Shalom and farewell, ambassador
At a farewell party he hosted earlier this month, Australia’s outgoing ambassador to Israel Chris Cannan said Israel was “a hard place to leave”.
CHRIS Cannan has officially returned to Canberra after spending more than three years as Australia’s ambassador to Israel.
Cannan took to Twitter to say it had been “an honour and privilege” to serve since June 2017, adding, “Thank you to all those who have contributed in so many ways to our growing bilateral relationship.”
And so, after more than three years in Israel, the farewells begin. Thank you @PresidentRuvi for receiving me this afternoon in the gardens of Beit HaNassi. You are a true friend of Australia. ???????????????????? pic.twitter.com/SmgTVoputM
— Paul Griffiths ???????? (@AusAmbIsrael) August 17, 2020
At a farewell party he hosted earlier this month, the diplomat said Israel was “a hard place to leave”, noting he will miss “the chutzpah, the belief that anything is possible; the can-do attitude, the cultural buzz, the Tel Aviv beaches, the sense of history in Jerusalem and the vibrancy of the people”.
Reflecting on some of the major events to take place during his tenure, Cannan highlighted the visit of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull to Israel for the Battle of Beersheba centenary in 2017; increased cooperation on defence and cyber security between the two countries; Australia and Israel signing their first ever double tax treaty; and the opening of an Australian Trade and Defence Office in West Jerusalem.
He also noted the visit in January this year of Governor-General David Hurley for the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, and President Reuven Rivlin’s February visit to Australia.
Kol hakavod on a great job @AusAmbIsrael and nesea tova!
— Dave Sharma (@DaveSharma) September 12, 2020
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