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Cultural farewell to New Israeli Ambassador to Panama

 

Tel Aviv, July 2, 2015: The Embassy of Panama in Israel gave a cultural reception to bid farewell to the new Israeli ambassador in Panamá, Gil Artzyeli and his wife Viviana.


Ambassador Artzyeli be traveling in the next few weeks to lead the Israeli diplomatic mission in Panama, and told the audience that he and his family are enthusiastic and found a choir of compatriots who have described a wonderful country a "Gan Eden" (Garden of Eden) for its natural beauty, but also an extremely interesting economic dynamics and especially its population.


Ambassador of Panama in Israel, Adis Urieta, said that both countries have served as geographical bridges for immigration and cultures, despite the distance between them, they are very similar.


Ambassador Urieta, including embassy staff, Marcelino Aviles, Second Secretary and Darnelys Vega, Attaché, and administrative officials as well as members of the Panamanian community in Israel, wished him successes Ambassador Artzyeli.


Among the members and friends of the Panamanian community in Israel, writers, architects, biologists, retirees, college students who have come to Israel, some temporarily and others to have taken root in this country were.

 

 Photo   Silvia Golan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

117th Anniversary of Philippine Independence

The sparkle of the reception room at Tel Aviv’s Sheraton Hotel, normally outstanding, faded into insignificance besides the ladies and gentlemen in national regalia and costumes of the host country. The elegance of the fabrics, the designs, the embroidery and the colors were breathtaking. The “star”, modest as she is, was no doubt Ms. Octavia Leeman Imperial, the charming wife of his Excellency Nathaniel G. Imperial, Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to the State of Israel, the host of the glamorous event.

 

The invitees included many distinguished Ambassadors, Consuls and other members of the Diplomatic Corps in Israel, including, to name just two, Ambassador Branco Kesic of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Ambassador Sisa Ngombane of South Africa. Many Military Attachés graced the room in their own smart elegance, adding to the dazzle, including Captain Sophia Baranes of the Foreign Relations Section of the Israel Defense Forces, a rose among the “thorns”. Travel personalities included Boaz Waksman, Chairman of Ophir Tours, and David Hojman, CEO of Maman Aviation (which also represents Philippine Airlines in Israel). The who’s who of Israeli society mingled easily with the many diplomats and members of Filipino society in Israel.

 

A presentation of the national anthems of both countries signaled the start of the formal part of the evening. Philippine-Israel relations have always been warm and this was reiterated by the Ambassador in his welcome address to the guests. He remarked on the fine bilateral relations between his country and Israel stretching back to 1957, and made special mention of the large numbers of Filipino care-givers working in Israel and the almost universally good conditions under which they work “… the best working conditions in the Middle East”, as well as the number of Filipino students benefitting from their agricultural studies through the Granot AgroStudies Program in Israel. The Ambassador also quoted figures and statistics about the Philippine Republic’s economic stability and its importance in the Far East and as a member of ASEAN, and of APEC.

 

His Excellency touched on the growth in bi-lateral tourism between the two countries, and the importance of high-level visits by leaders of each country, to the other. He concluded by raising a toast to the good health of Israel’s Prime Minister and President, and to the continuing vibrant good Philippine-Israel relations.

 

In response, and representing the State of Israel, Mark Sofer, Deputy Director General and Head of the Asia & Pacific Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked the Ambassador and read out a letter of greetings and congratulations from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to H.E. Mr. Benigno Simeon Aquino III, President of the Republic of the Philippines. The Prime Minister’s letter made grateful mention of the fateful decision of the Philippine government to provide safe haven to thousands of Jews fleeing the Nazi atrocities in WW2, and also of the favorable Philippine vote at the United Nations in 1947, when Israel’s re-establishment was in question.

 

Mr. Sofer related how his own experiences in Manila confirmed just how open, warm and welcoming Filipinos are, so much so that when he mentioned to some of them the welcome that the distressed Jewish refugees had received, the locals were surprised that it could even have been any other way. Ambassador Imperial and Mr. Sofer then jointly cut into a beautiful cake bearing the flags of both countries as a fitting end to the introductions.

 

Perhaps the highlight of the evening was the really amazing performance presented by the “Sindaw Philippines Performing Arts Group”. The group is in Israel thanks to cooperation between the Embassy and the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts. They will also be performing at the Philippines Tourism & Country Fair at the Castra Mall in Haifa on 17-18 June, a joint project of the Mall and Haifa Municipality.

