Israeli musician Asaf Avidan reportedly granted Romanian citizenship
The Romanian citizenship application of Israeli musician Asaf Avidan was reportedly approved by the National Authority for Citizenship, according to sources within the institution cited by Antena 3.
Avidan stated during a recent concert in Bucharest that he had applied for Romanian citizenship because his grandparents were born in Romania. “I have been trying for a few years to obtain citizenship, but your bureaucracy moves more slowly,” the artist said in front of the audience at the concert held on May 17 in Bucharest.
Despite the delay, the application was reportedly fast-tracked because Avidan has Romanian grandparents, exempting him from Romanian language and general knowledge exams. The approval was communicated to the artist 20-30 days ago, according to media reports, and the official date of the ceremony will be set by mutual agreement, given that scheduling lists are planned throughout the year.
To officially become a Romanian citizen, Asaf Avidan still has only one formal step left: taking the oath of allegiance. He is legally required to do so within a period of one year from the issuance of the approval.
Asaf Avidan was born in Jerusalem in 1980, grew up in Jamaica as the son of diplomats, and worked as an animator in Tel Aviv before becoming a leading name in folk-rock music. Famous worldwide for the hit “One Day / Reckoning Song,” the artist is currently based in France and enjoys huge international success.
Avidan has sparked controversy after stating in a 2015 interview with the French publication Le Monde that he feels no sense of belonging to Israel. “I do not feel at all that I am Israeli. What unites us Israelis is fear. We have always been the persecuted ones, and that is precisely why I am no longer interested in living in Israel, so I do not feel that fear anymore,” Asaf Avidan said.
In another interview given in 2014 to HotNews, Asaf Avidan spoke about his special connection with Romania and his desire to rediscover his roots. “It doesn’t matter to me where I perform, but in the case of Romania, I am curious because my grandparents are Romanian. So it will be like seeing my ancestors’ home,” he said at the time, on the occasion of his first concert in the country.
Asaf Avidan will hold his next concert in Romania in Timișoara at the beginning of July as part of the promotional tour for his new album.
(Photo source: Asaf Avidan on Facebook)
