“Those who were missing came, those who were extra are leaving.” The situation noted by a historian after Nicușor Dan's announcement regarding the closing of the Russian consulate
The synagogue in Constanța was inaugurated on Friday, and Chief Rabbi Rafael Shaffer was welcomed by Iusuf Murat, the representative of the Muslim Cult in Romania, historian Daniel Citirigă wrote, contrasting the event with the Romanian authorities' decision to close the Consulate General of Russia in Constanța.
“At the inauguration of the Constanța Synagogue, Mufti Iusuf Murat, welcoming the chief rabbi Rafael Shaffer, the latter telling the representative of the Muslim Cult in Romania that he hopes to see each other again at the re-inauguration of the window. A few hours later, the announcement came from Cotroceni that the Russian Consulate in Constanța was closing. I would say that those who were missing came to Constanța, and those who were extra are leaving. A historic moment for the city”, Daniel Citirigă wrote on Facebook on Saturday. Daniel Citirigă is the dean of the Faculty of History and Political Sciences at “Ovidius” University in Constanța.
Romania closes the Russian Consulate
“The Consul General of the Russian Federation in Constanța has been declared persona non grata and the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Constanța will be closed”, President Nicușor Dan announced on Friday, following the meeting in which the Supreme Council of Defense of the Country analyzed the incident in Galați, where a drone fell on a residential block on the night of Thursday to Friday.
The decision of the authorities in Bucharest “will be followed by response measures”, threatened the Russian embassy, in a statement questioning the Russian origin of the drone.
The interim Minister of Defense, Radu Miruță, categorically rejected the speculations regarding the origin of the aircraft.
“We invite those in Russia who believe that there are details that would make this drone not Russian, starting tomorrow, to come to the headquarters of the General Directorate of Military Intelligence, where they will look for their serial number on products manufactured in Russia. I understand this induced fog around Russia's aggression against Ukraine, but what was found there is, based on the series of the respective components, undoubtedly a Russian-made product,” he said on Friday evening, in a press conference at the Ministry of Defense.
The Israelite Temple in Constanța was inaugurated on Friday
The Singagoga was officially re-inaugurated on Friday, an “incredible moment especially for the history of the city and for everything that means the culture and history of the city of Constanța”, as described by the director of the State Theater of Constanța, Erwin Șimșensohn, quoted by Radio Romania Constanța.
Mufti Iusuf Murat said that the moment is “historic for Dobrogea, for what is being done in the Dobrogean space”.
“The Great Synagogue is part of the cultural heritage of Dobrogea, part of the Romanian national heritage. For us, as Muslims, it is a matter of pride that a place of worship is being inaugurated that was rehabilitated with the funds from the CNI. We hope that, in the shortest possible time, we will also start repairs at the Carol I Royal Mosque,” said the representative of the Muslim Cult in Romania.
