Israel–Romania relations

During the Cold War, Romania was the only communist country not to break its diplomatic relations with Israel. The two countries signed a trade agreement on 30 January 1971 during Israeli Minister of Agriculture visit to Bucharest.{{cite book |editor= Milutin Tomanović |date=1972 |title=Hronika međunarodnih događaja 1971 |trans-title=The Chronicle of International Events in 1971 |url= |language=sh |page= 2549 |location=Belgrade |publisher=Institute of International Politics and Economics |isbn=}} In May 1972, Golda Meir was the first Israeli prime-minister to visit Romania.{{Cite magazine |date=8 May 1972 |title=Mrs. Meir is back from Bucharest |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/05/08/archives/mrs-meir-is-back-from-bucharest-says-rumanians-clarified-position.html |magazine=The New York Times |access-date=4 November 2023}} In 1984, the Romanian minister of tourism visited Israel. The Romanian foreign minister Ioan Totu arrived in January 1988 accompanied by his department director, Mielcioiu. The minister of foreign trade and international cooperation, Ioan Unger came with a Romanian delegation in October 1988. Nicolae Ceaușescu's emissaries were sent for talks with Israeli leaders, though the head of state himself did not pay an official visit, claiming he would only do so when the Arab-Israeli conflict was resolved.[https://books.google.com/books?id=TenKOhbJJtcC&dq=israel+romania+relations&pg=PA300 Israeli-Romanian Relations at the End of the Ceausescu Era, Yosef Govrin]

In an article in the Israel Journal for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Avi Millo described how, during his posting (1996-2001), he hosted many dignitaries including the then prime minister, Professor Radu Vasile, at his residence in Bucharest. He served traditional Jewish cuisine to his Romanian guests and used it to teach them about Israeli culture. These meals, he stressed, facilitated conversation, trust, and enhanced the relationship between Israel and Romania.{{Cite journal |last=Millo |first=Avi |date=2022-07-25 |title=Why a Kosher Meal is a Diplomatic Asset |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23739770.2022.2088939 |journal=Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs |volume=16 |issue=2 |pages=261–266 |doi=10.1080/23739770.2022.2088939 |s2cid=251081876 |issn=2373-9770|url-access=subscription }}

In 2010, Israeli President Shimon Peres visited Romania and met with several Romanian leaders, among them President Traian Basescu, Senate leader Mircea Geoana and House Speaker Roberta Anastase. They discussed cooperation in the areas of defense, technology, education, business and tourism, and signed two agreements.[http://setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2010/08/16/feature-01 Israeli president hails partnership with Romania]

In 2014, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta arrived in Israel and met with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.{{Cite web|url=http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Peres-greets-Romanian-premier-in-Jerusalem-prior-to-China-trip-347654|title=Peres greets Romanian premier in Jerusalem prior to China trip|website=The Jerusalem Post|first=Greer Fay|last=Cashman|date=6 April 2014 |access-date=2016-03-10}}{{Cite web|url=http://gov.ro/en/news/statements-by-pm-victor-ponta-on-his-return-from-the-visit-in-israel|title=Statements by PM Victor Ponta on his return from the visit in Israel|website=Guvernul României|access-date=2016-03-10}}{{Cite web|url=http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/2014/Pages/PM-Netanyahu-welcomes-Romanian-PM-Ponta-24-Jun-2014.aspx|title=PM Netanyahu welcomes Romanian PM Ponta 24 Jun 2014|website=GxMSDev|access-date=2016-03-10}}

In March 2016, Romanian President Klaus Werner Iohannis arrived in Israel and met with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, and other officials. They discussed terrorism, and Holocaust remembrance.{{Cite web|url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Romanian-President-pledges-solidarity-with-Israel-against-terrorism-anti-Semitism-447109|title=Romanian President pledges solidarity with Israel against terrorism, anti-Semitism|website=The Jerusalem Post|first=Greer Fay|last=Cashman|date=7 March 2016 |access-date=2016-03-10}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/353422#.VuFCFX195D8|title=Romanian President Klaus Werner Iohannis visits Israel - Latest News Briefs - Arutz Sheva|website=Arutz Sheva|date=6 March 2016 |access-date=2016-03-10}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.romania-insider.com/president-wants-holocaust-museum-in-romania/166535/|title=President wants Holocaust Museum in Romania|website=Romania-Insider.com|access-date=2016-03-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427173844/http://www.romania-insider.com/president-wants-holocaust-museum-in-romania/166535/|archive-date=2016-04-27|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/diplomacy-defense/105348-160307-israeli-romanian-presidents-seek-to-intensify-cooperation-between-countries|title=Israeli, Romanian presidents seek to intensify cooperation between countries|website=i24news|language=en-US|access-date=2016-03-10}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=32297|title=Romanian president vows to fight to stamp out anti-Semitism - Israel Hayom|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|access-date=}}{{Cite web|url=http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/2016/Pages/Romanian-President-Klaus-Iohannis-on-state-visit-to-Israel-7-Mar-2016.aspx|title=Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on state visit to Israel 7 Mar 2016|website=GxMSDev|access-date=2016-03-10}}

