The mandate of the Ambassador of the State of Israel to Romania, Reuven Azar, has come to an end.
RRI’s Eugen Cojocariu has spoken with His Excellency about the achievements of his mandate and the relations between Romania and Israel.
Tag: anti-Semitism
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July 20, 2022
WEATHER Romanian authorities have issued an amber heat alert valid today
in 12 counties in the west of the country, and amber and orange alerts covering
more than three-quarters of the country for the period July 22 – 24. As of
Thursday, the extreme heat wave will cover most of the country, with the
temperature-humidity index (THI) exceeding 80. Highs will generally range from
35 to 37 degrees Celsius, with temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius
expected on Friday and Saturday in the west, north-west and south-west.
NATO The Senate, as the decision-making chamber in the
Parliament of Romania, convenes today in a special meeting to ratify the NATO
Accession Protocols of Finland and Sweden. Previously,
the Chamber of Deputies had endorsed the
bill ratifying the protocols. The documents were signed on July 5 in Brussels. Finland’s and Sweden’s decision to
join the North-Atlantic Alliance comes amid security concerns related to
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
HOLIDAY Every year on July 20 Romania
celebrates Aviation and Air Forces Day, which overlaps the religious holiday of St.
Elijah, regarded as the patron saint of pilots. In Bucharest, a military ceremony is held
today, which brings together over 20 military aircraft of the Romanian, British
and Italian Air Forces, Interior Ministry and Intelligence Service helicopters,
a Tarom plane and 4 planes from the Romanian Air Club. Military aircraft will
be flying over other cities across the country. The Romanian military aviation
was established in 1910,
when Aurel Vlaicu designed the first military aircraft.
COVID In Romania, the National Public
Health Institute announced that in the previous week 171 Omicron infections
were confirmed in the country. All of these are SARS-CoV-2
variants that cause concern. According to the institution, by July 17, as many
as 6,611 Omicron infections had been reported. The number of COVID-19 cases
continues to rise, and experts say the current wave is caused by an Omicron
sub-variant of the coronavirus, which spreads a lot more quickly and is able to
infiltrate the protection given by
the current vaccines and previous infections.
GOVERNMENT The government of Romania is
scheduled to pass a bill today concerning the procurement of some of the
most advanced electric trains, powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Only 3 countries
in the EU are currently using or testing such trains. The Transport Ministry
plans to purchase a total of 12 hydrogen electric trains. Also in the transport
sector, the government intends to start expropriation procedures in order to
widen the Bucharest South ring road. The Cabinet will also discuss the
2022-2027 National Strategy on Research, Innovation and Smart Specialisation,
which will create the framework for an efficient and effective spending of national
funds. Two other documents are due to be reviewed today, a memorandum concerning
talks with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development on non-reimbursable
EU funding, and another memorandum endorsing the 2022-2024 strategy for
governmental debt management.
ANTI-SEMITISM The
pandemic context, vaccination campaigns, public campaigns raising awareness on
the rise in cases of anti-Semitism and the information on the history of the Holocaust
are the main factors contributing to a strengthening of online and offline hate
speech, reads the latest monitoring report issued by the ‘Elie Wiesel’ National
Institute for Holocaust Research in Romania. According to the institution, vandalism
cases, the praising of inter-war far-right figures and people convicted for war
crimes or known for their extremist attitude, anti-Semitic messages in
Parliament and minimising the memory of Holocaust victims remain common
occurrences in Romania. Central authorities have reconfirmed their commitment
to fight extremist actions by endorsing a National Strategy for preventing and
fighting anti-Semitism, xenophobia, radicalisation and hate speech and by
introducing Jewish and Holocaust history as a school subject, the report also
says. However, the lack of awareness and responsibility among local authorities
hinders the implementation of the principles upheld by the central authorities. (AMP) -
Israeli-Romanian strategic relations, a fresh turn
The president of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, these days has
been on a visit to Romania. It was the top-ranking Israeli official’s first
state visit to our country. According to the Presidential Administration in
Bucharest, the visit stands proof of the fact that Israel remains Romania’s key
strategic partner in the Middle East. Romania’s relations with Israel are based
on strong, historical ties. It was the key point Romanian president Klaus
Iohannis emphasized during the meeting with his Israeli counterpart. On the
same occasion, President Klaus Iohannis went on to say Romania was a
model as regards the initiatives taken in order to preserve the memory of the
Holocaust and to fight antisemitism. President Iohannis also made mention of
the recent violent clashes that sadly claimed the lives of both Israelis and
Palestinians. Iohannis also stated direct talks had to be resumed, so
that the two states could find a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Klaus Iohannis:
Romania shares the belief whereby
both the Israelis and the Palestinians have the right to live in peace and
security, strongly supporting, together with its main international partners, a
solution to be put forward by the two states, according to the rules and
standards set by the international law.
