(Photos by Janna Marie Pineda/PIA-NCR)
Sixty-seven years ago, the Philippines and Israel started its diplomatic relations through various opportunities of humanitarian support, and formally solidified it through a signing of the Treaty of Friendship on February 26, 1958.
The relationship started in 1938 when President Manuel Quezon welcomed more than 1,000 Jewish refugees escaping World War II and holocaust in Germany. It further blossomed in November 1947, when the Philippines was the only Asian country who supported the creation of the State of Israel.
This special bond between the two nations emerged and eventually bore fruits of collaborative innovations that benefited both Israelis and Filipinos.
To celebrate and commemorate the 67th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries, the Embassy of Israel, led by His Excellency (H.E.) Ambassador Ilan Fluss planted 67 trees at the San Francisco High School, Bagong Bantay, Quezon City, which indicates a profound bond that unites the people of the two nations.
The trees planted were a mix of santol, molave and avocado trees.
In his message, H.E. Fluss shared the journey of the friendly ties between the Philippines and Israel, highlighting the symbolism of trees in the celebration.
“Each one represents a year of friendship between our countries. It continues to grow and flourish, providing shade, beauty and life for generations to come,” he said.
Also one of the highlights of the event was the four trees dedicated to the four Filipino caregivers, namely Grace Cabrera, Loreta Alacre, Paul Castelvi, Angelyn Aguirre, who died in the course of the conflict between the Israeli Government and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
“I want us to remember those four victims. To pray for the souls, and to give a message to the families and to the Filipino people that we are standing here together as one and we’ll not forget,” Fluss said.
“In Israeli culture, they commemorate someone who died by planting a tree,” he added.
“After they were killed, I went personally and visited the wakes and the families in order to give them the message that they are joining a very big family in Israel,” he shared.
Ambassador Fluss also shared that immediate family members of the four victims are getting support from the Israeli Government for life. (PIA-NCR)