 

The dancers were breathtaking in their elegance and style. Brilliant costumes, stamp-your-feet-tempo music, exquisite singing and unusual exhibits of timing, balance and joie-de-vivre.

 

Congratulations Philippines, and may the next 117 years take you to even higher plains of success and peaceful advancement.

 

 

Photos  Silvia Golan

 

 

 

 

 

Last Friday afternoon, a beautiful just-before-summer day in Israel: the setting: the delightful ambassadorial residence of His Excellency Carl Magnus Nesser, Ambassador of Sweden to the State of Israel. The purpose: to celebrate Sweden’s National Day (which is actually on the 6th June – the next day). The guests: decked out in summer finery and representing the Diplomatic Corps and the cream of Israeli society and commerce. A recipe for a wonderful meeting, and so it turned out.

 

Ambassador and Mrs. Nesser welcomed their guests with charm and warmth, accompanied on the receiving line by Col. Björn Blomberg, Sweden’s defense attaché in Israel. Guests mingled easily as drinks were served and an attractive buffet lunch invited them to partake. As I chatted pleasantly with Michael Storm and Marie Ericson, both working in Ramallah and representing Sweden on EUPOLCOPPS (a united effort to raise the Palestinian police to western standards), Michael suggested that I try “the typically Swedish herrings” from the buffet. “Comfort food” comes in surprising places. The pickled herring, the herring in mustard, the tomato herring, herring in cream sauce, marinated herring – it all reminded me of my family’s delicious Jewish traditional delicacies, and I am not Swedish. For non-herring fans, the generous buffet included many salads, smoked salmon, beef, fresh and roasted vegetables, sushi and more. Nobody went hungry, especially after the tables were cleared and desserts (including summer ice lollipops) appeared.

 

In his welcome address to the gathering, Ambassador Nesser explained the significance of the day and some of Sweden’s history, remaking that: “… those of us who studied and remember a bit of history are thankful that peace has reigned in our land for so long. And that our erstwhile rivals are now our closest friends”. He followed his comments concerning rivalry and friends with mention of the conflicts in the Middle East and Sweden’s grand efforts to bring peace to still-antagonistic foes in so many M.E. areas, including the Palestinian Authority and Israel. “As Europeans, neighbors and friends, supporting peace here remains a priority.”

 

Ambassador Nesser touched on the economic ties between Sweden and Israel, noting that Israel is listed as one of Sweden’s priority markets for trade promotion.

 

The Ambassador paid tribute – with an engaging touch of humor – to the Swedish commercial companies that provided generous support to the embassy, including SKF, ABB, SSAB, H&M, Volvo, AstraZeneca, Swedish Orient Line, Ericsson and SAS, the Scandinavian airline, which also donated airline tickets to Sweden as the prize in an ingenious competition – guests were invited to answer 8 questions about Sweden to win the prize.

 

Invitees were pleasantly surprised to hear Ambassador Nesser add a brief word of thanks – in Hebrew – to the government of Israel. Back in English he made special mention of, and thanked, the staff of the embassy for their efforts at making the reception such a success.

 

Responding on behalf of the State of Israel, Deputy Minister of Education, MK Rabbi Meir Porush congratulated the King of Sweden on the occasion of the country’s National Day, and also congratulated Sweden on its success in the very recent Eurovision contest (first place).

 

The Minister referred to Sweden’s peaceful past 200 years but also to Raoul Wallenberg, Sweden’s special envoy in Budapest in 1944. “I would like to take a moment to praise his heroic actions. Raoul did much to save the Jews of Hungary from the Germans and the fascist Hungarian regime. He was responsible for the rescue of more than 100,000 Jews, granting them Swedish travel documents or housing them in extraterritorial Swedish buildings in Budapest. In this way, he prevented the deportation of thousands to Auschwitz.

 

“The State of Israel has honored Raoul Wallenberg with the title of Righteous Among the Nations. He will forever be remembered as a man who tied his fate to the Jewish people, and his name is engrained in the collective memory of Jews
across Israel and throughout the world”.

 

Rabbi Porush made mention of the excellent economic ties between the two countries, and of Sweden’s popularity in Israel. “Sweden’s successful health and education policies, which ensure the wellbeing of its citizens, serve as a model for the world”. However, The Israeli MK did not omit to mention the unfortunate aspects of Swedish-Israel bilateral relations: “In Israel’s early years, we shared many common visions for the future, while lately, Sweden has taken steps that have cast a shadow over the relations between us and caused some discomfort in Israel. Despite this, there exists – on both sides – the will to keep our bilateral relations normal, to continue strengthening the economic and trade cooperation between us, and to further promote exchanges in the fields of culture and science”.

