A new wind is blowing at the President’s Residence with regard to diplomatic relations. It was obvious on Tuesday of last week when President Isaac Herzog accepted the credentials of the ambassadors of Mexico, Estonia, Spain, Greece, the Vatican – Holy See and Bahrain that the president had done his homework.
He asked pertinent questions, listened intently to the replies and was aware of relationships that each country that the ambassadors represented have with other countries. He was likewise aware of the current political situation in each country, and the names of the key people in government and the opposition.
There was also a change in the protocol.
The reception line included senior presidential staff, Foreign Ministry personnel, and members of the ambassador’s entourage. In the past, only members of the president’s senior staff and a Foreign Ministry representative heading the division dealing with the region in which the ambassador’s country is located stood behind the president, and after the letters of credence were presented, the new ambassador crossed the floor to meet the people standing behind the president. Under the new conditions, the president stands alone with national flags and the presidential standard behind him. The reception line stands along the red carpet near the small reception hall in which the president and the ambassador have their tête-à-tête. Following the individual presentations of credentials, Herzog led each ambassador to the reception line where he introduced his own people and the Foreign Ministry representative. The ambassador then introduced the president to his or her staff.
Herzog chatted briefly with each diplomat in a pleasant, informal manner. The atmosphere in the small reception room in which the president and the ambassador conversed, was very relaxed and the conversation flowed, easily touching on many topics with occasional bursts of laughter.
On average, each of these conversations lasted about 15 minutes and touched on numerous subjects.
Each conversation ended with a champagne toast, in which Herzog said lehayim – to life, and asked the ambassador what is said in his/her country. In Bahrain, which is a Moslem country, religiously observant Muslims do not drink alcohol, so the toast was with orange juice. When Herzog again said lehayim, and then turned to the ambassador to ask how it’s said in Arabic, the answer was, “We don’t.” Not surprising considering that toasts are usually made on wine – preferably champagne.
Unlike his predecessors, who were selective about who they escorted out of the building, Herzog escorted each of the ambassadors to the doorway of the building or to their cars.
Each of the conversations that Herzog had with the various ambassadors was focused on subjects that related to the ambassador personally, or to his or her country.
With Mexican ambassador Mauricio Escanero Figueroa, who is a career diplomat, Herzog discussed one of the latter’s postings, namely to China. Herzog was amazed, saying that the Mexicans are such warm people. That apparently was not an impediment. Figueroa’s wife, Xilunnasi, is Chinese. An artist by profession, she graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts of China and Claremont Graduate University In California. Herzog, who visited Mexico when he was still a child, said that he was impressed by Mexico’s strong relationship with the current US administration, as well as the updated NAFTA Free Trade Agreement between Mexico, Canada and the US, and surmised that if Israelis invest in Mexican companies, they too can reap NAFTA benefits. Figueroa emphasized the importance of dialogue on economic matters, not just between Mexico and North America, but also a Mexican economic dialogue with Israel.
Aware from his three-year stint as chairman of the Jewish Agency, how Jews are faring in various countries, Herzog praised Mexico for the way it relates to its Jewish community, to which Figueroa responded that Mexican Jews have impacted positively on the country’s economics and politics, and stated that Mexico was “absolutely” with Israel in combating antisemitism, which was one of two issues that Herzog raised with some of the ambassadors. The other was the boycotting of the Durban IV conference. Estonian ambassador Veikko Kala was happy to talk about the former, but preferred not to discuss Durban, and Herzog did not press the point. Instead, they discussed the general relations of Estonia with other Baltic countries, the history of the Jewish community of Tallinn, which is Estonia’s capital, the upcoming 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Israel and Estonia and bilateral trade which Kala said “could be better.” They also talked about the similarities and differences in the electoral systems and of civil servant regulations of their respective countries.
Herzog found common ground with Spain’s ambassador Ana Maria Salomon Perez, in that their respective forebears came from the same town. In one of her previous roles, she was the special liaison between the Spanish government and Jewish organizations and was responsible for the preservation of Holocaust memory. While inquiring about the health of former King Juan Carlos, Herzog recalled the historic visit to Spain in 1992 by his late father president Chaim Herzog on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Spanish Inquisition and the expulsion of the Jews from Spain. The senior Herzog had later written in his diary that being in Spain was one of his most moving experiences. King Felipe subsequently came to Israel. Herzog also asked about the Spanish government and the level of unemployment in Spain, and urged Spain to give greater support to Israel in the EU.
