Romania and Israel have a unique 1,000-year-old relationship that has created a bond between the two peoples, said the ambassador of Israel in Bucharest, Reuven Azar, during an event dedicated to the end of his two-year mandate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He thanked Romania for its “help from behind the scenes to release the hostages.”<\/p>\n
“There are many things that Romania has done that we cannot say, the fact that it helped us behind the scenes to release the hostages. I thank you for that, too,” said the Israeli diplomat, whose next mandate as ambassador will be in India, quoted by Agerpres<\/a>.<\/p>\n He recalled that over one million Israelis of Romanian origin marked not only Israel’s but also Romania’s history in culture, architecture, economy, and all other fields.<\/p>\n “This was seen in the relations we have – in health, in the economy, in investments, in many fields,” said the ambassador.<\/p>\n Reuven Azar’s replacement was announced last September after the Israeli ambassador met far-right politician George Simion (AUR) in a move explained by Azar as aimed at getting a firm commitment from the Romanian politician about the non-negation of the Holocaust.<\/p>\n Reuven was born in Argentina in 1967 and made Aliyah (immigrated) with his family to Jerusalem, Israel, at the age of 13. He served in a Paratroopers battalion of the Israeli Defense Forces from 1985 to 1988 and was a reservist combat Sergeant up to 2008. From 2014 to 2018, Reuven was DeputyAmbassador at the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC.<\/p>\n Israel’s designated ambassador to Romania is Lior Ben Dor, whose mandate will begin in August.<\/p>\n Lior Ben Dor is Director for Egypt and the Maghreb, an area of \u200b\u200bspecial interest for the political and security interests of the Israeli state.<\/p>\n