The Samaria Regional Council continues its advocacy activities around the world and this morning (Monday), the head of the Samaria Council, Yossi Dagan, had a meeting with the leading candidate for the presidency of Romania, George Simion, who heads the Romanian AUR party.
The meeting was held in the presence of Israel's ambassador to Romania Reuven Ezer and with the approval of Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in light of the party's clear statement that it will fight anti-Semitism.
In a historic statement, Simion publicly acknowledged responsibility for the Holocaust of Romanian Jews, promised to fight anti-Semitism, and officially announced support for the Jewish people's historic right to build and live in Judea and Samaria.
The meeting comes after more than six months of talks and informal meetings. In the secret of the contacts throughout the entire period, Yossi Dagan was by his side, and was active in the matter, former MK Michael Kleiner, president of the Likud's tribunal and Likud's foreign relations officer.
The AUR party won second place in the polls in the presidential and senate parliamentary elections in Romania and is expected to form the next government. They are a relatively new party that has focused on the war on corruption and is very popular among the Romanian public.
Simion affirmed at the aforementioned meeting the "historical right of the Jewish people to build and live in communities and cities in Judea and Samaria, the cradle of history of the Jewish people since the days of the Bible."
According to him, "We recognize Romania's responsibility for the Holocaust of the Romanian Jews (in the territories controlled by Romania during War World 2), and expressed his deepest regret. He specified that such horrors should never happen again to Jews, Romanians, Gipsy, or any other nations of the world."
He called on his country to adopt the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism and to teach, within the national history subject, the memory of the Holocaust. Dagan invited Simion for a reciprocal visit to Judea and Samaria and Jerusalem and the candidate accepted the invitation.
Dagan stated: "Our war against the spirits of BDS and anti-Semitism will continue everywhere. We thank our friend George Simion, who made it his goal to fight anti-Semitism and to be a strategic partner of the State of Israel and of Judea and Samaria. Romania is the first country in the European Union to have its candidate for the presidency and possibly a ruling party, as well its policy in a clear way to officially support settlement and construction in Judea and Samaria and our hold on the land of Jerusalem. This is the beginning of a change in the European Union."
"The road to a million residents in Samaria goes through obtaining support in the face of all the international pressure and the BDS and terror campaign of the Palestinian Authority and also goes through obtaining legitimacy in the war for justice and truth. Romania's membership is strategic for us. We will continue to act to protect the State of Israel from the BDS and explain the Judea and Samaria throughout the world as we have done until now."
Former MK Michael Kleiner added: "The AUR party are the only true friends we have in Romania. It is a party of the young generation that is constantly in flux because it gives hope for change and its trademark is purity of morals. The party is pro-Israeli, and Israel can count on the party both in the European Parliament and in Romania. Anyone who suggests turning their backs on her due to false slanders by political opponents who fear her sabotages a vital interest of the State of Israel. We don't have so many friends in Europe that we can give up those who reach out to us and support our position without reservation. The fact that this party has clear positions against anti-Semitism and in favor of perpetuating Holocaust studies - contrary to what is said about them - has enormous weight."