B’nai B’rith World Center chairman Dr. Haim V. Katz and director Alan Schneider meet in Jerusalem on February 19 with the President of the Romanian Parliament Mr. Valeriu Zgonea on his first visit to Israel.
Other members of the Romania delegation included Mr. Gabriel Vlase, Chairman of the Romanian parliamentary friendship group with the State of Israel and Head of the Romanian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Mrs. Alina Gorghiu, leader of the National Liberal Party and de facto opposition leader, Chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania Mr. Aurel Vainer, Romania’s ambassador to Israel Mrs. Andreea Pastarnac and Israel’s ambassador-designate to Romania Tamar Catarivas Samash.
Topics discussed included: B’nai B’rith’s long history in Romania (from 1888) and current activity there; tolerance and Holocaust-denial legislation in Romania; the good bilateral relations between Romania and Israel;Romania’s position in multilateral organizations on Middle East issues.
In a subsequent letter to the World Center Zgonea noted that “the leadership and the members of the Chamber of Deputies value the special relation with the State of Israel and stand ready to further develop it. It was a great satisfaction for us to approach issues of main importance for all of us during our talks. At the same time, I would like to reassure you of our commitment to support measures aimed at improving both the security of the citizens and the culture of tolerance.”
Other members of the Romania delegation included Mr. Gabriel Vlase, Chairman of the Romanian parliamentary friendship group with the State of Israel and Head of the Romanian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Mrs. Alina Gorghiu, leader of the National Liberal Party and de facto opposition leader, Chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania Mr. Aurel Vainer, Romania’s ambassador to Israel Mrs. Andreea Pastarnac and Israel’s ambassador-designate to Romania Tamar Catarivas Samash.
Topics discussed included: B’nai B’rith’s long history in Romania (from 1888) and current activity there; tolerance and Holocaust-denial legislation in Romania; the good bilateral relations between Romania and Israel;Romania’s position in multilateral organizations on Middle East issues.
In a subsequent letter to the World Center Zgonea noted that “the leadership and the members of the Chamber of Deputies value the special relation with the State of Israel and stand ready to further develop it. It was a great satisfaction for us to approach issues of main importance for all of us during our talks. At the same time, I would like to reassure you of our commitment to support measures aimed at improving both the security of the citizens and the culture of tolerance.”
