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Rabbi Josef Wasserman of the Jewish community of Romanian origins has called on President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Viorica Dancila to set aside their differences and reach political consensus for the appointment of the Romanian ambassador to Israel, after more than three years since the position became vacant.
Wasserman, who participated for two days in the Forum of Romanians Abroad in Bucharest, said that he personally thanked PM Viorica Dancila, who attended the event Thursday, "for the special efforts she makes to appoint a Romanian ambassador in Israel."
"I want to be clear: the absence of an ambassador for such a long time - over three years - is not an honorary diploma for Romania. I cannot give any answer when asked, many times a year, part of various activities in Jerusalem - what Romania would have felt if Israel had not sent an ambassador for three years. I am no politician, I do not do politics, but I want to voice an opinion in my rabbinical capacity: the Jewish people suffered, and the first and second temples crumbled because of hatred for no reason. If we want to build the third temple, the only solution is reaching unconditional love, which is why I want to tell the President of Romania and the Prime Minister - there may be different party ideologies - but there is only one thing that unites them: the honour of Romania before [the Jews] of Romanian origins - 400,000 living in Israel. And we want to have Romania's citizen number one in Israel. On another plane, the excellent relationships that have been built through ambassadors for 72 years we are not allowed to stop; we must continue to strengthen and build them. And, if the various party problems fall on the Jewish people, I think it's a big mistake. But being ahead of the [Jewish] New Year, before elections both in Romania and in Israel, I want to ask God to bring good thoughts to all the Romanian leaders who must decide. And for them to decide that on New Year's Eve - the end of the month - we can meet the new ambassador in the Holy Land of Israel," Wasserman, who chairs of the Foundation for the Promotion and Development of Romanian Judaism, told AGERPRES.
He was accompanied to the event in Bucharest by the holy rabbi Joseph Harel, the rabbi of retired members of the Israeli army, a relentless fighter for strengthening the ties between Romania and Israel, as well as Dragos Nelersa, chairman of the Israeli Writers' of Romanian Language Association (ASILR).
Wasserman thanked the Minister for Romanians Abroad Natalia Intotero for the invitation to participate in the Forum of Romanians Abroad.
In the end, the rabbi said, a "special meeting" took place with the representative of the Romanian Christian Orthodox Church, the Patriarch Daniel, along whom he blessed the Romanian people.
Israeli writers are glad to have been invited by the Ministry of Romanians Abroad to participate in the forum - a commendable initiative of Minister Natalia Intotero to bring together the NGOs, the mass media, and leaders of Romanians abroad, ASILR Chairman Nelersa said in his turn.
AGERPRES
