Diplomatic Events

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Written by Silvia G. Golan & Shahar Tabenkin Ezer

Published: 07 June 2022

Diplomats, Israeli government officials, Israelis of Swedish descent and key figures in the blossoming Israeli-Swedish cooperation in high-tech met on Monday in the house of the Ambassador of Sweden in Herzliya to celebrate the National Day of Sweden, and as such the nation of Sweden and all of its aspects – its people, its art, its music, and its food.

The National day of Sweden celebrates the birth of modern Sweden with the election of king Gustav Vasa in the 16th century, which set the stage for Sweden to emerge as an independent modern nation out of the Danish-dominated Kalmar Union.

Upon entering the Ambassador’s home, guests encountered a modern demonstration of Israeli-Swedish friendship and mutual innovation – a robotic arm, manufactured by the Swedish ABB corporation in Israel, lifting up the flag of Sweden on one side and the flag of Israel on the other.

The celebration was a delightfully Swedish affair – With ABBA music playing in the background throughout the evening, meatballs and Swedish cider served front and center, and flowers bearing the colors of the Swedish flag dotting the courtyard and parlor.

In his speech, Ambassador Erik Ullenhag spoke passionately about the war in Ukraine, and the need for ‘the free world’ to act in Ukraine’s defense – “Ukraine has the same colors on its flags as Sweden – Blue and Yellow; Ukraine has the same dreams, the same European values”. He urged the Ukrainian ambassador to Israel, Yevhen Korniichuk, to remind the Ukrainian people that they have friends in Tel Aviv. The distinguished ambassador moved on to speak of the deep commitment of Sweden to fight for equality – “When I celebrate the National day… I celebrate democracy, I celebrate diversity… We are striving to create a society where it doesn’t matter the color of your skin, it doesn’t matter if you believe in god or which god you believe in, it doesn’t matter who you love”.

Ullenhag also spoke of the deepening ties between Israel and Sweden – of the great cooperation between the Israeli and Swedish high-tech industries (pointing out that the Swedish innovation agency has only two foreign offices – one in Tel Aviv, and the other in Silicon Valley), of the recent visit of Swedish foreign minister Ann Linde to Israel (the first Ministerial visit to the country in 10 years) as well as the deeper cultural ties between the two countries, such as the 50,000 Swedish volunteers who immigrated to Kibbutzim in Israel’s infancy, whose descendants were also present this very evening. Ullenhag repeated his, and his country’s, stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, advocating for a peaceful two-state solution. He also condemned the recent terror attacks against Israelis last spring.

The Ambassador also reiterated his stance on Raul Wallenberg, whose life and work were celebrated last week (read about it here), and stressed the importance of battling antisemitism and racism wherever it may be.

Ullenhag’s speech was followed by a speech from the minister of Diaspora Affairs of Israel, Nachman Shai, who once again stressed the warming relations between Israel and Sweden, in the form of increasing diplomatic, cultural and economic cooperation, as well as wholeheartedly agreeing with Ullenhag’s position on interventionism in Ukraine. Shai praised the Swedish government’s uncompromising approach to combating antisemitism (including the adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism), which he witnessed firsthand at the Malmö International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism last year, and pointed out that his own family had been rescued from the brutality of the Nazi concentration camp by the Swedish-led ‘White Buses’ operation, which successfully rescued tens of thousands of Jews and other prisoners from Nazi Germany and transported them to safety in Sweden.

Shai also pointed out the partnership between Sweden and Israel, as well as Canada, in advancing women’s rights – through a joint event in the Israeli pavilion in the Dubai expo, and through cooperation in the Commission for Women’s rights in the UN.

The two speakers also praised the Israeli-Swedish cooperation in matters of Climate Change, with environmental minister of Israel Tamar Zandberg having represented the nation in last week’s Stockholm+50 climate convention.

Among the esteemed guests attending the national celebration were David Castel, honorary Consul of Sweden; Tali Eshkoli, Eurovision Israel producer; Nadav Tamir, Senior Advisor for foreign affairs in the Peres institute for Peace;  Roneh Aharon, CEO of ABB technologies (Israel Branch), who were responsible for the aforementioned robotic arm and Dotan Smith of the Israeli Immigration Authority.

Diplomacy.co.il congratulates the Embassy of Sweden on its national day and offers best wishes for peace and success.

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Written by Silvia G. Golan Steven Aiello & Adam Goldshtein

Published: 01 June 2022

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Written by Steven Aiello

Published: 02 June 2022

 

The annual Africa Day party was held at the Ambassador of Nigeria’s residence on Tuesday evening, May 31st, with over two dozen embassies joining in a joint celebration of African cultural heritage, economic achievements and development, and cooperation.

The embassies and representatives of Angola, Cameroon, Congo DRC, Congo, Cote D’Ivoire, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea Equatorial, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Zambia hosted the joint celebration. Each country had a booth set up, featuring traditional food dishes for guests to sample.

