High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Holy See – Israel relations - diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the State of Israel - have officially existed since 1993 with the adoption of the Fundamental Accord by the two States on 30 December 1993. Nearly 46 years after the declaration of Israel as a state on 14 May 1948, a Vatican Nunciature in Israel and an Israeli Embassy in Rome were established on 19 January 1994. Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo was appointed as the first Apostolic Nuncio to Israel, Shmuel Hadas was appointed first Israeli Ambassador to the Holy See, in September of that year. Prior to the establishment of diplomatic relations, the interests of the Catholic Church in Israel were looked after by the Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Custodian of the Holy Land.