In April 2018, Romania announced that it would move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.{{Cite web|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/244704|title=Romania to relocate embassy to Jerusalem|website=Israel National News|date=19 April 2018 |language=en|access-date=2018-04-19}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-romania-advances-proposal-to-move-embassy-to-jerusalem-1.6012888|title=Defying EU Policy, Romania Advances Proposal to Move Embassy to Jerusalem|last=Landau|first=Noa|date=2018-04-19|work=Haaretz|access-date=2018-04-19|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/romania-begins-process-for-possible-move-of-its-embassy-to-jerusalem/|title=Romania begins process for possible move of its embassy to Jerusalem|work=The Times of Israel|first=Raphael|last=Ahren|access-date=2018-04-19|language=en-US}}

On 17 October 2023, Romanian social-democratic Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu was the first foreign leader to visit Israel after the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.{{cite web |date=17 October 2023 |title=Presa israeliană: Marcel Ciolacu, primul lider politic care vizitează Israelul de la începutul războiului |url=https://www.g4media.ro/presa-israeliana-marcel-ciolacu-primul-lider-politic-care-viziteaza-israelul-de-la-inceputul-razboiului.html}}{{cite web | url=https://www.agerpres.ro/romania-in-lume/2023/10/17/marcel-ciolacu-primul-sef-de-guvern-care-viziteaza-israelul-dupa-inceperea-conflictului-in-fasia-gaza--1187904 | title=Marcel Ciolacu, primul şef de guvern care vizitează Israelul după începerea conflictului în | date=17 October 2023 }}

In June 2024, a Syrian man threw a Molotov cocktail at the Israeli embassy in Bucharest. There were no victims.{{cite web|url=https://www.cotidianul.ro/atac-la-ambasada-israelului-din-bucuresti |title=Atac la Ambasada Israelului din București|website=Cotidianul |date=2024-06-04}}{{cite web|url=https://stirileprotv.ro/stiri/actualitate/incident-grav-la-ambasada-israelului-la-bucuresti-trupele-antitero-ale-serviciului-roman-de-informatii-au-intervenit.html|title=Incident grav la Ambasada Israelului la București. Trupele antitero ale Serviciului Român de Informații au intervenit|website=PRO TV |date=2024-06-04}}{{cite web | url=https://observatornews.ro/eveniment/filmul-atacului-de-la-ambasada-israelului-agresorul-este-un-sirian-care-a-ajuns-in-romania-in-2017-ca-refugiat-579191.html | title=Filmul atacului de la Ambasada Israelului. Agresorul este un sirian care a ajuns în România în 2017, ca refugiat }}

Israel and Romania trade is also influenced by the EU - Israel Free Trade Agreement from 1995.https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/policy/eu-isr-fta/he/sahar-hutz_agreements_euro-fta-agri-2010-en.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=May 2025}}https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/policy/eu-isr-fta/he/sahar-hutz_agreements_euro-fta-agreement-en.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=May 2025}} Israel is considered by Romania to be the biggest trade partner in the area of Africa and the Middle East.{{cite web | url=https://telaviv.mae.ro/en/node/395 | title=Economic relations | EMBASSY OF ROMANIA to the State of Israel }}

Israel and Romania allows the citizens of each other to visit without visa since 2008.{{Citation |title=Fourth Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on certain third countries' maintenance of visa requirements in breach of the principle of reciprocity in accordance with Article 1(5) of Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement, as amended by Regulation (EC) No 851/2005 as regards the reciprocity mechanism |date=2008 |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:52008DC0486R(01) |access-date=2025-01-15 |language=en}} Both countries are considered popular travel destination with many flights per day.{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Hungarian budget airline expands routes from Israel to Europe |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/hungarian-budget-airline-expands-routes-from-israel-to-europe/ |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.timesofisrael.com |language=en-US}}

• Israel has an embassy in Bucharest.
• Romania has an embassy in Tel Aviv and a consulate-general in Haifa.

• Emigration of Jews from Romania
• Foreign relations of Israel
• Foreign relations of Romania
• History of the Jews in Romania
• List of ambassadors of Romania to Israel

{{reflist}}

• [http://bucharest.mfa.gov.il/mfm/web/main/missionhome.asp?LanguageID=0&Question2=&MissionID=57&MissionID= Israeli embassy in Bucharest]
• [http://telaviv.mae.ro/index.php?lang=en Romanian embassy in Tel Aviv] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304025018/http://telaviv.mae.ro/index.php?lang=en |date=2016-03-04 }}
• [https://www.mae.ro/en/romanian-missions/50686 Romanian consulate general in Haifa]

{{Foreign relations of Israel}}

{{Foreign relations of Romania}}

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Romania

Category:Bilateral relations of Romania