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- Written by Silvia G. Golan
Photo: President Rivlin with Ambassador of Belgium H.E. Mr. Jean-Luc Bodson
President Rivlin received diplomatic credentials from the new ambassadors of Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Uzbekistan and Latvia to the State of Israel
President of Israel Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin today, Wednesday 4 November / 17 Cheshvan, received diplomatic credentials from the new ambassadors of Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Uzbekistan and Latvia as they begin their posting to the State of Israel in an official ceremony at Beit HaNasi. Each ambassador was received with the playing of their country’s national anthem and Hatikva, and they then reviewed an IDF honor guard which was smaller in size than normal because of the coronavirus restrictions. The ambassadors presented their letters of credence to the president and signed the Beit HaNasi visitors’ book.
The first to present his credentials was Ambassador Jean-Luc Bodson of Belgium. The president welcomed him to Israel and expressed his appreciation for King Phillippe’s participation in the events marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in January. The president also spoke about the ambassador’s grandmother, Elisabeth Dereymaeker, who was recognized by Yad Vashem as a Righteous Among the Nations in 2013. Dereymaker saved two Jewish children in her home after their mother and sister were sent to Auschwitz. Because of the hiding place that she gave them, their lives were saved. “We will never forget your grandmother’s noble act. Too few did so, and the Jewish people will be grateful to her for thousands of years,” said the president. He also noted the importance of fighting antisemitism and racism of all kinds that are now raising their heads. The president said that there is no place for crude antisemitism such as that on display in the annual Carnival of Aalst.
Photo: President Rivlin with Ambassador of Uzbekistan H.E. Mrs. Feruza Makmudova
Ambassador Feruza Makmudova of Uzbekistan then presented her credentials to the president, the first female ambassador in the Uzbek foreign service. “Uzbekistan proves to the whole world that there is no conflict between Christians and Moslems,” said the president. “We hope to prove that we canlive together in peace, as Jews, Moslems and Christians, and members of all faiths, do in Israel.” The ambassador responded, “Thank you for your warm welcome. I bring greetings from the president and government of Uzbekistan. Since our countries established diplomatic relations, we have a dialogue of mutual understanding and respect. Now, we can develop new projects and initiatives,” she said.
Photo: President Rivlin with Ambassador of Sweden H.E. Mr. Erik Ullenhag
Next to present his credentials to the president was Ambassador Erik Ullenhag of Sweden. The president welcomed him, saying “our two countries enjoy excellent relations across a range of fields. It is important to say that we welcome different opinions regarding the future of our region, but boycotts and pressure will not help any of the parties.” The ambassador thanked the president for his welcome and said “we attach great importance to our work together in fighting antisemitism. Antisemitism is poison.”
Photo: President Rivlin with Ambassador of Norway H.E. Mr. Kare Reider Aas
The president then welcomed Ambassador Kare Reider Aas of Norway, congratulating him on Norway’s election to serve on the United Nations Security Council. “The discourse at the UN on Israel must change, particularly given the new opportunities that peace between Israel and Arab countries presents,” he said. The ambassador thanked the president and spoke about the good relations between the countries and the importance of deepening them between the peoples and not just between governments. The ambassador also noted Norway’s appreciation for Israel’s support regarding its election to the Security Council.
Photo: President Rivlin with Ambassador of Latvia H.E. Mr. Aivars Groza
Finally, the president received the credentials of Ambassador Aivars Groza of Latvia. He noted his hopes that the good relations between the countries would be reflected in Latvia’s votes at the UN. At the end of their meeting, the president invited the Latvian president to visit Israel, saying that he would be delighted to host him here in Jerusalem. The ambassador thanked the president for the invitation and said that Latvia takes racism and antisemitism very seriously and does much to fight them.
Photo credit: Amos Ben Gershom, GPO
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- Written by Steven Aiello
Embassy of Austria Celebrates National Day by Donating to Israelis in Need
Given the health, travel and safety restrictions facing citizens in Israel, diplomatic events have also had to innovate. At the same time, many are suffering economically, especially the elderly and sick, for whom traveling outside their homes is particularly risky. The Embassy of Austria celebrated Austrian National Day on Monday, October 26, and to mark the occasion it addressed both needs. Rather than hold a virtual event, the embassy marked the national day by sending gift packages to Holocaust survivors and other Israelis in need.
Friends of the embassy received messages telling them that food package had been sponsored in their honor. The packages contained food provisions for a month. They were distributed by LATET, an Israeli non-governmental aid organization that is the largest NGO addressing poverty and food insecurity in Israel. As its website declares, LATET was established in order to reduce poverty, for a better and just society, by providing assistance to needy populations, mobilizing Israeli civil society towards mutual responsibility, and leading change in the national priorities.
The decision to sponsor the food packages, transforming a disappointing situation into an opportunity to help others, was the initiative of the Ambassador of Austria to Israel, Dr. Hannah Liko. Having been in Israel less than a year, the ambassador has wasted no time in taking creative steps to strengthen ties between Austria and Israel despite these challenging circumstances. The Austrian Embassy explained to Diplomacy that Ambassador Liko wanted “to express her bond with the Israeli society, whose guest she is and to support, in these times, those parts of society most heavily affected,” and moreover, that “the Ambassador and the Austrian Embassy as a whole were delighted by the positive responses.”
