President Isaac Herzog urged European leaders to reject calls for boycotts of Israel, speaking on the second day of a visit to Romania on Monday, saying that “threats will not advance peace. Dialogue will.”
The Israeli head of state was received at the Presidential Palace in Bucharest by Romanian President Nicușor Dan, as part of his state visit marking 85 years since the Iași (sometimes anglicized as Jassy) pogrom.
Herzog and first lady Michal Herzog were welcomed with a red-carpet honor guard ceremony that included the playing of the Israeli and Romanian national anthems, before the two leaders held private and expanded bilateral meetings.
In joint statements to the press, Herzog emphasized shared democratic values “over 78 years of diplomatic ties” and expanding cooperation in fields including technology, innovation, cyber, AI, security, agriculture, culture and tourism, while thanking Romania for its support for Israel since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks.
“Israel and Romania meet today as two strong and vibrant democracies,” he said, adding that Israel’s ongoing war is part of a broader struggle against Iran and its regional proxies.
“Since the horrific massacre of October 7, 2023, Israel has faced a multi-front war with Iran and its terror proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis,” Herzog said. “But this war is not just against Israel. It is a war being waged by Iran’s empire of evil against the free world. Romania understands this threat, and we deeply appreciate your steadfast support for Israel during this challenging, but vital, battle.”
He also welcomed the U.S.-brokered framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon, signed Friday in Washington, saying it “can become the cornerstone of peace” and calling on the European Union and the international community to support it.
Dan highlighted growing economic and defense cooperation, as well as opportunities to expand bilateral investment, while underscoring the significance of Herzog’s visit in commemorating the Holocaust-era massacre in Iași, where more than 13,000 Jews were killed.
“It is the responsibility of all of us to work so that events of this kind never happen again,” Dan said, warning of rising hate speech and calling for efforts to promote “de-escalation, de-radicalization, and a sense of communion among people of different opinions, religions and beliefs.”
Herzog arrived in Romania on Sunday, beginning his visit in Iași, where he participated in memorial events for pogrom victims, including a ceremony at a mass grave site and the reburial of recently identified remains.
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