Making shakshuka and learning Hebrew from Bezeq customer service: An interview with the ambassador - without a tie
He is only 38 and admires Arik Einstein. Moldovan Ambassador Alex Roitman talks about the shakshuka that beats restaurants, the connection with Gideon Sa'ar, and how the spy novel he wrote at night became a crazy prophecy about the war with Iran.
Future historians will surely be surprised to discover that when Operation "Iron Swords" was just beginning, a spy novel was published that described with amazing accuracy the shadow war that the State of Israel is waging against the Iranian threat. They will be even more surprised to discover that the novel was published not in Israel and not in the USA, but in distant Moldova - and that the author is Alex Roitman, the Moldovan ambassador to Israel.
Those who deal with the upheavals of the Middle East often say that reality in our region exceeds all imagination. But in the case of "Operation Cartouche", Roitman's book, it works the other way around: the seemingly fictional novel compares to the amazing reality we have experienced in the last year - and it is hard to think of a greater compliment for a thriller novel.
A spy novel born at night
The plot of "Operation Cartouche" opens with a dramatic murder scene: the Iranian ambassador to Moscow is found dead in his residence, and no one understands what happened to him and how.
From there, the plot rolls at a dizzying speed between different countries, sweeping the reader along at a high pace. Beyond the tension, the novel provides a sober and fascinating look behind the scenes of the world of diplomacy, intelligence, and international politics, in places where fateful decisions are made far from the public eye.
One of the prominent advantages of the book is the sense of realistic credibility it conveys. "I visited all the arenas where the plot takes place myself," says Ambassador Roitman in a conversation with "HaYom".
"I was not present in the situation of discovering a body at the Iranian embassy in Russia, but I did walk around it and absorbed the atmosphere when I served in the past as the spokesperson for the Moldovan embassy in Russia. In general, the entire plot is a product of my imagination, but apparently my imagination has prophetic value."
He also wrote his novel, which became a bestseller in Moldova, at night, after exhausting work days in Jerusalem and Chisinau. This work did not stop, even when an Iranian missile hit his home directly during the war.
The ambassador who beats Israeli chefs
Despite his young age (only 38), Roitman has a long career in his country's foreign service. He has been filling the role of ambassador to Israel for nearly four years, during which he has become a household name at the junctions of influence in Israel and a personal friend of many key figures. Close friends have even had the privilege of tasting the famous shakshuka he makes, and say it surpasses that of the most prestigious restaurants.
If his surname and fluent Hebrew are not enough, it is time to reveal: Roitman is Jewish. Hebrew, by the way, he learned only upon entering his high position, and it melts hearts and opens doors. This also happened with his surname: when he wanted to meet for the first time with MK Simcha Rothman, the latter replied in the affirmative without delay - the similarity in names aroused curiosity that could not be resisted.
"I learned the holy language thanks to endless conversations with the customer service of Bezeq and the Electric Company," he says with a sense of humor that reminds one of Ephraim Kishon. He adds that his tenure in the country taught him mainly patience: "After all, how can one be without patience when dealing with the wonders of Israeli driving, and especially with the habit of honking even before the traffic light has even turned green?" he smiles.
"You don't need connections if you have 'protektzia'"
Despite the amused criticism, it is clear that the ambassador has become an inseparable part of us. Do not be surprised if you hear from him the catchphrase "You don't need connections if you have 'protektzia'", or discover that his favorite singer is Arik Einstein. His favorite song is "You and I will change the world" - a title that is also the diplomatic motto that guides him in his daily life.
"Half of the government ministers are my good friends," Roitman explains the diplomatic "secret", and emphasizes that behind the shiny facade stands sisyphus-like and demanding work of endless hours, crises at night, and phone calls around the clock.
"I learned the hard way that the saying that in Israel there are only two seasons - war season and election season - is accurate and realistic," concludes Ambassador Roitman. "In the war season the people unite, and in the election season it divides. I wish you that you will succeed in overcoming the division and the difficulties. In my opinion, the song 'Under the Mediterranean Sky' by Shlomo Artzi describes the Israeli complexity in the most faithful way. With all modesty, I feel that I managed to crack this complexity, and simply fall captive to its charm."
