On Tuesday, 20 January 2026, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania received Israel’s Ambassador to Bucharest, Lior Ben Dor, at the Patriarchal Residence. The ambassador was accompanied by Erez Golan, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Israel in Bucharest.
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel expressed his joy at meeting the ambassador again and praised His Excellency’s diplomatic efforts.
The Patriarch also stressed the importance of expanding pilgrimages by Romanian Orthodox Christians to the Holy Land, especially to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, describing them as a means of spiritual strengthening for pilgrims from Romania. He also noted that in recent years, an increasing number of Jews living in the Holy Land have travelled to Romania to visit the birthplaces of their parents and grandparents.
The ambassador thanked the Patriarchate for the reception and highlighted the role of pilgrimages to the Holy Land in strengthening friendship and the good relations that exist today between the Romanian and Jewish peoples.
He also referred to the difficult geopolitical situation in the Holy Land and the Middle East, expressing hope for resolving conflicts and a more stable future for the region.
Issued by the Department for Christian Relations, Interreligious Relations and Romanian Communities Abroad
Photo: Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
