Herzog to receive credentials from six new ambassadors

Envoys from Estonia, Latvia, the EU, South Sudan, Zambia, and New Zealand to meet the president ahead of Rosh Hashanah.

Six new ambassadors will present their letters of credence to President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday.

They include Andres Vosman of Estonia, Gints Serafinovics of Latvia, Michael Anthony Mann of the EU, Mou Mou Ring of South Sudan, Mahuba Wesley Hazemba of Zambia, and non-resident ambassador Greg Lewis of New Zealand.

This will be the final group of new ambassadors before Rosh Hashanah. Their presence at a time when Israeli diplomacy is being buffeted in a stormy sea of criticism and animosity is proof that, despite widespread disapproval of Israel’s policies and activities in Gaza, most world leaders and their governments believe in the importance of maintaining diplomatic relations with Israel.

Each of the ambassadors will have a private audience with the president. Every one of them will be greeted by a military honor guard and the playing of their country’s national anthem.

Of the six countries whose envoys will present their credentials on Tuesday, New Zealand has the longest relationship with both the Land of Israel and the State of Israel.

New Zealand’s and Australia’s forces, which were formerly closely associated with the British Army, were instrumental in defeating the Turkish (Ottoman) army in 1917.

Then, New Zealand voted in favor of the partition of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in November 1947, gave de facto recognition to Israel in 1949, and de jure recognition in 1950.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of an Israeli embassy in Wellington, but New Zealand does not have an embassy in Israel. Traditionally, its ambassador to Turkey, where it does have an embassy, is also accredited to Israel.

Nevertheless, there is an honorary New Zealand consulate in Tel Aviv.

History of Israel-Zambia relations

Zambia, which does have an embassy in Tel Aviv, is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its opening this year. The country initially established diplomatic relations with Israel in 1966, but following the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Zambia severed relations on the recommendation of the Organization of African Unity. Relations were restored in 1991.

Ties with countries that were part of the Soviet bloc were restored or established in the first half of the 1990s, following the fall of the Iron Curtain.