The evening opened with the national anthems of Israel and the African Union. H.E. Mr. Jean-Pierre Biyiti Bi Essam, Ambassador of Cameroon and Dean of the African Ambassadors in Israel, then welcomed the guests on behalf of the African Group of Ambassadors in Israel. The ambassador noted that this year’s theme for the African Union is “Strengthening resilience in nutrition and food security on the African continent: Strengthening agro-food systems, health and social protection systems for the acceleration of human, social and economic capital development.” The ambassador also noted the forward-thinking perspective of the AU’s Agenda 2063, crafted to maximize the potential of the population on the continent, and in particular with well-nourished women and children.

Continuing on the theme, the ambassador pointed out the potential for growth that Africa presents, with the largest per capita youth demographic in the world, and arable land that is still underutilized as a source of continental and global food production. 

 

 

Turning to the connection with Israel, and the recent challenges of Covid-19, the ambassador noted with appreciation the “Brothers in Arms” campaign which ensured the rapid vaccination of diplomatic staff in Israel and their families, as well as the contribution of vaccines for the African football competition in Cameroon. Mentioning the highly successful Mashav program, as well as the visit by Israeli Prime Minister Bennett to Egypt in March 2022, by H.E. Felix Tshisekedi, President of the DRC to Israel, the current visit of the minister of foreign affairs of Togo to Israel, and other high level visits between Israel and the African nations, the ambassador saw signs of the strong relationship between Israel and African countries, and motivation to increase cooperation. 

The minister concluded by calling for a moment of silence in memory of those who lost their lives in all tragedies, including the recent spate of violence in Israel. He then called up Minister in the Department of Finance, H.E. Mr. Hamad Amar, to deliver remarks on behalf of the state of Israel.

Minister Hamad Amar spoke on behalf of the state of Israel. Minister Amar talked about the strong and growing ties between Israel and the African nations, the pinnacle of which was Israel’s acceptance last summer as an observer state in the African Union. The minister noted how the Mashav infrastructure for Israel-African cooperation was utilized to provide vaccines and other essential support during Covid 19. The minister called for increased partnership and diplomacy going forward.

H.E. Professor Robert Dussey, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and African Integration of the Republic of Togo, as the guest of honor, spoke next. The minister talked about the strong potential that Africa represents to the world, of youth and growth. Focusing on the relationship with Israel, the minister noted that Israeli technological ingenuity was particularly suited for investment investing in African natural resources and human capital. The minister pointed out that 42 of the 54 AU member states already have representation in Israel, a further sign of the strong multilateral ties at play. Explaining that cooperation and peace were seen as priorities throughout Africa, the minister struck an optimistic note about the future of Africa-Israel ties. 

Minister Dussey then surprised the audience, by calling on members to sing the traditional “Shema Yisrael” prayer, before calling up Togolege-Israeli pop star Stephane Legar to the stage. Legar told the audience how he had grown up in the ideals of Africa-Israel partnership, and was honored to be joining the celebration.

After the speeches, a toast was raised to the good health of African and Israeli leaders, and growing cooperation between the respective countries. A giant cake in the shape of the African Union logo was cut. The guests continued to enjoy the diverse tastes of Africa, while musicians from different countries took the stage to entertain the audience.

Among the distinguished guests in attendance were H.E. Professor Robert Dussey, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and African Integration of the Republic of Togo; Minister Hamad Amar of the Finance Ministry of Israel; H.E. Ambassador Gil Haskel, Chief of State Protocol for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ambassador Iddo Moed, Head of the Burea for African Affairs at the MFA; David Freeman, Representative of the World Center of Bahai Faith in Jerusalem; Sheikh Muhammad Sharif Odeh, head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Israel; Israeli-Togolese singer Stephane Legar; Ezi Rapaport, Founder and CEO of Empower Africa, and graphic designer Yael Krieger, as well as foreign diplomats in Israel, expats of the African member states, and Israelis with ties to the continent.

On the same day as the celebration in Israel, the “Israel in Africa” conference took place in Paris, including a recorded message from Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid in which he expressed that "Israel is back in Africa". Israel's relations with Africa have strengthened over the last few years with new diplomatic ties forming, as highlighted by achievement of observer status at the AU, as well as the recent appointment of an Israeli Ambassador to Chad for the first time in half a century.

Diplomacy.co.il congratulates the member nations of the African Union, and all of the embassies in Israel, on Africa Day 2022.

Steven Aiello

Founder--DebateforPeace

 

https://debateforpeace.org

 

Photos credit: Myriam Dahan

 

 

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Written by Silvia G. Golan & Steven Aiello

Published: 01 June 2022

Diplomats and Holocaust survivors came together at the Swedish Ambassador’s Residence in Herzliya on Tuesday afternoon to mark the 110th anniversary of the birth of diplomat and hero Raoul Wallenberg.

Raoul Wallenberg is world-renowned, and revered, for his courage in saving tens of thousands of Jewish lives while stationed as the Swedish representative in Budapest, Hungary, during one of the cruelest periods of humanity. Risking his life countless times for Jews he had never met before and would never see again, Wallenberg is, as the speakers noted at the ceremony, a paragon of humanity. Sadly, he paid the ultimate price, disappearing into the abyss of post-World War II USSR, never to be heard from again, with his family lacking even the closure of confirmation of his death to this day.

