- Albania will open a commercial liaison office in Jerusalem, marking a significant enhancement in bilateral relations with Israel.
- Herzog’s recent visit to Albania was the first by an Israeli head of state.
Albania “has shown, again and again, that you stand with the people of Israel as we fight to defend our borders and our civilisation,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog said.
During a meeting in Tirana on Thursday, Prime Minister Edi Rama informed Israeli President Isaac Herzog that Albania will open a commercial liaison office in Jerusalem.
According to Herzog, this move “marks a significant upgrade in the strong relationship between the two nations and represents a symbol of the deep friendship between the two peoples.”
Herzog’s visit to Albania was the first official trip by an Israeli head of state to the predominantly Muslim Balkan country.
“Unfortunately, we are fighting more than one terrorist enemy simultaneously. The trail of blood linking all of the agents of hate is Iran, and its cruel, antisemitic fixation with the destruction of the State of Israel,” Herzog said.
Rama presented Herzog and his delegation with a book of his paintings as a gesture of appreciation and emphasised the importance of freeing the remaining 101 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
“I want to send a very brotherly message to all the parents of the hostages on one hand, expressing the most heartfelt condolences to those who lost their children or loved ones in this horrendous moment, and on the other hand, to wish for the others to embrace their loved ones as soon as possible,” Rama said.
“These images of that day, that very dark day, not just for Israel, but for the whole world, were images that no one should forget,” Rama concluded.
In July, the leading medical journal The Lancet published a report asserting the reported figures for Palestinian fatalities are likely a severe underestimation of the true number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since October 7th. The report concluded that the death toll could exceed 186,000.
The most documented genocide in history and the ongoing live-streaming of barbarism and brutality in Gaza continue as the world observes.
A 2023 census finds that Muslims make up 59% of Albania’s population. Prime Minister Edi Rama has stated his agnostic beliefs on the public record. Nonetheless, he continues to stand on the wrong side of history and against humanity.
We must remember that our Palestinian brothers and sisters need our support now more than ever.
May the oppressed Palestinians be liberated and find justice sooner than we can imagine, Ameen.