For Greek ambassador Kyriakos Loukakis, who shares a September 22 birthday with Herzog, this is his second stint in Israel. He met his wife in Israel during his previous service as ambassador from 2009-2011. Remarking that Greece is one of the favorite destinations for Israeli vacationers, Herzog was curious about the number of Greeks who come to Israel. Loukakis said that under the present circumstances, hardly anyone comes from Greece to Israel, but in normal times, vast numbers of Greek Orthodox pilgrims come to Israel. For them, a visit to the Holy Land is a very emotional experience.
Relating to the ever improving bilateral relations between Greece and Israel, Loukakis, who invited Herzog to visit Greece, emphasized the importance of developing not only bilateral ties but also multilateral relationships. In this context, Herzog asked Greece to help in convening the EU-Israel Association Council.
Israel places huge importance on its relations with the Holy See and on freedom of religion, Herzog told the Papal Nuncio Adolfo Tito Yllana. He also spoke of the close relations which his grandfather, Isaac Herzog, as Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel, had with the Vatican, especially as his grandfather had previously been the first chief rabbi of Ireland. After the Holocaust, when he was already living in Israel, his grandfather secured a meeting with Pope Pius XII to ask him to order convents and monasteries to give up the Jewish children that they had sheltered during the war, and he later maintained a correspondence with the Pontiff. President Herzog also noted that when Israel and the Holy See entered into diplomatic relations, all the original agreements were prepared by his uncle Yaakov Herzog. Because he shared information about his family, Herzog felt free to ask the Papal Nuncio about his own background and where he was born.
The prelate who has represented the Holy See on four continents: Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania, was very pleased that Pope Francis has appointed him to carry out an important mission in the Holy Land.
Prior to this appointment, 73-year-old Archbishop Yllana had been serving as Apostolic Nuncio to Australia. He succeeds Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, who was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to India last March.
Born on February 6, 1948 in Naga City, Philippines, Yllana was ordained a priest on March 19, 1972. He graduated as Doctor juris utriusque (Doctor of Both Laws) at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. After completing his studies at the Ecclesiastical Academy, in 1984, he entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See, serving successively at pontifical representations in Ghana, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Lebanon, Hungary and Taiwan. In December 2001, Pope St. John Paul II appointed him as Apostolic Nuncio to Papua, New Guinea and consecrated him bishop on January 6, 2002 in St. Peter’s Basilica (titular archbishop of Montecorvino). Subsequently, he entrusted him with the leadership of the nunciature in the Solomon Islands. Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as Apostolic Nuncio to Pakistan in 2006 and Apostolic Nuncio to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2010. In February 2015, Pope Francis appointed him as Apostolic Nuncio to Australia. Since his arrival in Israel, escorted by Shuli Davidovich, the Foreign Ministry’s head of the Bureau for World Jewish Affairs and World Religions, Yllana has visited churches all over the country, including non-Catholic churches.
Herzog spent the most time with Khalid Yusuf Al-Jalahma, who is Bahrain’s first ambassador to Israel, and conveyed appreciation to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for his ground-breaking decision to normalize relations with Israel, and expressed the hope that other countries in the region would be inspired by Bahrain’s example. Herzog said that he hoped to meet the king during his presidency, and noted that Bahrain has always served as a model for coexistence. The ambassador responded: “Peace is the strategic choice of the Kingdom of Bahrain… His Majesty the King believes that dialogue, understanding, and confidence-building are lofty principles and main foundations for achieving cooperation between nations and peoples… I am confident that this historic step will lay a solid foundation for relations between our two countries, based on the values of tolerance and coexistence between peoples, beliefs, and religions.”
Jalahma wished the citizens of Israel health, well-being, security, stability, and prosperity. “The Kingdom of Bahrain is guided in its diplomatic relations by solid national principles based on firm foundations and authentic values of prosperity and acceptance of the other… Throughout history, the Kingdom of Bahrain has committed in its relations with other states to promote stability, peace, and prosperity for the peoples of the region,” he said.
LATER IN the day, Herzog participated in a Zoom celebration of the joint 200th anniversary of Independence of Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica. The latter were the last two countries to have embassies in Jerusalem before leaving some 15 years ago. Since the transfer of the US Embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, Guatemala, Honduras, and Kosovo have located their embassies in the nation’s capital, and Herzog voiced the hope that many other countries with which Israel enjoys diplomatic relations will follow suit.
