1956 Israeli diplomatic passport

Used for Paris.

 

Some of the rarest diplomatic and service passports that can be located today relate to the first 10 years of the State of Israel: 1948 to 1958.

 

On January 12^th 1949 France recognized the new young country. The 1950’s, starting from 1953, saw France becoming one of Israel’s biggest arms supplier, and this lasted roughly until 1962, the year Algeria gained its independence. 1967 saw the complete change in “attitude” towards Israel following the Six Day war with Charles de Gaulle imposing a weapons embargo on the Middle East which affected Israel immensely.

 

France-Israel relations

 

During those fruitful years in the beginning, both countries exchanged missions and mutual visits. Delegations from Israel were sent to France to negotiate and purchase. Military personnel were sent as well on educational courses & programs to Paris.

 

The passport in this article was issued on June 29^th 1956 at Jerusalem to Mrs. Renate Baramy, the wife of Israel’s assistant to the Military, Naval & Air Attaché to France, who was also representing the legations in Bern, Brussels & The Hague. The Assistant Attaché was Commander Eitan Baramy, a native of Germany, born in 1923 who immigrated to British Palestine in 1934 following Hitler’s rise to power (Her husband had a rich career in the Israeli army, 13 years from 1949 and diplomatic service abroad as well).

 

Diplomatic passport no. 2196 was issued by Foreign Ministry official Zvi Avnon – Consular Section chief who started his career at Hakirya (the original location of the Foreign Ministry in what was originally a German Templar colony near Tel Aviv), then moving to Jerusalem after the ministry was moved there on July 12^th 1953.

 

The passport also came together with the wife’s Diplomatic ID card issued in Paris and with the husbands official Navy entry permit issued to him as being the Israeli Naval Attaché to France.

 

I have added sample images of this simple but exquisite set of diplomatic documents.

 

 

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