During the summer season each year, there are significant changes on the diplomatic circuit, as heads of foreign missions complete their tenure and new ambassadors take their places.
Six new ambassadors on Tuesday presented their credentials to President Isaac Herzog in a series of separate red-carpet ceremonies. They were: Menik Hitihamy Mudiyanselage Nimal Bandara of Sri Lanka; Maria Concepción Barahona Páez of Ecuador; Ava Atzum Arévalo Tribouillier de Moscoso of Guatemala; Tesfaye Yetayeh Anteneh of Ethiopia; Manuel Etchevarren Aguerre of Uruguay; and Rubeiro da Silva Barros of Portugal, who arrived in Israel in time to host his country’s Independence Day reception in mid-June.
The wives of the Sri Lankan and Ethiopian ambassadors came attired in the national dress of their respective countries.
Herzog's conversation with the Sri Lankan Ambassador
In his conversation with the Sri Lankan ambassador, Herzog recalled that when his late father, Chaim Herzog, visited Sri Lanka as Israel’s sixth president, he helped to move relations between the two countries forward.
Herzog also noted that Sri Lanka had been the first country in the world to be headed by a woman prime minister. Sirimavo Bandaranaike had been elected in 1960, when her country was still called Ceylon.
Like Israel, Sri Lanka last year was subjected to mass protests against the government. “People don’t understand that demonstrations are part of democracy,” said Herzog, telling the ambassador: “Your democracy is stable and strong.”
While relations between the two countries are good, they could be enhanced through greater cooperation in tourism, science and culture. Herzog remarked that Sri Lanka could also improve its record in voting for Israel in international forums.
The ambassador replied that he was interested in moving forward in support for Israel.
Herzog suggested that a positive step in this direction would be to have the president of Sri Lanka come to Israel with a delegation, and the ambassador said that he would be happy to recommend such a move, which he believed would be beneficial to his country’s science, technology and agriculture.
Herzog's discussions with the ambassador of Ecuador
Herzog, in welcoming the ambassador of Ecuador, commented that Ecuador also has a robust democracy. Among the subjects that he discussed with the ambassador were marketing of tourism and Ecuador’s amazing and varied nature reserves, and a legendary connection with the Lost Tribe of Reuven. He also spoke to her and to the ambassador of Uruguay about the necessity of introducing direct flights between Israel and all the countries of South America.
As far as tourism is concerned, the ambassador was cautious in listing the attractions of her own country. “I don’t want to compare to Israel,” she said. To which Herzog retorted: “Nothing compares to Israel.”
Aside from tourism and the introduction of direct flights, discussions centered on security, economy and climate change. Relating to her appointment, the ambassador, who may be a somewhat blunter diplomat than the norm, said: “I say what I think, and I do what I say.”
In the guest book she wrote that she was truly grateful to be in Israel.
No Israeli statesman or prime minister can be objective about Guatemala, whose ambassador to the United Nations Jorge Garcia Granados had played such a vital role in lobbying for the UN vote that set the ball rolling for the establishment of the sovereign State of Israel. Herzog said that his uncle, Abba Eban, had worked closely with Granados, who later became Guatemala’s first ambassador to Israel. Guatemala, which was the second nation to enter into diplomatic relations with Israel after the United States, was the first to open an embassy in Jerusalem.
Herzog also had a personal reason for being so well disposed to Guatemala. One of his sons had been engaged in an Israeli project there, and simply loved it.
Despite the mutual affection, trade between the countries is not very high and the ambassador wants to upgrade economic and commercial relations. The ambassador expressed the hope that Guatemala could host Herzog on a state visit. Meanwhile, there are elections coming up, so such a visit would not be any time soon.
At the conclusion of the meeting. the ambassador said that she would like to convey how proud Guatemala is to have its embassy in Jerusalem, and recommended that other embassies follow suit.
Both Herzog and the Ethiopian ambassador spoke of the long historic bond between Israel and Ethiopia that dates back to the visit by the Queen of Sheba.
Fast forward, the ambassador is keen to learn about Israel’s technology and water management that would be of help to his country in the future.
Herzog was curious about relations between different African states, and the ambassador’s response was: “We say African problems require African solutions.”
As he does with every African diplomat, statesman and politician, Herzog urged that Ethiopia be more actively pro-Israel in the African Union, many of whose members are hostile to Israel.
This is Uruguay’s ambassador’s second stint in Israel, where he was previously deputy head of mission in 1990. “It was another century. It was another country,” he said, adding that he thinks that relations with Israel are very important.
Uruguay is facing certain water challenges, which Herzog said Israel would be happy to help overcome. The two also spoke of maritime issues and climate change. Herzog also raised the subject of greater cooperation on the academic level, with exchanges between the universities of both countries. He is also waiting to welcome the president of Uruguay in December of this year or January of next year, to which Herzog said that he would like to see the president inaugurate an Uruguayan economic office in Jerusalem.
The ambassador mentioned that Yitzhak Navon had been the first president of Israel to come to Latin America in general and to Uruguay in particular.
Although the Portuguese Parliament had honored Israel on its 75th anniversary of independence, Herzog could not refrain from relating to the Inquisition, a factor that the ambassador made no attempt to whitewash, but said that after introducing a law that expelled the Jews, in modern times a law had been passed to invite them back.
“We care about the Jewish community,” said Herzog, noting although the Jewish community of Portugal is small, the Israeli community in Portugal is growing. He was particularly interested in the Jewish community of Porto, and hopes to visit there with his wife, who speaks Portuguese fluently.