the museum that hosted the event, spoke at length about the work of the first diplomatic representative of the State of Israel in Romania, Reuven Rubin, and his contribution to the development of bilateral relations. At the same time, given the role of Reuven Rubin in the relations between Romania and Israel and the symbolic location of the event, an art exhibition of the Rubin Museum "Rubin - 1923: One hundred years since settling in Eretz-Yisrael and one hundred years to his God Seekers" was inaugurated on this occasion.
Both exhibitions are open to the general public starting June 12 2023.
