Israel opened an embassy in Moldova, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on Tuesday.
“I am proud that the first embassy I opened as foreign minister is the one in Moldova,” Sa’ar said. “This is a historic milestone and an important step in strengthening our relations. After Hamas’s murderous attack on October 7, the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust, Moldova stood by us. They condemned Hamas’s vicious barbarity and clearly recognized Israel’s fundamental right to self-defense.”
Sa’ar met with his Moldovan counterpart, Mihai Popsoi, who also serves as deputy prime minister for his country, at the embassy’s opening.
The minister said in late December he was planning to open an embassy in the country as a response to the embassy they had closed in Ireland due to the country’s controversial relationship with antisemitism.
Sa’ar said last year that his decision was motivated by Moldova’s strong support of Israel and mentioned that the country, “ranked 22nd in voting support for Israel, repeatedly asked why we hadn’t opened an embassy there.”
Dark history of Jews in Moldova
At the opening, Sa’ar said, “Israel supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova. Israel considers Moldova an important member of Europe. Moldova is a friendly country to Israel. Our policy will be to strengthen relations with our friends. We are upgrading our relationship today and doing so with great joy.”
Sa’ar went on to reference the pogroms that occurred in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, in 1903 by the Russian Empire, known as the Kishinev pogrom, which saw dozens of Jews murdered by Russian pogromists.
“The name Chisinau is etched in Jewish memory,” Sa’ar said. “We have not forgotten the pogroms that took place here in 1903 against the Jews who lived here then. We have not forgotten what happened here during the Holocaust. We will never forget. Because we did not have the ability to defend ourselves – the Jewish people are today a much smaller people than they could have been.
“We have learned the lessons of history. The Jewish people must have the right and the ability to defend themselves! We appreciate the fact that Moldova recognized this painful chapter in our history.”
Sa’ar went on to mention his grandfather, who was born in the Moldovan capital back when it was under the control of the Russian Empire only five years after the Kishinev pogrom, and how he emigrated alone to Argentina when he was 18.
Israel recognized Moldovan independence in December 1991, a matter of months after the small Eastern European nation declared independence from the Soviet Union. Official diplomatic relations were established on June 6, 1992, and Moldova opened its Tel Aviv embassy on November 1, 1994.
Moldova has also seen a huge influx of ultra-Orthodox visitors in the past three years as an entry point into Ukraine. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, direct flights to the country have been halted, and Moldova marks a popular destination for those wishing to travel on to Ukraine and visit Jewish heritage sites.
Zvika Klein and Amichai Stein contributed to this report.