A personal gesture combined with a clear diplomatic message stood at the center of the opening ceremony of the Israel-Albania Chamber of Commerce, held opposite the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City. The Governor of Binyamin and Chairman of the Yesha Council, Yisrael Ganz, presented Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama with a unique gift: a work of art based on one of Rama’s own well-known creations, integrated with the symbol of the Tribe of Benjamin, the wolf. The Albanian prime minister also received a pin bearing the wolf symbol of Binyamin.
The ceremony was attended by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Minister of Transportation Miri Regev, Minister of Economy Eli Cohen, Minister of Environmental Protection Idit Silman, Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu, Member of Knesset Ariel Busso, and many other dignitaries, alongside senior figures from Israel’s diplomatic and economic sectors.
Prime Minister Rama was visibly moved by the gesture and thanked Ganz for the gift. In his remarks, he emphasized that Albania, a Muslim-majority country in Europe, has maintained a deep connection with the Jewish people for centuries. “We have a close relationship with the Jewish people, from the Middle Ages, through the rescue of Jews during the Holocaust, and until today," Rama said. He noted that Albania is the only country in Europe currently engaged in establishing new Jewish institutions, adding humorously: “I love Israel so much that maybe, over the generations, I even have Jewish blood."
The Albanian prime minister called for strengthening and deepening economic ties between the two countries and for removing bureaucratic barriers. “We must deepen our economic cooperation. I look forward to continuing our joint work," he said.
In his address, Yisrael Ganz connected symbolism with values and policy. “In the Bible it is written about Benjamin, ‘Benjamin, beloved of God,’" he said. “The symbol of Binyamin is the wolf, and as we know, wolves live in packs. We are proud to be your friends, friends of Albania - a pack of strength and power." Ganz stressed that economic connections and international cooperation are a strategic interest of Israel, and of Binyamin in particular, noting that economic development and the creation of partnerships are the key to stability and prosperity in Judea and Samaria and throughout the region.
In Binyamin, the opening of the Chamber of Commerce and the deepening of ties with Albania are seen as an important pillar in a broader policy aimed at strengthening Israel’s economic relations on the international stage. The connection with a Muslim country in Europe, grounded in a past of moral courage and shared values and guided by mutual interests in the present, is viewed as a move with wide diplomatic and economic potential for Israel, for Binyamin, and for the entire region.