Israel’s first ambassador to Hungary in 25 years held a farewell news conference here Tuesday.
Shlomo Marom is leaving after a three-and-a-half-year tour of duty that witnessed Hungary’s peaceful transition from a Communist to a democratic society.
Born in Budapest, Marom was Israel’s first diplomatic representative here since the Communist regime severed ties with Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War.
He was a popular figure, appearing often on Hungarian television. During the Persian Gulf War, he was in great demand as a Middle East expert.
Marom’s successor is David Kraus, retired Israeli police chief, who, like Marom, is of Hungarian origin and speaks the language fluently.
The two envoys will meet in Vienna next week to compare notes.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.