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Written by Sima Lahat

Published: 07 June 2015

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

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Written by Sima Lahat

Published: 01 May 2015

On the 27th of April, His Excellency the Ambassador of the Netherlands and Mrs. Anne Veldkamp, held a reception at his Residence in Herzliya Pituach, in honor of the National Day of the Netherlands. Amongst those at the event were key Ministry of Foreign Affairs persons, members of the diplomatic and consular corps, and of course many dignitaries.

On the pool side grass, at the Ambassador’s Residence, a carriage containing Dutch cheeses, sweet summer fruits, Heineken beer and Herring from Holland, served the guests who came to celebrate the King’s day. The national color of Holland, orange, was the theme that embellished the sunflowers and the house. At the entrance and living room there were Van Gogh paintings (the Ambassador lives in the same village Vincent Van Gogh lived and painted).

While the guests were mingling at the poolside, The Ambassador read his address to the king of Holland:

"To His Majesty the King

Equally on behalf of representatives of the Dutch community in Israel, of Dutch military forces serving in missions in and bordering Israel, and our many Israeli guests gathered here today, I extend you heartfelt and respectful congratulations.

The next year of your Reign will once more see intensive contacts between the Netherlands and Israel, including visits by government ministers, members of parliament, business leaders as well as representatives of knowledge institutions and civil society organizations. The ties are strong and diverse, to which you have contributed since the beginning of your Reign.

Your Embassy will continue to work actively for the enhancement of these ties, with a focus on innovation and new generations. In accordance with your Government’s policy and our position within the European Union, we continue to endeavor to reach a durable peace between Israel and the Palestinians and security for the State of Israel in this turbulent region.

We wish you, Queen Maxima and your daughters happiness and prosperity, for your family, your Reign and your Kingdom.

Caspar Veldkamp

Your Ambassador to Israel"

The Ambassador also said that this is his last time in Israel. In the summer he is moving to become the Ambassador of Holland in Greece. He surly will miss Israel and his many Israeli friends.

About The King's official birthday…

The King’s official birthday (King’s Day, Koningsdag) in the Netherlands, is celebrated each year on April 27 with parties, street markets, concerts and special events for the royal family. In many towns and cities, particularly Amsterdam, Arnhem, Utrecht and The Hague, the King’s Day celebrations begin on the evening before the day. Some people set up stalls to sell second-hand goods and King’s Day themed products in many city and town centers.

The day features official musical performances on King’s Day. Many people spontaneously sing "Het Wilhelmus". This is a poem written in 1574 and describes the life of William of Orange (William the Silent) and his fight for the Dutch people. It is written as if William of Orange is introducing himself to the Dutch people. Versions are also played by bands performing at King’s Day events and on radio stations.

Each year, the royal family visits one or a few places on King’s Day. They are entertained with displays and performances around local historic events. Royal family members generally join in with the games in a good natured way and greet thousands of people who turn out to see them.

The two national anthems were played and the Ambassador raised a toast and wished that God will bless Holland and Israel.

 Photo by Silvia G Golan

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Written by Jonathan Danilowitz

Published: 04 May 2015

27th April commemorates the day in 1994 when the first democratic election was held in South Africa. South Africa celebrates Freedom Day to mark the liberation of the country and its people from a long period of colonialism and White minority domination (apartheid).

In Israel Freedom Day was celebrated on 29th April, like every year at the beautiful gardens of the South Africa Ambassador H.E Sisa Ngombane and Mrs. Thatanyana in Ramat Gan.

Ambassadors and other members of the diplomatic corps in Israel, members of culture, industry, art, science, and many other honored guests from Israeli society and South Africa enjoy the colorful and happy atmosphere with typical food : Boerewors, Pap with Gravy,Bobotie, Cape Chicken curry, Sambuza with chatney , wines and South African spirits.

The evening opened with the national anthems of South Africa and Israel .

