President Isaac Herzog received the credentials Tuesday of the new ambassadors of Australia, the Philippines, El Salvador, South Korea, and Türkiye in a series of official ceremonies at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.
The incoming ambassadors were welcomed by the IDF Orchestra playing their respective national anthems and they inspected an IDF honor guard in the Ceremonial Plaza, after which they presented their letters of credence to the President in the Great Hall. The President held an audience with each ambassador, after which each ambassador signed the guest book. At the end of each ceremony, the Israeli national anthem was played.
The first ambassador to present his letters of credence to the President was the Ambassador of the Commonwealth of Australia, H.E. Dr. Ralph Peter King, formerly Australia’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Kuwait. “Australia is an immense friend of the State of Israel,” said the President. “I am very grateful for Australia’s support of Israel’s position in so many international forums.” The Australian Ambassador added that he intends to work to promote trade and reciprocal tourism, to maintain Australia’s support for Israel in international forums, and to prevent it from being singled out, emphasizing the promotion of long-term peace.
The second ambassador to present his letters of credence to the President was the Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines, H.E. Mr. Pedro Laylo. The President thanked the Ambassador for the dedication of Filipino care workers in Israel, calling them “guardian angels.”
The third ambassador to present his letters of credence to the President was the Ambassador of the Republic of El Salvador, H.E. Mr. Milton Eduardo Umaña Acevedo, formerly his country’s consul-general in Miami, Florida. The President and the Ambassador discussed the importance of deepening Israeli-El Salvadorian ties in the fields of agriculture and tourism.
The fourth ambassador to present his letters of credence to the President was Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, H.E. Mr. Kim Jin-Han, a former intelligence official. The President and the Ambassador discussed the role played by the President’s uncle, Foreign Minister Abba Eban, in the diplomatic resolution of the Korean War. President Herzog and the Korean Ambassador discussed several issues including reciprocal trade. At the end, they raised a toast and the Ambassador of Korea said, “Am Yisrael Chai!”
The last ambassador to present his letters of credence was the Ambassador of Türkiye, H.E. Mr. Şakir Özkan Torunlar. The ceremony comes around ten months after the President’s historic State Visit to Türkiye at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in March 2022. Ambassador Torunlar, formerly Türkiye’s consul-general in Jerusalem and ambassador to India, was appointed by President Erdoğan to the role of Ambassador to the State of Israel following the announcement of the restoration of full diplomatic relations between Israel and Türkiye.
In his remarks, the President underscored the importance of relations between Israel and Türkiye, noting Türkiye’s significant role in the region. The President also conveyed an invitation for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to visit Israel.