Israeli Ambassador to Korea Akiva Tor speaks of his four year tenure and experiences in Korea during a farewell reception held at the ambassador's residence in Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Kim Hyun-bin By Kim Hyun-bin As his tenure in Korea draws to a close Aug. 29, Israeli Ambassador to Korea Akiva Tor delivered a heartfelt speech reflecting on his experiences, both professional and personal, over the past four years.
Tor emphasized the challenges and responsibilities of representing Israel on the global stage. "The job of an Israeli diplomat is to make Israel's case in the most truthful and compelling way. Israel is far from perfect.
Israel is certainly not always right, but I believe that Israel is almost always misunderstood," he said at a farewell reception held at the ambassador's residence in Seoul, Tuesday. Despite the challenges, he said that representing his country in Korea was a privilege, "It's been my honor to do my best to present Israel to you, to the Korean government, people and culture. But I felt always very honored to represent Israel, even in the most difficult days and even when we make mistakes.
" Looking ahead, Tor voiced optimism for peace in the Middle East despite the region's ongoing challenges, stating, "Peace will return to our region sooner or later." He emphasized the importance of resolving the conflict with the Palestinians, describing it as "our most important and most troubled relationship." Turning his attention to Korea, the ambassador expressed admiration for the resilience and depth of Korean culture.
"The Korean culture is somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000 years old, and that means that I think that the Korean culture has within it the ability and the strengths to overcome all difficulties," he said. Addressing the challenges faced by modern Korea, including issues like low birthrates and intense competitiveness, he expressed confidence in the country's future. "You'll recover and you'll go back to normal, and Korea will be a huge success within our lifetime," he added.
Reflecting on his departure from Korea, Tor spoke jokingly about returning to a more modest lifestyle in Israel. "We're going back to our middle-class home in a middle-class city called Beit Shemesh, halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. No driver, only one car .
.. but our home is very beautiful.
It opens up into a wheat field, and from there you can see the Beit Jamal Monastery," he said. "It's been a wonderful four years. I think Naomi (spouse) and I both fell in love with Korea, and we will take this experience with us forever.
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