Israeli Ambassador in Bucharest: Success of extremist party in Parliament should not be ignored

The success in Parliament of a party with extremist views, with some of its members denying the Holocaust, should not be ignored, said on Thursday, the Israeli Ambassador in Bucharest, David Saranga, who voiced his hope that the first candle lit on the occasion of the Hanukkah holiday will drive away the hatred between people and be one of hope and peace. The diplomat pointed out that this year's ceremony to light the first Hanukkah candle takes place in a small setting due to the pandemic, near a symbolic place, the University Square in Bucharest, where Romanians fought 31 years ago to remove the darkness that had engulfed the country. 'We are together tonight to remove the darkness. In fact, this is the significance of the Hanukkah Feast, a special holiday for the Jewish people. It reminds us of the liberation of the Temple in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. (...) Freedom and democracy have been paid for with lives. A few days ago, the Romanian parliamentary elections took place, and I would like to congratulate the Romanian authorities on their efforts to ensure a democratic process, even in times of pandemic. But the success of a party with extremist views, with some of its members denying the Holocaust, should not be ignored. A party where some members support the legionary movement must not be underestimated, on the contrary, we must follow their speech carefully. For us, the Jewish people, tolerance is one of the most important values, and our history has been marked by persecution, suffering, and tragedy. However, we will look closely at the political and social evolution of this formation. Our expectation is that the Romanian society will remain equally vigilant,' underlined David Saranga. The ambassador added that he knows very well the constant efforts that the Romanian authorities are making in the fight against anti-Semitism, xenophobia and intolerance. 'We are confident that the Romanian authorities will act when there are extremist manifestations. History must not repeat itself. The Hanukkah holiday reminds us that light removes darkness, but we still need to defend our freedom. And if we keep talking about light, yesterday, the first doses of COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Israel. Romania will also soon begin vaccination, and this moment that we have been waiting for almost a year is the light that will remove the darkness of this pandemic. I wish the light of the first candle which we are now lighting may be the light that casts away the shadows of hatred from within us, may it be the light that brings us closer and that strengthens the dialogue between people, hope and peace,' said Ambassador Saranga. The ceremony, which took place at the National Theater, was attended by interim Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, General mayor of Bucharest Nicusor Dan, the director of National Theater, Ion Caramitru, Tova Ben Nun-Cherbis - president of the Lauder-Reut Educational Complex, representatives of Parliament officials. AGERPRES (RO - author: Catalina Matei, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Simona Iacob, editor: Razvan-Adrian Pandea)