In turn, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin recalled that Romania was the only state of the former Soviet bloc that has never
severed its ties with Israel. In the Romanian Parliament’s joint plenary
session, the Israeli president, among other things, emphasized the importance
of an awareness-raising stance, taken with respect to the phenomena triggered
by anti-Semitism, xenophobia and racism. According to the Israeli president, a
joint fight must be put together against such a scourge, and that in one single
voice. Mr Rivlin also emphasized the fact Romania was a staunch supporter of
the first strategy against anti-Semitism that was built at the level of the
European Union, a strategy that will be finalized as soon as possible.
Israeli president Reuven Rivlin:
Certainly, we do not forget
history. In the past, the violent anti-Semitism, pogroms, murders, mainly
perpetrated during the Holocaust, but much more important than that is
the fact that Romania’s governing bodies found ways to ensure history was not
forgotten and that Romania must wage an uncompromising battle against
anti-Semitism.
Romania’s economic cooperation with Israel has a great
potential for the two states’ mutual benefit. This is what Reuven Rivlin
stated, in another development, as part of the Romania-Israel Business Forum.
President Rivlin highlighted the fact that the cooperation opportunities
between the two states were important. Also stating that Romania was one of the
few countries with which Israel shared its military expertise and experience,
President Rivlin believed that the eventual aim, to that end, was to integrate
Israel’s innovations into Romania’s capabilities and industry, so that new
state-of-the art military technologies could be created, which Romania can then
export. Part of the Israeli delegation attending the Forum were many Israeli defense and
smart city companies, as well as cyber and national security firms, but also healthcare
and healthcare digitization companies. Also present at the forum were companies
producing software and specialized equipment, farming and water management
companies, as well as companies
producing irrigation systems and glasshouses, or companies creating animal
breeding technologies. Around 8,300 Israeli companies are active on Romanian
territory at the moment.(Translation by Eugen Nasta)
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March 31, 2021 UPDATE
WB Romania’s economy is expected to grow by 4.3% this year after last year’s 3.9% contraction, says the latest World Bank report published on Wednesday. According to the same report, the economic growth would be supported by the improved economic activity in the second half of 2021. This economic growth will also depend on the success of the vaccination rollout, the political response to the medical crisis as well as by the EU performances. World Bank also expects a 4.1% economic growth for the next year with an inflation rate around 3% in 2021 and of 3.2% in 2022. Inflation is expected to go down to 2.9% in 2023.
COVID-19 As many as 6,156 new COVID-19 infections were reported on Wednesday in Romania out of 41,000 tests. 14 counties are in the red zone, meaning they have infection rates above 3 per thousand. Ilfov County near Bucharest has the highest infection rate, over 9 per thousand, and the capital city is over 7 per thousand. The autorities also announced 129 deaths and 1,412 patients in intensive care, a new record since the start of the pandemic. Authorities have again pointed out that only through vaccination and observance of the prevention rules will Romania be able to get rid of the pandemic. According to physician Andreea Moldovan, state secretary with the Health Ministry, the third wave is different than the others, with a higher number of cases and increased gravity. In her opinion, if containment measures are relaxed or ignored by people, they would stay in force for longer. Meanwhile, the vaccine rollout is in full swing in Romania with over 2 million vaccinated; half of them with the booster dose.
PROTESTS For the third night in a row, Bucharest and several big cities across Romania on Tuesday saw large-scale protests against the anti-Covid measures imposed by the authorities. Chanting anti-government slogans, the protesters called on the authorities to cancel the mandatory wear of face masks and reopen gyms and fitness facilities. Romanias president Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday said that he understands the discontent of the Romanians after a year of restrictions, adding these measures are the only means that can help Romania to contain the pandemic. The Romanian president also said that protests are normal in a functioning democracy but violence, extremism and xenophobia are intolerable and completely unacceptable. The president’s statement came after clashes in some of Romania’s cities. Opposition leader Marcel Ciolacu said that people took to the streets out of poverty and despair caused by the ongoing medical crisis.
TALKS The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu and the US secretary of state Antony Blinken Tuesday had talks over telephone about Romania’s contribution to NATO, energy security and the rule of law. Washington praised Romania for being a staunch NATO ally and for its commitment to strengthening security at the Black Sea, while Bucharest gave assurances these approaches would continue. The two officials also tackled the developing bilateral cooperation in the field of nuclear energy and the efforts to diversify gas supplies in Europe. Minister Aurescu mentioned the priority of Romania’s government related to the country’s OECD accession and voiced his belief that the US would support Romania’s intention. He also highlighted the interest in the rapid progress of the Visa Waiver programme and an increased US military presence in Romania.