 

In conclusion he wished his Majesty the King of Sweden, the government, and the Swedish people good health and long life, prosperity and success in the coming years.

 

The formalities ended with a rendition of the Swedish national anthem, followed by the anthem of Israel, presented beautifully by Ms. Keren Eilenberg.

 

Amongst the distinguished guests were: David Castel, Consul of Sweden in Haifa and President of the Chamber of Commerce of Haifa and the North, Eva Taylor, the Ambassador’s personal assistant, Susanne Millner, Special Adviser for Culture and Public Diplomacy of the Finnish Embassy, Meir Shai of ABB Technologies Ltd, Prof. Michael Levitt, (Nobel Prize laureate, chemistry 2013), Silvia Golan, Executive Director of www.diplomacy.co.il and Eva Yaron, tour guide/emergency evacuation expert for the Swedish Embassy in Israel.

 

Another special guest was Israeli author Dror Mishani who has published several works based on Swedish crime fiction. “I read Swedish crime novels as my inspiration”, he told your Diplomacy correspondent. Ambassador Nesser presented Mishani with a special award from the Swedish Academy of Detective Fiction, for his novel “The Missing File”. Not bad for an Israeli author.

 

Sweden and Israel are poles apart, but you couldn’t tell from the way guests mingled. Diplomacy? Yes. But not without the genuine feeling of warmth and friendship engendered by Ambassador Nesser and his charming wife Maria.

 

 

 

 Photos  Silvia Golan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Russian Federation’s National Day

 

Russia Day is celebrated on June 12th of each year. It marks the consolidation of Russian Statehood with its various symbols, the national flag, emblem and national anthem. The Supreme Soviet of Russia proclaimed it National Holiday since it was on this day in 1990 that the Declaration of the State Sovereignty of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was declared.


In Israel it was celebrated on Wednesday, June 10th in one of the few spacious and elegant ballrooms of the Dan Panorama Hotel in Tel Aviv.


Among the many distinguished guests of VIP’s, Minister of Immigration, Absorption and Jerusalem Affairs Zeev Elkin Ambassadors and various members of the diplomatic community, one could spot Former Foreign Affairs Minister, MK Avigdor Liebermann and Former Prime Minister MK Ehud Barak. Also present were representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church here in Israel.


In addition to the delectable buffet style meal composed of some Russian dishes and a colorful display of various desserts accompanied by an open bar, guests could also taste Russian beer and Vodka at some of the stands that were scattered around the ballroom.

 

The event also marked the end of His Excellency Sergei Yakovlev as his country’s Ambassador to Israel. In his farewell speech, Yakovlev, who spoke in Russian and English, thanked Israelis for their friendship and cooperation during his four years of service here.


Unlike Yakovlev, Elkin who spoke in Russian and Hebrew in more of a spontaneous manner, described the ever growing relationship between Russia and Israel on the political, economic and cultural levels. He also mentioned the deep rooted Russian culture in the Israeli one.


Russian pride and patriotism was expressed by Efraim-Fiodor Papernyi who praised President Putin for what he had done in honor of the victorious Red Army on the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.


Dr. Amin Safieh, a member of the Israeli Druz community who is an honorary consul for Russia in Haifa also spoke. He expressed his gratitude to Yakovlev for his great service and wished him the best of luck in his next appointment.
Under the stewardship of Aleksander Kryukov, Counselor of the Russian Embassy, the evening was well planned and, without doubt, very successful

 

 

 Photos  by Silvia Golan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrating the Italian Republic Day 2015

 

The gracious hospitality of the Honorary Ambassador for Italy, Francesco M. Talo and his wife Ornella , at their elegant Ramat-Gan residence, was a fitting background to a diplomatic cultural evening of guests, cocktails, food and music on that evening of June 3rd 2015. The motivation and rationale behind the very pleasant evening was to honor the Italian Republic day.

 

More than 1000 guests had the opportunity to greet and chat while enjoying a buffet of snacks and an open bar. In the background the music, singing and dancing of “A Racne Mediterranean” - national folklore group from south Italy, added to the atmosphere.

 

The Italian Republic Day, also known as Festa della Repubblica in Italian (Festival of the Republic), is a national holiday in Italy on June 2 each year. It celebrates the day when Italians voted to abolish the monarchy in 1946 so their country could become a republic. Republic Day is a day off work for many people in Italy. Events include: Official ceremonies, Military parades, laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, inside the Altare della Patria in Rome.

