The Romanian Patriarchate’s Representation to the Holy Places is providing assistance to Romanian pilgrims currently in Israel, amid heightened security tensions and the temporary closure of the country’s airspace.
The situation deteriorated on Friday morning, when air raid sirens were activated and several rockets launched from Iran were intercepted by defense systems, according to Agerpres.
“We have a group of Romanian pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Roman and Bacău who have been staying with us at the church,” Archimandrite Ioan Meiu, the Romanian Patriarchate’s representative to the Holy Places, told Basilica.ro.
“We have handled the necessary formalities together with the Romanian Embassy and Consulate in the Holy Land.”
Material and Spiritual Support
Archimandrite Ioan Meiu said the Patriarchate’s Representation is offering both material and spiritual support to pilgrims in the area.
“We are providing pilgrims with everything they need — water, tea, coffee, and food. We have strengthened them in prayer so they do not become frightened,” he said.
“We have also given them phone numbers and contact details for officials at the Romanian Consulate and Embassy, who are assisting Romanian pilgrims and tourists in this situation and providing updates regarding the reopening of airspace and the availability of flights back to Romania.”
“We hope that once the airspace reopens, all Romanians currently in the Holy Land — pilgrims and tourists alike — will be able to return home safely,” he added.
Heightened Alert
Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) has raised its travel advisory for Israel to “avoid all travel,” citing recent security developments in the Middle East, according to Mediafax.
The ministry advises Romanian citizens currently in Israel to strictly follow the instructions of local authorities, particularly regarding air raid alerts and shelter procedures, and to rely exclusively on official sources of information.
For consular assistance, Romanian nationals may contact the Romanian Embassy in Tel Aviv at +972 545 643 279 or the Romanian Consulate General in Haifa at +972 543 998 038. The MAE also recommends registering one’s presence in Israel through an online form.
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