ANTI-SEMITISM The Chamber of Deputies Wednesday adopted a joint statement condemning anti-Semitic messages in Romania and attempts at rehabilitating war criminals. The response comes after actress Maia Morgenstern, head of the State Jewish Theatre in Bucharest, received death threats. Anti-Semitism is a threat to democracy, and acknowledging the past is a key element of responsibility, both in the present and in the future, reads the statement signed by the Deputies at the initiative of the representative of Jewish communities in Parliament, Silviu Vexler.
AIR POLICE The Spanish Air Forces unit deployed to Romania in early February, at the Mihail Kogălniceanu air base, has completed its mission. The 130-strong team of pilots and technicians with 6 Eurofighter Typhoon conducted air police missions under NATO command jointly with Romanian Air Forces troops using F-16 and MiG-21 LanceR. The Spanish unit will be replaced by a British Royal Air Force unit currently being deployed to Romania. (tr. A.M. Popescu)
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March 29, 2021 UPDATE
COVID-19 The vaccination rate is expected to reach 100,000 people per day in April, the PM of Romania Florin Cîţu announced on Monday. This is when several million doses of vaccine are scheduled to reach the country, including the new type produced by the US company Johnson & Johnson, which does not require a second dose. A new batch of Pfizer/BioNTech doses arrived on Monday in Romania, where the national vaccine rollout is in full swing. Two million people have so far got the vaccine and half of them the booster dose. On the other hand, 3,825 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Romania on Monday, out of over 14,000 tests. The total number of infections is over 940,000, and the death toll passes 23,200, according to the Strategic Communication Group. Also on Monday 120 new deaths were reported, and a new record of nearly 1,400 patients are in intensive care. The infection rate remains high in Ilfov County, over 8.5 per thousand, and in Bucharest, over 7 per thousand. New measures to contain the epidemic came into force on Sunday. In regions with an infection rate above 4 per thousand, a night curfew is in place over the weekend between 8 pm and 5 am, two hours earlier than in the rest of the week. Shops must close at 6pm at weekend, and in regions with an infection rate above 7.5 per thousand the same restrictions are applicable the entire week. The new measures have sparked protests in Romania’s big cities, where people took to the streets on Monday chanting anti-government slogans.
MOTION A simple motion against Romanian agriculture minister Adrian Oros was discussed on Monday in the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest. The Social Democratic Party in opposition, which tabled it, is blaming the minister for having failed to take the right measures to offer compensations to the farmers affected by the drought. This is the worst period for the Romanian agriculture, heavily affected by the drought and the pandemic and also by the minister’s incompetence, the Social Democrats said. The document is to be voted upon on Wednesday. This is the third simple motion tabled by the Social Democrats in the present Parliament season. The other two, tabled against the ministers of health and economy, have been dismissed by Parliament.
ANTI-SEMITISM The Prosecutors Office attached to the Bucharest District 1 Court ordered the 24-hour detention of a young man in a case involving death threats and anti-Semitic emails received by the actress Maia Morgenstern, director of the State Jewish Theatre in Bucharest. The message was made public by Maia Morgenstern on Theatre Day and the Jewish holiday of Passover, and was signed “On behalf of AUR. The leader of this parliamentary party, George Simion, condemned the attack, claiming the sender cannot be a member of his party. The Governments special representative for promoting remembrance policies and fighting anti-Semitism and xenophobia, Alexandru Muraru, said however he had reservations as concerns the statements of this party, which he described as a neo-fascist group known for its public anti-Semitic and nationalist views. Politicians and public figures in Romania condemned the message, and the case was given international coverage as well.
EXAMS Romanian 8th-graders started mock exams in preparation of secondary school graduation, with the Romanian language and literature test held on Monday. The math test is scheduled on Tuesday. The mock exams are held in schools, in regions where the COVID-19 infection rate is not over 6 per thousand. In places where the rate is higher, the mock exams can be postponed, but will not be held later than May 15. The national assessment exam will take place as originally scheduled, between June 22 and 25, after authorities considered delaying it over the pandemic. Because of the COVID-19 epidemic, classes have been held mostly online this year, and the education process has been disrupted. (tr. A.M. Popescu)
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April 5, 2019 UPDATE
PRESIDENCY – President Klaus Iohannis has
condemned the latest anti-Semitic gestures and actions and called on the relevant authorities to take firm action to sanction
them. In a press release the presidency recalls Romania stands out as a
regional successful model in terms of preserving the memory of the Holocaust,
owning to the past, combating anti-Semitism, negationism, xenophobia, hatred,
racism, populism and discouraging hate speech. Prior to this statement, Israeli
President Reuven Rivlin condemned the vandalization of some 70 tombs in the
Jewish Cemetery in Husi, northeastern Romania, one of the most serious such
anti-Semitic offences this year. The Israeli official recalled that Bucharest
auhtorities are taking measures to coutneract anti-Semitism and xenophobia.
