International Diplomats Hosted For Rosh Hashanah (Photo Essay)

By BJLIfe/Sharon Altshul
Posted on 09/02/21

Jerusalem, Israel - Sept. 2, 2021  - President Isaac Herzog and Michal Herzog hosted their first annual New Year reception for foreign diplomats stationed in Israel, at Beit Hanasi in Jerusalem, Israel, on Thursday afternoon prior to Rosh Hashanah.

In attendance were approximately 100 ambassadors and heads of missions, including the new envoys of Bahrain and Morocco, as well as representatives of the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, China, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Egypt, Kosovo, Nepal, and Thailand.

The reception was attended by Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, Deputy Foreign Minister Idan Roll, and the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Zambian ambassador Martin Mwanambale who spoke to the seated diplomats after the reception in the garden. A new feature of the annual red-carpet gathering with the Israeli President was the receiving line and opportunity for individual photos and handshake with the Israeli President. 

In his speech, President Herzog thanked the foreign diplomats for their work strengthening the ties of peace and friendship between Israel and their nations.

After reviewing his family history serving as Israeli diplomats, President Herzog called on the assembled ambassadors to join the nations that have already announced a boycott of the Durban IV Conference. It is the twentieth anniversary of the infamous 2001 Durban Conference, the U.N.-sponsored "World Conference Against Racism" which descended into manifestations of anti-Israel bigotry and antisemitism.

"Antisemitism is rearing its ugly head, and we find ourselves facing this ancient hate, which should itself have turned into a ‘fossilized relic’ long ago," said President Herzog. "Instead the United Nations is summoning another 'Durban conference' which will surely be another hate-fest full of antisemitism and Israel-bashing. I call on all your nations and governments to publicly denounce this conference and not participate in it."

President Herzog spoke of the urgency of international cooperation and diplomacy, especially in the context of the fight against climate change, and called for "courageous and sometimes painful steps to mitigate this danger with a universal, global approach."

President Herzog praised Arab-Israeli normalization accords and told the diplomats: "This is a paradigm shift that advocates of peace would be wise to leverage." He added: "A core theme of the Jewish New Year is the ability afforded to each of us to choose between good and evil, between a sweet new year—and a bitter one. In the coming year, the Middle East will face two of these two alternatives, of good or evil. The first choice, represented by the courageous leaders of the countries of the Abraham Accords, is the path of peace, of people-to-people ties, and of cooperation. The State of Israel will always be a willing partner for all countries in the region that choose the path of peace.

"The second choice, that of evil, which continues to plague our region, is that of hatred, incitement, and terror. And the State of Israel will always stand firm against those in the region that choose the path of war."

Finally, in the spirit of Rosh Hashanah, President Herzog added: "On Rosh Hashanah, Jewish families around the world will recite a special blessing over a pomegranate, hoping that their good deeds may be as plentiful as the seeds of this fruit. If I might offer an Israeli variation on this theme—May the State of Israel and your countries find as many avenues for cooperation as the seeds of the pomegranate. May we find as many shared solutions for our challenges as the seeds of the pomegranate. And may our friendship remain as sweet as the apple we dip in honey."

Following the formal program, where Lapid told the audience that people like him because his speeches are short, and it was, the diplomats were invited outside for a glass of wine to raise for a l'chaim and a bit of apple in honey. 

Last year President Reuven Rivlin hosted the annual event online due to the coronavirus pandemic. At the reception today, diplomats were able to exchange business cards and meet and speak. 

Masks were mandatory inside the main hall reception room, where the floor gleamed after a summer cleaning. As usual, the cars with diplomatic license plates were lined up as the event drew to a close, and wishes for a good new year were exchanged.