Speaking of Israel’s relations with Central America in general, Herzog said: “My country is a strategic partner for Central America in addressing development challenges, especially in the fields of water, agriculture, and sustainability. I am delighted that tens of thousands of professionals from your countries have studied with MASHAV, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, and in programs overseas, as we learn to face the future together.”
LAST FRIDAY, Herzog telephoned former US president Jimmy Carter, who played a key role in the signing of the Camp David Accords when he hosted then-Prime Minister Menachem Begin and then-Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and their advisers at Camp David in 1979. This paved the way for a new Middle East, with this first peace agreement between Israel and an Arab state followed by an agreement with Jordan, and last year, the signing of the Abraham Accords with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
In 2002, Carter, who will celebrate his 97th birthday on October 1, was awarded the Nobel Prize for “his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solution to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and promote economic and social development.”
“During his presidency (1977-1981), Carter’s mediation was a vital contribution to the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt, in itself a great enough achievement to qualify for the Nobel Peace Prize. At a time when the cold war between East and West was still predominant, he placed renewed emphasis on the place of human rights in international politics.
“Through his Carter Center, (which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2002), Carter has since his presidency undertaken very extensive and persevering conflict resolution on several continents.”
In his efforts to resolve the Israeli Palestinian conflict, Carter was often perceived by Israel as siding with the Palestinians.
On September 23 – a day after his 61st birthday – Herzog will be the guest of honor in the sukkah of Shalva, the National Center for the Care and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities.
FOR GIL Haskel, the chief of state protocol, who deals with members of the diplomatic corps on a daily basis, including accompanying them when they present their credentials to the president, the day was not over. Together with Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Martin Mwanambale, who is the ambassador of Zambia, he was the recipient of an award conferred by the Ambassadors’ Club of Israel. The event was held at the Vert Hotel in Jerusalem cohosted by ACI founder and president Yitzhak Eldan, who is himself a former chief of state protocol and Sheldon Ritz, the Vert Hotel’s general manager. Guests included diplomats, members of Knesset, representatives of the Jerusalem Municipal Council, heads of major Jerusalem enterprises and a smattering of media personnel. Eldan – who had worked closely with Ritz during the many years in which the latter was in charge of embassies and visiting foreign diplomatic delegations at the King David Hotel – decided that because they were friends and because Ritz was such a familiar figure in diplomatic circles, to have the award ceremony at the Vert, and to simultaneously make diplomats aware of how close it is to both the entrance to Jerusalem and to the Foreign Ministry, not to mention the Knesset and The Israel Museum.
The star attraction on the buffet was scones, rarely seen in Israeli hotels and coffee shops. Not only were they delicious, but served in the traditional style, with jam and clotted cream. Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, who comes from England, said that the clotted cream was the best she’d ever tasted. Hopefully scones, replete with jam and clotted cream will be a permanent feature on the Vert menu. In presenting the award of excellence to Mwanambale, Eldan praised his professionalism and balanced approach as a diplomat, and commended him for his work in bringing Zambia and Israel closer together. While thanking all those who made him feel at home in Israel over the years, Mwanambale had a special word of thanks to his wife Sarah, who he said created the conducive environment that enabled him to do his work. A similar award was given to Haskel in recognition of his role in conducting relations with the diplomatic community and the hosting of Israel’s foreign official guests. Haskel, for his part, said that he was very pleased that Mwanambale had received the recognition due to him. Haskel, who is a former ambassador to African states and the former head of MASHAV, which has many African students, knows the value of the African people.
Haskel also had high praise for Ritz who he said made a valuable contribution to Israel’s diplomatic relations, and should be recognized by the Ambassadors’ Club for what he has done. Eldan made Ritz an Honorary Member of the ACI, and quipped “Now you can come to the VIP room every day.”
Haskel, who took up his post just under a year ago, said that he did not know why he deserved recognition at this stage in his present position, when he is still more or less at the beginning. It reminded him of former US president Barack Obama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize early in his presidency “and there wasn’t much peace afterwards.”
Nonetheless, he was flattered to receive such recognition from one of his predecessors.
Eldan returned the compliment reminding Haskel that one of his previous roles in the Foreign Ministry had been to train cadets, nearly all of whom are now ambassadors.
Haskel is already preparing his next lot of new ambassadors for the presentation of their credentials. In recent days, he welcomed Swiss ambassador designate Urs Bucher, and the new head of the Delegation of the European Union Dimiter Tzantchev, who chatted with him in Hebrew. Tzantchev formerly served in Israel from 2008 to 2010 as the ambassador of Bulgaria. He has since held important positions with the EU, NATO and the UN.
