Kosovo speaker of parliament sends warm message to Israel
As two nations agree to establish diplomatic relations, Vjosa Osmani expresses gratitude to Jewish state, citing historical ties between the two peoples
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted a video Monday in which Vjosa Osmani, the speaker of the Kosovo parliament, thanked Israel for recognizing the Republic of Kosovo and expressed hope that the new bond between the two nations would be solidified through parliamentary cooperation.
Standing in front of the Jewish community memorial at the Kosovo Parliament, Osmani said, “Todah Rabah to Israel for recognizing the Republic of Kosovo.”
In a reference to the successful Albanian efforts to protect its Jewish community from the Holocaust, and to Albanian assistance to other Jews who fled from Germany and Austria, she continued, “More than seven decades ago, Albanians in Kosovo had opened their hearts and their homes to the Jewish people to save them from extinction.
“Since then the people of Kosovo and the people of Israel had a special bond, which was at last formalized through the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kosovo and Israel this past week,” Osmani said.
מסר מרגש ודרישת שלום מיו"ר הפרלמנט של קוסובו, עוסמני ויוסה, המדינה המוסלמית הראשונה שתפתח שגרירות בירושלים.
A touching message from Dr. Vjosa Osmani, Speaker of the Parliament of Kosovo, the first Muslim-majority nation to open an Embassy in Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/7LFMUelUTx
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) September 7, 2020
Last week Serbia and Kosovo vowed to open embassies in Jerusalem.
Until now, Kosovo, a predominantly Muslim country, has never before recognized Israel nor has Israel recognized Kosovo.
The warming ties between Israel and the two Balkan nations come after the Trump administration brokered a deal for Israel and the United Arab Emirates to normalize relations.
The deal was followed by the first commercial flight between Israel and the UAE, with neighboring Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to allow such flights to pass through their airspace.
Additional Arab states, including Sudan, Bahrain and Oman, have been identified as countries that may soon also normalize relations with Israel.
The Times of Israel Community.