Our mission held, on June 25th in Luanda, the Solemn Ceremony commemorating the 76th anniversary of the Independence of the State of Israel.
The act was witnessed by distinguished members of the Angolan Government, the diplomatic corps accredited in Angola, religious leaders, businesspeople, the Israeli community residing in Angola and individuals from Angolan civil society.
The celebration took place at the António Agostinho Neto Memorial, where Ambassador Shimon Solomon gave the opening speech, as well as prayers in memory of the victims of the terrorist attack of October 7, 2023 and in favor of the Israeli citizens taken hostage by Hamas in Gaza, as well as as well as other cultural attractions, including an exhibition with Israel's main potential. In his speech, the ambassador reiterated his regret for the tragedy, but highlighted the fact that, in parallel with the terror, the Israelis demonstrated “incredible resilience”, where the impact This positive result allowed our economy to grow 14% in the first half of this year. , thanks to the sectors where Israel is a world leader, agriculture, technology, cybernetics, health, education and other sectors. Next, our diplomat highlighted the historic friendly relations between Israel and Angola, marked by the visit of the late former president of Angola , José Eduardo dos Santos, to Israel, in 2005, followed by numerous reciprocal trips by members of the governments of both countries, as well as the large number of Angolans who visit Israel annually, mainly for religious tourism, but not only. He said that the Jewish community is active and sees Angola as a country full of opportunities, which is why the country welcomes important Jewish companies that operate in various sectors and that contribute to economic development and growth. “I am sure that the above-mentioned initiatives , together with our continued commitment to strong bilateral relations, will guarantee a better future for our countries and for all our future generations”, said our diplomat at the end of the speech, which was very emotional and well received by those present. The cultural attractions were presented by OSIA: Angolan Symphony Orchestra and Banda Loyehi – Fundação Arte e Cultura. We thank those present and everyone who together celebrates Israel's 76th anniversary at this particularly difficult time.
Luanda, Angola