On Yom Kippur, Eldan had cause for personal celebration. He became a first-time grandfather, and one suspects that he may step back temporarily from diplomatic affairs in favor of family affairs.
WHEN INTERNATIONAL prizewinning poet Yehuda Amichai – regarded as Israel’s poet laureate – died on September 22, 2000, the title of poet laureate was quickly conferred on Haim Gouri, who died in January 2018, at age 94. Gouri, who was also a journalist, novelist and documentary filmmaker, was very active in Jerusalem’s Confederation House, which within the context of its annual poetry festival will inaugurate the Haim Gouri Cultural Center. Curiously, the inauguration ceremony on September 22, will take place exactly 21 years after the death of Yehuda Amichai. Though neither was born in Jerusalem, both Amichai and Gouri, spent the major part of their lives in Israel’s capital. Amichai was born in Germany and Gouri in Tel Aviv. Participants in the inauguration ceremony will include among others, Gouri’s daughter Yael, Hebrew University literature department’s Prof. Ariel Hirshfeld, and celebrated poet Agi Mishol.
HUMAN PERVERSITY is such that most people are simply incapable off leaving well enough alone. A prime example was Yom Kippur in the service organized in Jerusalem’s Sokolov Park by Rabbi Eli and Chana Canterman, who are the directors of Chabad Talbiya and Mamilla. As they did on Rosh Hashanah, they hired a very large marquee with segregated sections for men and women, plus air conditioning and lighting. There were rows of white plastic chairs inside the tent with names of congregants who had paid at least NIS 300 for a seat. But most of the congregants preferred to sit outside. Although there were seating plans affixed in prominent positions inside the tent, few people noticed them, nor did they notice the small scraps of white paper with people’s names hand-written, that were stuck on the chairs. After all, white on white does not really stand out. In the final analysis, there were more people sitting outside than inside the tent, but the prayer service conducted in part by Cantor Yisrael Hershtik and his sons was superb. There was a lot of singing both by him and by the Chabad prayer leaders including favorite Chabad melodies, Carlebach and Raziel. On Kol Nidre night, the auctioning for the opening of the Ark started at $180 (NIS 578) compared to NIS 180 on Rosh Hashanah. During the day on Yom Kippur there was also bidding for maftir Yona, with only one serious bidder, who was actually bidding against his wife, who kept shouting from the women’s section. The bidding closed at $500 (NIS 1,067).
Congregants ranged in age from tiny babies to nonagenarians, with the latter coming on wheelchairs, scooters and with the aid of walkers. It was very important to them to be there, and in those sections of the service that called for worshipers to prostrate themselves, they seemed to have no trouble doing so, even though some of them could barely walk.
At the end of the service, there was no need to rush home to break the fast. Organizers provide a sumptuous buffet with a variety of foods and soft drinks as well as alcoholic beverages.
IT’S QUITE a feather in the cap of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to be included in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people, after being only three months in office. Bennett still has a long way to go before he can emulate former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who in May, 2012, made the cover of Time alongside the large-lettered headline of “King Bibi.” Yet, despite the prestige given to him by Time, and the complimentary article by Mansour Abbas, Bennett has not won any brownie points on the home front. His popularity has not increased, and there are many who voted for Likud or one of the religious parties, who perceive the present government as undemocratic, regardless of whatever success it may achieve. One of the goals of this government appears to be an effort to remove Netanyahu from the pages of Israeli history. Bennett no longer refers to him by name, but simply as “my predecessor.” Others, have also begun to speak of “the head of the previous administration,” among them former politician, minster, party leader and political analyst Yossi Beilin who – though he faults Bennett for his refusal to meet with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmud Abbas – says that he doesn’t miss Bennett’s predecessor. As for Netanyahu, prophecy is not one of his many attributes. He predicted that the government would fall within three months. It didn’t, despite the conflicting interests of the coalition partners, who all are keenly aware that if one drops out, it’s curtains for all of them.
CYPRUS OBVIOUSLY holds Israel in high esteem. The Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted a photograph of Israel’s new ambassador to Cyprus Oren Anolik at a meeting with Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides, with the message that bilateral relations between Cyprus and Israel are at an all-time high, and that there is shared determination to keep driving forward, working together at the same time to enhance regional cooperation.greerfc@gmail.com