H.E. Mr. Erik Ullenhag, Ambassador of Sweden to Israel, noted the mixed emotions as he stood there, proud of the bravery and sheer humanity of Wallenberg in his capacity as a Swedish diplomat, while remorseful that years went by without initial appreciation of Wallenberg, or sufficient efforts to help his family get closure, or even tell his story properly.

Ambassador Ullenhag thanked several countries who have been instrumental in sharing the inspiring story of Raoul Wallenberg, including Australia, Canada, Israel, the United States, and the city of Budapest, who have all made Wallenberg an honorary citizen as a tribute to his heroism.

The ambassador noted that everyone of us can find inspiration in Raoul Wallenberg the human, who “showed us that one person can make a difference.” Knowing the great personal risk he was putting himself in, Wallenberg told his colleague Per Anger "I've taken on this assignment, and I will never be able to go back to Stockholm without knowing inside myself that I'd done all a man could do to save as many Jews as possible". That was the last time he would see his friend.

Ambassador Ullenberg concluded his remarks by noting that anti-Semitism is still a challenge all around the world, including in Europe. Wallenberg’s actions, he said, show the moral obligation for all to speak out. “The greatest danger to a society is not the evil from the evil people. The greatest danger is when the good people are silent. Each and every one of us has a role and a responsibility to fight anti-Semitism, racism and intolerance of today. Not all can be heroes like Raoul Wallenberg. But all of us can do something. That is the best way we can honour the legacy of Raoul Wallenberg.”

Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Yair Lapid, the son of a Holocaust survivor, spoke on behalf of the state of Israel. Minister Lapid brought this message home, by sharing his own personal story of how Wallenberg had transformed the destiny of an entire family. The foreign minister explained how his father, a thirteen year old boy in the Budapest Ghetto, was rescued by Wallenberg. To this day the family has the faded Swedish document that Wallenberg used to save Jews—a ”Wallenberg passport” as it was known.

Thanks to Wallenberg’s courage and empathy, the elder Lapid survived the war, moved to Israel, married, had children and grandchildren. He ultimately served as the Justice Minister of Israel, with his son the Foreign Minister and alternate Prime Minister of Israel—just one example of the ripple effects of Wallenberg’s actions. Minister Lapid explained that in his eyes, the story of Raoul Wallenberg shows that any person can make a difference by caring about others, and gave thanks on his family’s behalf for the gift of life that Wallenberg bestowed upon them.

H.E. Ambassador Levente Benkő of the Hungarian Embassy in Israel, expressed his own appreciation for the initiative to commemorate the 110th birthday of Raoul Wallenberg. The ambassador noted that Wallenberg was “not only a Righteous among the Nations, but a symbol of heroism, of perseverance and of humanity.” Ambassador Benkő stressed the importance of the event happening in Israel, in the presence of survivors, as evidence of the perseverance of the Jewish people. He explained that sections of the Danube riverbank in Budapest are named after Raoul Wallenberg and other diplomats who acted to save human lives during the darkness of the Holocaust, reiterating that their heroism comes from a choice made to endanger themselves to save others, when they could have simply opted to save themselves. The ambassador said that although Wallenberg was Swedish, Hungarians see him as a hero for all humanity.

Ambassador Benkő noted that Hungarian state responsibility for the horrors of the Holocaust years in Hungary, include three principles by the current government of Hungary: the moral imperative of “Never Again”; zero tolerance against all forms of antisemitism, and protection of the Jewish community. Moreover, “Hungary fully understands that the State of Israel is the ultimate guarantor of Jewish security which is the precise reason why we are steadfast supporters of the Jewish state in the face of unfair international criticism.”

Ambassador of the United States H.E. Mr. Thomas Nides posed the question of how Raoul Wallenberg would see our world today, with wars and conflicts engulfing the world, including in Europe, with the conflict in Ukraine. The ambassador expressed his belief that Wallenberg would be happy to see Sweden joining NATO, as well as support a two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian context as the key to maintaining a Jewish, democratic state.

Following the remarks by the diplomats, a video was played, in which those who had been saved personally by Raoul Wallenberg reflected on their own experiences and the impact on their lives, with several of the survivors in attendance. Former Justice Minister of Canada, Irwin Kotler, also gave a pre-recorded address in which he outlined the ways in which Raoul Wallenberg had foreshadowed what would be recognized as basic human rights and international law principles post-World War II. The guests then enjoyed a reception and the chance to share their impressions. Distinguished guests in attendance included Holocaust survivors and their families and foreign diplomats; David Castel, Honorary Consul of Sweden; Former Knesset Member Colette Avital; Dani Dayan, chairman of Yad Vashem; Danny Rainer and Vivian Epstein of the International Raoul Wallenberg foundation, and Steve Linde and Greer Fay Kashman of the Jerusalem Post.