 

 

Outside Italy, many Italian diplomats in embassies celebrate this day worldwide.

 

On the wide lawn of the Ambassador's house, Mr. Francesco M. Talo, gathered hundreds of guests to celebrate the occasion. Among them were the diplomatic community members, the guest of honor, Minister of Construction - Retired General Yoav Galant, Tal Brody - an American-Israeli former basketball player, and current Goodwill Ambassador of Israel, Mr. Gideon Sa’ar - a former Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the Likud party between 2003 and 2014. He also held the posts of Minister of Interior affairs and Minister of Education - and his wife Geula Even, a famous encore woman for the Israeli television. Mr. Efi Shtenzler – the World Chairman of the Jewish National Fund, Mr. Itzhak Eldan – former Israel’s head of ceremony, and the President of the Diplomatic Club, and many other dignitaries.

 

The official part of the event, started with the announcement of Michal Ansky – the ceremony moderator, in Italian and English. After the three national anthems were played (Italian, the EEU and Israeli) and sung by the students of the Rishonim School in Rishon Le’tzion and Roma Club Jerusalem. Ambassador Talo held a short speech praising the close and strong ties between both countries.

 

The Ambassador congratulated the audience in Hebrew, and said that everyone is welcomed to an Italian house in celebrating the Italian national holiday. He mentioned that this is the 3rd year he is hosting this event in Israel, and enjoy the feeling of unity with the Israelis. The Ambassador will never forget this day one year ago, when the three kids, Gilad, Eyal and Naftali were kidnaped and killed by barbaric terrorists. He remembered visiting the families a few times, and said that he will never forget the integrity and kindness of the families during these hard times. He said that only united we will survive; Working together to overcome differences in a respecting dialog.

 

 The Ambassador remembered World War one, 100 years ago, and the 2nd World War, with the holocaust – the lowest level of inhumanity. He mentioned the Jewish Brigade heroes, who participated in the liberation of Italy and thru Italy returned to Israel. Italy and Israel share mutual history, and the best part are the younger generation of both countries, who share the future of science and technology, music and culture. Yesterday and today some science and technological conventions took place, and tomorrow the opera Tosca, by Puccini, will be played in Masada.


He believes in the peace process, and everyone should work for it without neglecting security. Italy and Israel are cooperating in security issues, but we are here to plant a new future. The Ambassador approached the Chairman of the Jewish National Fund, Mr. Efi Shtenzler, and said that we will plant trees for the Expo in Milano, which will have 20 million visitors, and Israel will have a respectable booth there. In regard to “feeding the planet”, the two countries are partners that can build a future for themselves and the rest of the world. This is why the Minister of Construction and Infrastructure is here…

 

His speech was followed by the warm words of the Israeli Minister of Construction and Infrastructure, Mr. Yoav Galant, who welcomed the dignitaries and the international community in Israel. He said that there is a common history to Italy and Israel. The Jewish community in Italy has been there since the demolition of the Second Temple. His father, a holocaust survivor, had fled the Nazis through Siberia and Italy, spent 2 years in Italy before coming to Israel. 40 years ago, the Minister joined the Israeli Navy Seals, and the equipment and the methods were Italian. The Minister thanked the Italians for educating the young generation against evil and their help to denounce this phenomenon.
In this national day of Italy, Israel thanks the Italian people for the support. He blessed the Italian Government and people for the strong friendship between the two countries.

 

After Minister Galant, the President of Israel, His Excellency Reuven Rivlin gave a video message honoring the Italian Republic Day. The President spoke about many years of friendship between the two countries, strong diplomatic relations in areas of tourism, technology and research. Israel participates this year in the Expo 2015 in Milan, were we will demonstrate the Israeli achievements in many fields of technology and agriculture.

 

After the President speech, the Commissioner of the European Union, Giuseppe Sala, promoted Expo Milano 2015 under the title of: "Feeding the Planet; Energy for Life", mentioning the importance of the Israeli pavilion, one of the attractions on the Expo 2015 exhibition.

 

After several songs by an Israeli youth quire, followed by jazz music, the singer Einat Saruf organized public singing. The guests could enjoy the fine tastes of Italian food and wines. The wine and Parmesan cheese were brought from Italy especially for this event. Waiters served hot Pizza, Lasagna and Antipasti. There were counters of Illy Espresso and Italian chocolate and delicious ice cream.

 

I would like to congratulate the Italian people on this important and enjoyable celebration, and to thank the Italian Ambassador and his wife for their gracious hospitality.

 

 

 

Photos  Silvia G Golan