Israeli President Isaac Herzog awarded Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama the Presidential Medal of Honor on Sunday, recognizing his support for Israel following the October 7 massacre, his stance against anti-Semitism, and his enduring friendship with the Jewish people.
The ceremony took place at the Israeli President’s residence, where Prime Minister Rama was accompanied by his wife, Linda Rama. The two leaders held a diplomatic meeting focusing on regional developments and the urgent need to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza.
“I am proud to award you the Presidential Medal of Honor – the highest civilian decoration in Israel. This medal is given to individuals who illuminate the world with extraordinary leadership, moral clarity, democratic values, and an unbreakable friendship with the Jewish people and the State of Israel. When it came time to turn words into action, you met this challenge with courage. In our darkest hour, after Hamas’s horrific attack on Israel – the deadliest assault on the Jewish people since the Holocaust – you refused to succumb to international pressure. You stood by your moral compass and expressed deep friendship and vital support for Israel,” said President Herzog.
In his acceptance speech, Prime Minister Rama stated, “I am honored to accept this award on behalf of the Albanian people, and firstly, on behalf of all Albanians – Muslims and Christians – who put themselves and their lives at risk in the darkest hour of modern history, and turned our country into the only one in Europe that ended World War II with more Jews than when it started. We do everything we can to raise our voice against anti-Semitism. We have adopted legislation and promoted Holocaust education throughout our schools, because for us this is not only about the Jews, but about humanity.”
Prime Minister Rama emphasized: “In this particularly difficult moment, innocent people are being held in Hamas’s dungeons. I want to reiterate: Albania has always supported the two-state solution, but in our opinion, there will be no solution as long as Hamas is around. Hamas is not a resistance movement. Hamas is the Nazis of the new century, and as history has taught us – there is no compromise with the Nazis.”