Ambassador Ngombane welcome the guests: " We have gathered for the last 21 years all over to celebrate good over evil. In this simple act we also pay tribute to those who have made this day possible. We salute the courage of the leaders and the people of South Africa who stood up against all odds so that we can say we free. In the same breath we honor and remember the members of the international community who not only accompanied us but occupied trenches with us. This is especially so for our African brothers and sisters who some of them paid with their lives.

Allow me to address two issues that have been making headlines for some time now. One is the xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals especially targeting Africans and the second is power outages.

The South African Government has condemned the attacks on foreign nationals in the strongest possible terms and offered deep condolences to the families. The government and many South Africans has been appalled by these acts of unwarranted violence and has taken action to arrest those responsible ".

" President Zuma received an open letter from Mia Couto, a Mozambican writer and poet on 24 April 2015. In his reply he stated :

“I remember you from our days in Mozambique, when you worked at the Mozambique Information Agency and when you were editor of Tempo magazine and later of Noticias.

I cannot forget the friendship that Mozambique accorded my comrades and to me personally. In fact Mozambique became my second home and it remains my home.

You are in pain as your letter indicates, because of the deaths of Mozambicans and the general attacks on foreign nationals in parts of our country. South Africans are also in pain because of the tragic and senseless killings of all seven persons in the past weeks. These are three South Africans and four foreign nationals. May their souls rest in peace and may their tragic deaths unite us all in the quest for peace and an end to violence.

The reports we have received indicate that the attacks last week in Durban were sparked off by the conduct of an employer who fired South African workers who had gone on strike and employed workers from outside the country. Even in the South African context, the employment of scab labour usually triggers an angry reaction from workers who are on strike. We join the country’s trade unions in appealing to employers to avoid such behaviour of pitting workers against one another. The Soweto attacks in January were triggered by the fatal shooting of a young man by a non-South African shopkeeper.

This is a difficult period for our country and its people. Millions of peace loving South Africans are in pain because they are being accused of being xenophobic which is not true. South Africans are definitely not xenophobic. The actions of a small minority should not be used to wrongfully label and stereotype more than 50 million people.

You reminded me of the hospitality and generosity that was accorded to me by Mozambicans during my stay in your beautiful country in exile. We agree that we benefited immensely from international solidarity and friendship during our struggle against apartheid. Our brothers and sisters in the African continent in particular shared their meagre resources with us. Many were killed for supporting our struggle for freedom. The Matola raid in your beautiful country is an example. It is for this reason that we embrace our African brothers and sisters who migrate to South Africa legally. In fact our migration policy is advanced because we integrate refugees and asylum seekers within our communities. They live among our citizens, they are part of us. We are one people as President Samora Machel said after the tragic Matola raid in which many Mozambicans were killed by apartheid security forces.

South Africa has not changed and has not forgotten such comradeship and solidarity. But like most countries that have emerged from conflict, we have deep-seated challenges.

We appreciate the contribution of foreign nationals in South Africa. They contribute to our economic development by investing in the economy, bringing critical skills and through adding to the diversity that we pride ourselves in. But there are also some complaints or problems that citizens have raised which need to be addressed. These include the increasing number of illegal and undocumented immigrants in the country, the displacement of many local small traders by foreign nationals and that some of the migrant traders operate illegally. There are also accusations that foreign nationals commit crimes such as drug peddling and human trafficking, that they take the jobs of locals as employers prefer them as they are prepared to take lower wages and also complaints about free government housing that is secured by foreign nationals. We have emphasised that none of these grievances justify any form of violence against foreign nationals and that it will never be tolerated by government. We are also pointing out that not all migrants are in the country illegally and not all are involved in criminal activities.

The grievances of the South African population have to be balanced with the plight of many refugees, asylum seekers and economic migrants from the continent and beyond. We therefore have a lot of work to do to find long-term solutions.

In the short-term we will improve the implementation of the existing migration policy including tightening controls at the ports of entry and borders and also ensuring adherence to the laws of the country, while protecting migrants and the local population from criminal elements who are taking advantage of the tensions caused by socio-economic challenges. Work has also begun to review the country’s migration policy based on the current and recent experiences.

