PM Dancila announces in the US the relocation of Romanian Embassy to Jerusalem. Romanian citizenship for the Jews who left communist Romania

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila has announced on Sunday, during the visit paid to the US, that after completing the analysis and in full consensus, Romania will relocate the Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The announcement was made during a speech at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), ziare.com informs.

“I am delighted to announce today, in front of the AIPAC audience, that after the completing of the analysis by all constitutional players involved in the decision-making process in my country, and in full consensus, that I, as Prime Minister of Romania and the Government I lead, will relocate the Romanian Embassy to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel,” Dancila said. The Premier argues that the Government has initiated this assessment process in terms of opportunity after the United States decided on this issue.

Dancila said about the decision made by US President Donald Trump to relocate the Embassy to Jerusalem as being ‘admirable and courageous.’

The relocation of Romanian Embassy to Jerusalem was a tensed topic last year between PSD and President Klaus Iohannis.

The initial announcement was made by social-democrat leader Liviu Dragnea, who said the Government adopted a memorandum whereby it is decided to start the procedures for the relocation of the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

President Klaus Iohannis attempted to talk by phone with PM Dancila, but she did not answer on the spot, but much later.

The Presidency reacted at the time: “The President of Romania represents the sovereign state, which means that he leads the state in terms of foreign policy. (…) The issue of relocating the Romanian Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is not a technical topic, it is a foreign policy decision with important implications.”

President Iohannis mentioned that the UN asks the member states to abstain from establishing diplomatic missions in Jerusalem and to intensify the international efforts for a lasting, comprehensive and just peace in the Middle East.

On April 25, 2018, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila has a meeting with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, during a visit paid to Israel. Netanyahu hailed the decision of the Romanian Government to relocate the Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Later on, due to the internal disputes regarding the relocation, the Israeli Prime Minister has twice cancelled the visit scheduled to Romania.

PM also heralds important decisions for Jews who left communist Romania

PM Dancila also underlined that she is firmly committed to contributing to an ever closer relationship of Israel with the European Union.

At the same time, the Romanian premier announced that the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies (Romania’s lower chamber of Parliament), Liviu Dragnea, would promote three important laws for the Jewish community, such as the one granting the Romanian citizenship for the Jews who left the country during the communist regime, and also a law to grant pensions for the Holocaust survivors.

“The speaker of the Chamber of Deputies in Romania’s Parliament asked me to tell you he will promote in Parliament in the upcoming period, three very important laws for the Jewish community in my country and in the world. The first law refers to granting the Romanian citizenship to all Romanian-born Jews who were forced to give up the Romanian citizenship when they left Romania under the communist regime,” Dancila said.

Secondly, the Romanian PM announced granting compensations and special pensions for the Holocaust survivors in Romania, as a sign of respect and appreciation for their suffering.

Thirdly, there is a law allowing the access for the experts of the Jewish Communities Federation in Romania to the state archives, in order to find the truth on their past during the inter-war period.