Meanwhile, the Israeli media has quoted the president of the Federation of
Jewish communities in Romania, Aurel Vainer, who said such anti-Semitic events
are unacceptable and are affecting democracy in Romania. The US Embassy in
Bucharest has in turn unequivocally condemned the act of violence in Husi,
claiming this is not just an attack on the Jewish community, but on the
diversity of the entire Romanian society.
REFERENDUM – Also on Friday President Iohannis has called a round of consultations
with political parties on April 11 and 12 over the referendum on the judiciary.
On Thrsday, the President announced that the themes which he would submit to
the vote at the May 26 referendum, held simultaneously with the European
Parliament elections, are related to forbidding amnesty and pardon of
corruption crimes and forbidding the government to pass emergency decrees
related to criminal offences and punishments, correlated with the right of
other authorities to notify the Constitutional Court over such decrees.
VISIT – Two-way trade between Romania
and Slovakia has for the first time exceeded 3 billion euros at the end of
2018, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said Friday after meeting with Slovakian
Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini. Talks focused on developing bilateral
cooperation in various fields such as education, energy, culture, home affairs,
public administration, tourism, environment, healthcare and agriculture. In
turn, Prime Minister Pellegrini expressed hope that bilateral economic and
political relations would intensify. The two officials met in Banska Bystrica,
where the Romanian official paid a floral tribute in the National Insurrection
Square. Viorica Dancila then travelled to the city of Zvolen for a visit to the
local military cemetery where the remains of 10 thousand Romanian soldiers, who
fought for the liberation of Czechoslovakia in WWll, are buried.
B9 INITIATIVE – Romania’s Defense Minister Gabriel Les was
in Warsaw to attend a meeting of Defense Ministers from countries, which are
members of the Bucharest 9 Initiative. The meeting, staged jointly by linr
ministries from Poland and Romania, was attended by Defense Ministers from
Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania,
Slovakia and Hungary as well as by NATO officials and representatives of the US
Department of Defense. According to the Romanian Defense Ministry, the meeting
in Warsaw tackled the contribution of B9 states to strengthening NATO deterrence
and defense, with a focus on the coherent implementation and full
operationalization of the Advanced Allied Presence on the Eastern Flank. On the
sidelines of the meeting, Les met with his Polish counterpart, Mariusz
Błaszczak, stressing the major
role of the two countries as promoters of the B9 Initiative, in establishing a
unified position of NATO’s Eastern Allies that should be promoted on NATO’s
common agenda. In another development, Minister Les met with Romanian military
from the Blue Scorpions Anti-Air Defense Unit deployed in Poland as part of
NATO’s Combat Group.
DRILL – Over April 5-13 the Romanian
navy is staging the biggest international drill in Romania’s territorial waters
and in the international waters of the Black Sea. 14 Romanian warships and six
from Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, the Netherlands and Turkey are taking part in
the drill during which over 2000 servicemen will be training to respond to attacks
coming from under the sea, air or surface. The drill’s scenario implies a
coordinated crisis response carried out under a UN Security Council resolution.
The aforementioned drill also involves the participation of the NATO Permanent
Black Sea Force.
DISTINCTION- The Royal House of Britain on
Friday decorated Romanian Florin Morariu for the courage he displayed during
the terrorist attack of June 2017, which killed 8 people and wounded 48.
Morariu is the first Romanian to receive the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery. At
the time of the attack Florin Morariu worked in a bakery close to the bridge in
London and helped a few people to take shelter and stood up to the attackers.
(Translated
by V. Palcu)
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Comisia reacţionează la creşterea anti-semitismului în UE
Antisemitismul este în creștere în statele membre UE și tot mai puțini evrei se simt în siguranță în Europa. Această situație îngrijorează Comisia, care a luat o serie de măsuri.