Our government will rely on the cooperation of sister countries in the continent from where most of the migrants come, as we search for solutions”.

" South has also made headlines news for power outages that have been occurring more frequently of late. The South African government developed a strategy to address this problem based on Independent Power Producers ( IPP’s ) playing a bigger role in power generation. In line with this the government has awarded contracts to IPP’s to produce an additional 13 469 MW from a combination of sources such as Bio-Mass, On-Shore Wind, Solar PV and Hydro worth of twenty three billion rands [ R 23 bn] starting on 2016.

Mr Andrzej Golebiowski of Scater Solar which won three bids has this to say :

"The renewable IPPs programme is inspiration and visionary," he said. "It's really big on a global scale. It's over 4 000MW they are planning to reward this year. It's going to make it by far one of the biggest markets globally for renewables. That's pretty impressive."

Golebiowski said that the Norwegian company moved its headquarters from Germany to South Africa when they saw the potential of renewable IPPs in Africa.

"Today is one of the biggest days in the history for our company," he said. "For us, it reconfirms that SA is the heart of our company. It's a small example of how the programme is building a long-term sustainable industry," he said. "We have decided to make this place our global hubs. With the new wins, it reconfirms our strategy.

"Companies will devise long-term strategies on the continent due to this move," he said. "Things will happen on the back of this. We can now look at other projects in Africa because of South Africa's leadership.

This view was echoed by Co-founder of G7 Renewable Energies Dr Killian Hagemann whose 140 MW On-Shore Roggeveld Wind Farm was one of the 13 preferred bidders saying “ It reaffirms our expertise and ability to develop competitive and efficient wind farm projects in South Africa.”

The South African government is responding to the power generation needs of country and will by year 2021 add 25 000MW to the national grid which is more than halve of the current generation capacity of South Africa ".

" South Africa congratulates the people for the election in Israel on 17th March 2015 and looks forward to working with the new government and address the issues that challenge the two countries in their bilateral cooperation.

Finally we celebrate the 21 anniversary with a lot of reflection but strong, knowing that South Africans can stand up to adversary and be victorious. We will overcome.

On behalf of the State of Israel , Ambassador Avi Granot , Deputy Director General for Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, thanked the Ambassador and congratulated him and the SouthAfrican government and people on this event and said :

" Israel and South Africa both share democratic values and principles. We are both countries that are in the midst of nation building. Israel, as a start-up nation is willing to share its experience in Africa in general and with South Africa in particular.

I would like to highlight the fact that South Africa is Israel's largest trading partner in Africa. Yet there is much potential for future growth in trade as well as in cooperation in areas such as agriculture, water management, advanced technologies, public health, clean energy, food security and homeland security.

Homeland security is indeed a potential field of cooperation, taking into consideration the growing strength of radical Islamic groups as demonstrated by numerous acts of terror that have plagued Africa in recent months ".

" Nation building as well as the realization of the full potential of independence takes time. Indeed, thousands of years ago, it took the people of Israel forty years of wandering in the desert before a new generation, liberated from the shackles of slavery in ancient Egypt, could emerge ready to take on the task of construction of nationhood.

Thus, the time has come for South Africa, after twenty one years of freedom, to disassociate itself from various conceptions of the past which are redundant today and focus more on the future rather than be attached to the past. Specifically, I am referring to the South African approach towards the situation in the Middle East; it is high time for South Africa to zoom out from its one sided pro-Palestinian stance that constrain the development of relations with Israel, which can surely be beneficial to both countries.

It is no secret that we in Israel are disappointed by the lack of progress in our bilateral relations as well as the unbalanced official position and statements of South Africa that ignore the complexities, changes and new challenges in the Middle East and make it more difficult for South Africa to play a significant role in this part of the world. Let us set aside our differences and explore, in the spirit of the late President Nelson Mandela, father of the South African Nation, constructive ways to expand and deepen our bilateral relations and build bridges between our two nations.

