Ambassador Sachs’ goodbye: “Italy will always be part of me”

By Pagine Ebraiche staff

Ofer Sachs’ mandate as Israel ambassador in Italy, who has been in charge since 2016, is coming to an end. In a message spread on social media, he reflected about his time working as embassador, marked by many meaningful moments: “Three years of hard challenges, numerous successes and official visits of great relevance”, he underlined, recalling the mission of Reuven Rivlin in Italy and that of his counterpart Sergio Mattarella in Israel.

One reason of pride is the great number of delegations created in the academic, scientific, entrepreneurial and cultural fields, which have made “the thousand faces of Israel” known. So much has been done, he said, “and so much is yet to be done”. Sachs recalled the celebrations for 70th anniversary of Israel’s independence and for the relationship between the two countries. He admitted that he will leave with “conflicting” feelings. On one side the happiness for going back home, in Israel, while on the other, the sadness for leaving “this wonderful country and many dear friends”. “Italy – he concluded – will always be part of me and my family.”

Journalist Dror Eydar, whose appointment was announced last autumn, is replacing Sachs. Eydar, who writes for the newspaper Israel Hayom, had said on such occasion: “As a history and literature scholar, the privilege of representing the State of Israel in Rome, with the whole diplomatic, national and religious baggage that has been bonding the two countries for thousands of years, gets a special meaning. Just as I have done as a journalist and in other roles in Israel and all around the world, I will do my best to devote all my energies and knowledge on representing Israel faithfully and courageously.”

Translated by Rachele Ferin with the help of Mattia Stefani, students at the Advanced School for Interpreters and Translators of Trieste University, interns at the newspaper office of the Union of the Italian Jewish Communities.