Dror Eydar
{{short description|Israeli ambassador to Italy, literary theorist and journalist}}
Dror Eydar ({{Langx|he|דרור אידר}}) was appointed Israeli Ambassador to Italy on September 2, 2019, a position which he served until September 2022.{{cite news |title=Italy confirms former Israel Hayom columnist Dror Eydar as ambassador |url=https://www.israelhayom.com/2019/07/16/italy-confirms-former-israel-hayom-columnist-dror-eydars-as-ambassador/ |accessdate=1 July 2020 |publisher=Israel Hayom |date=July 16, 2019}}
Political views
In a live TV interview during the Gaza war, Eydar stated: "For us, there is a purpose: to destroy Gaza, to destroy the absolute evil". Later, he clarified: "I meant Gaza as the home of Hamas, as a concept, and of course not the destruction of its population. Any reasonable person would understand the difference."{{cite news |url=https://www.israelhayom.com/2023/11/03/battles-on-the-public-diplomacy-front/ |title=My battles on the public diplomacy front |publisher=Israel Hayom}} He then described Palestinians as "animals" and stated that anyone "who harms a Jew must die".{{cite news |url=https://www.newarab.com/news/israel-diplomat-calls-destruction-gaza-tv-rant |title=Israeli diplomat, politician call for 'complete destruction of Gaza' in live television rants |publisher=The New Arab}}{{cite youtube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BjRyeRZGGk |title=Former Israeli ambassador to Italy: ‘The purpose is to destroy Gaza’ |publisher=Middle East Eye}}
After Pope Francis passed away after denouncing the "deplorable humanitarian situation" caused by Israel's onslaught on Gaza and expressing his "closeness to the sufferings… of all the Israeli people and the Palestinian people" in his final address on Easter Sunday, Eydar ignited controversy by accusing the late Pope Francis of antisemitism and advising the Israeli government to abstain from participating in the pontiff's funeral.[https://www.palestinechronicle.com/ex-israeli-amb-calls-pope-francis-antisemite-urges-government-to-avoid-funeral/ Ex Israeli Amb. Calls Pope Francis Antisemite, Urges Government to Avoid Funeral], 22 April 2025[https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bjtuamhygeForeign Ministry deletes condolence posts about pope, sparking diplomatic backlash], 22 April 2025
Biography
Dror Eydar earned a Ph.D. in Hebrew and Jewish literature from Bar Ilan University.{{cite web |title=Dr. Dror Eydar |url=https://www.israeliamerican.org/iac-national-conference/team-member/dr-dror-eydar |website=Israeli American Council National Summit |access-date=11 June 2021}} He was a columnist and op-ed editor for Sheldon Adelson's right-wing free daily newspaper Israel Hayom while simultaneously on prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s payroll, as a speechwriter and adviser.[https://theworld.org/stories/2017/05/13/sheldon-adelson-american-behind-israels-right-wing Sheldon Adelson: The American behind Israel’s right wing], GlobalPost, 13 May 2017
Published works
- Alterman–Baudelaire; Paris – Tel Aviv: Urbanism and Myth in the Poetry of Nathan Alterman and Charles Baudelaire (2003)
- The Last of the Lord's Poets - Myth, Ethos, and Mysticism in the Literary Works of Yosef Zvi Rimon, (2009).
References
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Category:Ambassadors of Israel to Italy
Category:Israeli newspaper editors