Last but not least, we in Israel are very proud of the Jewish community of South Africa which is a part of the beautiful mosaic which is South Africa. It played a role in your struggle for freedom and we believe it can be useful in helping further our bilateral relations.

Your Excellency, please convey the best wishes of the government of Israel to the government and people of South Africa. May South Africa enjoy, peace, stability and prosperity and may the relations between the State of Israel and the Republic of South Africa develop and grow.

 Photo Silvia Golan

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Written by President’s Spokesperson

Published: 30 April 2015

President Rivlin receives diplomatic credentials of new ambassadors from China, New Zealand, & Burkina Faso

Newly appointed ambassadors from China, New Zealand, and Burkina Faso this morning (Thursday) presented their diplomatic credentials to President of Israel Reuven Rivlin, during an official ceremony at the President's Residence. In their meetings, the President expressed to each of them his desire for Israel to deepen and strengthen cooperation and mutually beneficial bilateral relationships with each of the states, and in turn the ambassadors noted their high expectations for their time as their countries' official representatives to Israel.

The incoming Ambassador of China, H.E. Mr. Zhan Yongxin said to the President upon presenting his credentials, "I bring with me the greetings of the Chinese President, and wish to express my appreciation of the warm welcome I have received in Israel."

The President expressed his thanks for China's efforts to assist in the rescue of Israelis caught in the Nepalese earthquake disaster. He said, "I want to thank you for your government's involvement in assisting Israeli tourists in Nepal after the terrible earthquake – for this I thank you and your country, from the bottom of my heart."

The Ambassador of China said, "The Chinese and Jewish peoples have enjoyed a long standing friendship and this serves as a solid foundation for furthering our cooperation. We have, since the establishment of diplomatic relations, made considerable progress in our cooperation in various fields, and frequent political interchanges and mutual visits have taken place, especially in the fields of innovation and technology. It is time for us to turn plans into action and transform expectation into reality. I believe we can double the trade volume between Israel and China over the next decade. It is my hope that will be able to embolden our fruitful cooperation in many fields."

Non-Resident Ambassador of New Zealand, H.E. Jonathan Andrew Curr, presented his credentials and said, "The relationship between Israel and New Zealand is very important to me personally as newly appointed ambassador, but also to the people of New Zealand as a whole. There is a very deep relationship between our two peoples, and a great amount of cooperation. We don't always see things exactly the same way in this region, but our approach has always been to listen to our friends and learn and understand their concerns. This visit is an opportunity to understand and learn more of Israel's outlook on developments in the region."

The President welcome the Ambassador and said, "I have been to New Zealand just once in my life but I will never forget the wonderful people I met there. New Zealand is a model of multiculturalism. We enjoy very strong relations between our countries, and though there are differences of opinions, as friends, we can agree to disagree."

The President added, "I would ask you to express to the government in New Zealand, the message that a solution to the conflict will be possible only through direct negotiations, and not through unilateral moves on the part of our neighbors the Palestinians."

Non-Resident Ambassador of Burkina Faso H.E. Mr. Gnama Henri Bacye, presented his credentials to the President and said, "I want to thank you and the State of Israel for your warm welcome. For me, arriving in the eternal city of Jerusalem is a dream come true. I visited the Old City, and at the Western Wall I prayed for peace for your region and the whole world."

The President responded, "I am very pleased to receive your credentials and welcome you to the President's Residence. Our relations with you are of high importance, we are cooperating in a range of subjects. I know that even as we speak, the director general of your Ministry of Agriculture is visiting Israel. The mutual exchange of information is beneficial to both our countries, and we will be happy to continue and deepen our relationship."

The Ambassador added, "I would like that my submitting of credentials today, will be moment of renewal and increasing our relationship." He raised with the President a proposal to encorage Israelis who have retired from full time work, to come to Burkina Faso to aid with their experience and knowledge in their respective fields. The Ambassador also extended an invitation to the President to visit Burkina Faso. The President thanked him for his invitation and stated, "Israeli pensioners certainly represent a wealth of experience and knowledge."

 Photos by Mark Neumann GPO