85% dintre evreii europeni consideră că anti-semitismul este cea mai mare problemă socială sau politică în țările din care provin, se arată într-un studiu publicat la sfârșitul anului trecut de Agenția UE pentru Drepturi Fundamentale. Studiul mai arată că 28% dintre evrei au fost hărțuiți cel puțin o data în anul precedent și că peste o treime evită evenimente și locuri specifice comunității lor întrucât nu se simt în siguranță. Aproape 9 din zece respondenți consideră că probelemele cele mai serioase se văd în mediul online, iar 7 din zece consideră că țările lor nu fac suficient de multe pentru a combate antisemitismul. Această situație a fost deplânsă de vice-președintele Comisiei Europene Frans Timmermans, care consideră că fenomenul anti-semitismului trebuie combătut prin eforturi conjugate:
Dacă vrem să ne asigurăm că toți cetățenii noștri se simt în siguranță în Europa, atunci toate autoritățile publice – indiferent dacă sunt europene, naționale sau locale – sunt responsabile de acest lucru. Avem nevoie acum de măsuri concrete în statele membre pentru ca evreii să vadă schimbări palpabile. Printre acestea ar fi pregătirea forțelor de ordine, sprijinirea cadrelor didactice prin pregătirea în domeniu, asigurarea securității comunităților evreiești. și îmi doresc, nu doar ca membru al acestei Comisii ci și ca tată ca fiecare tânăr european să ne cunoască istoria și să cunoască, în mod special, istoria Holocaustului. Să poată numi lagărele de concentrare, să știe despre masacrele din Ucraina și din alte locuri, să știe ce a dus la crimele naziștilor, cum poți dez-umaniza o altă ființă umană, cum poți transforma un popor într-un așa-numit dușman al statului sau să spui că face parte dintr-o elită cosmopolită din sistemul financiar, toate aceste teme și cuvinte-cheie pe care oricine știe istoria europeană le recunoaște drept semne ale antisemitismului. Pentru mine totul este foarte simplul. Comunitatea evreilor aparține Europei în egală măsură în care îi aparținem noi, cei care nu suntem evrei. Cei care fac tot timpul trimitere la valorile creștine ar trebui să înțeleagă că dacă suntem creștini trebuie ca pentru totdeauna să ne distanțăm de anti-semitism. Nu există Europa dacă evreii nu se simt în siguranță în Europa.
Comisia Europeană și-a intensificat eforturile de combatere a anti-semitismului începând cu 2016, când a fost lansat un grup la nivel înalt pentru combaterea Rasismului, Xenofobiei și altor forme de Intoleranță. Alte măsuri includ un cod de conduită online și semnarea, la sfârșitul anului trecut, unui parteneriat cu Alianța Internațională pentru Memoria Holocaustului.
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Romania and the fight against anti-Semitism
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis
has decorated professor Yehuda Bauer, honorary president of the International
Alliance for the Memory of the Holocaust with the For Merit National Order in
Rank of Grand Officer, for his significant contribution to the research of the
Holocaust phenomenon, with the purpose of keeping alive the memory of this
tragedy that the world should never experience again and for his fruitful and
prodigious collaboration with Romania.
On this occasion, Yehuda Bauer,
now aged 90, has warned over the consequences of not knowing about the
atrocities committed during the Holocaust. According to Yehuda Bauer, any human
action aimed at exterminating the Jews is a result of the human will.
Consequently, what happened during the Holocaust might happen again. In his
opinion, this should make us all try to do our best to diminish, if not
neutralize, all actions directed not only against the Jews but against any
individual.
President Iohannis spoke at the
ceremony about Romania’s efforts, in the past few decades, to improve
legislation in the field and support initiatives aimed to discourage
anti-Semitism. Klaus Iohannis has also said that through their actions Romanian
leaders have proven that they want responsible citizens, that they want to
preserve the historical memory of the Holocaust and that they honour the memory
of the Holocaust victims.
We believe in a society of
tolerance, the President went on to say, able to successfully pass the test
that the European and international society has been putting us to lately, such
as the refugee crisis, the terrorist attacks and the anti-Semitic, xenophobic
and racist actions.
Iohannis has reminded that 75
years since the most terrible actions against the Jews on Romania’s territory
took place, known as the Iasi Pogrom, will be marked next month. Against this
background, Iohannis has reiterated Bucharest’s firm commitment to further
combat any anti-Semitic, racist and xenophobic actions.
The head of state has also
mentioned that Romania took over, in 2016, the presidency of the
International Alliance for the Memory of the Holocaust. The priorities of the
new presidency are collaborations with the media and social media in raising
awareness over the Holocaust, fighting extremism, discrimination, xenophobia,
racism and anti-Semitism, consolidating education and promoting academic
research in the field. According to Iohannis Romania will organize, at the
beginning of 2017, an international summit devoted to joint action against
anti-Semitic and extremist behaviors.