Diplomacy.co.il congratulations the Embassy of Austria on its national day, and thanks Ambassador Liko for the generous initiative.
Photo : President Rivlin with Ambassador of Austria H.E. Dr. Hannah Liko Mark Neiman (GPO) December 2019
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- Written by Steven Aiello
On Monday, October 12, the Spanish Embassy in Israel celebrated Fiesta Nacional de España, the National Day of Spain. The Embassy partnered with the Spanish Tourist Office in Rome, and the Spanish Cultural Center in Montevideo, Uruguay. The celebration was held virtually. As the Zoom was soon full, the concert was also broadcast on Youtube, and Twitter, enabling guests from all over the world, including Israel, Spain, Argentina, the United Kingdom and the United States, to enjoy the music and join the festivities.
Diplomats, executives of organizations and people related to Spain or the Sephardic tradition joined this exciting event
Ms. Rocio Royo, director of a company dedicated to the management of cultural projects and events, opened the evening from Madrid and introduced Ambassador of Spain in Israel H.E. Manuel Gómez-Acebo. The ambassador welcomed the guests in Hebrew, Spanish and English:
"Shalom lekulam, welcome, welcome.
We commemorate the National Day of Spain from Tel Aviv, for all Spaniards and friends of Spain in this land and wherever you are.
Thank you for joining us on this special day in these difficult circumstances. Our thoughts are with all those who are suffering the effects of the pandemic, especially those who have lost loved ones.
I want to thank the many people and institutions who expressed their solidarity during the tough months of last spring.”
The ambassador further emphasized the importance of international cooperation to overcome global conflicts. He added that although the circumstances prevented meeting in person, the choice of a virtual music event was intended to bring people together through this important cultural medium. For that purpose the rich Sephardic musical heritage was chosen, as something that binds the Jewish and Spanish people.
The ambassador offered thanks to the Sephardic community in Uruguay and to the Spanish Cultural Center of Montevideo, for helping arrange the concert.
The guests then enjoyed the rich, moving music of two members of the Spanish music group EVOEH. EVOEH is the initiative of two outstanding musicians, Ariana Barrabés and Jesús Olivares, who perform songs and music from the Mediterranean, Spanish and Jewish traditions. Evoeh means a hymn to life, and their works revives the Sephardic oral legacy. Evoeh sang songs in Ladino using various indigenous string and percussion instruments, and the joy on the faces of participants was clear. After the concert it was possible to ask questions, and many asked questions in English or Spanish, leading to a fruitful dialogue with the artists.
In the end the very emotional audience gave EVOEH a standing ovation and thanked the duo for recalling the many songs they heard in their countries of origin, within their family and that were passed down from generation to generation.
The concert was made possible thanks to the Culture Service of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the ¨Ventana¨ program.
www.diplomacy.com staff congratulates the Embassy of Spain, the Spanish Tourism Office in Rome and the Spanish people on their national day, and wishes a year of health, success, and strong ties.
https://twitter.com/Israel/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Photo of the King of Spain with the President of Israel, courtesy of the Embassy of Spain in Israel
Photos Silvia Golan
Steven Aiello
Founder--DebateforPeace
& member of http://www.diplomacy.co.il/
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- Written by Steven Aiello
The Embassy of Hungary in Israel marked the occasion of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution with a screening of the film Trezor, by Peter Bergendy. To enable everyone to enjoy the film and share the experience safely, the film was provided to view online via a password protected link.
During the 1956 Revolution, citizens took to the street to protest the government and its support from and influence of Soviet forces. During the ensuing conflict, 2,500 Hungarian citizens were killed and 200,000 internally displaced persons or refugees. While it took another 35 years for Hungary to leave the Soviet Union, the events of 1956 remain poignant and prominent in both Hungarian and global history.
Trezor dramatizes the story and brings it to life, with an exciting plot line: “The keys to Trezor, the vault of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are lost in the confusion of the 1956 Revolution. And so, only a few days after the battle for independence is violently put down, the police pull a former bank robber out of prison and ask him to open their own uncrackable safe. The convict, however, finds something very different behind the vault’s door than what he expected. An exciting plot unfolds, full of unexpected twists, where nothing and no one is what they seem to be.”
As the description promises, the film captures the excitement and tension of this important event, bringing viewers back in time while also exploring an intriguing personal narrative. While we look forward to meeting in person once again, it’s a good reminder of the many challenges and kinds of adversity that nations have overcome throughout history.
www.diplomacy.co.il thanks to the Embassy of Hungary for this thoughtful initiative to share the moment and experience even when we cannot meet in person.
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- Written by Prime Minister's Media Adviser
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Juan Orlando Hernandez spoke on 20 September 2020, and reaffirmed that Honduras and Israel are close friends and strategic allies who form part of an alliance of reciprocal support and both economic and political cooperation.
President Hernández congratulated Prime Minister Netanyahu on the historic peace agreements known as the Abraham Accords, part of the peaceful transformation of that region, and offered best wishes for Rosh Hashanah and the Jewish New Year 5781.
Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his appreciation for the authentic friendship and steadfast support Israel has received from Honduras and reiterated his country's commitment to strengthen this partnership through development, cooperation, tourism, investment, technology, agriculture, education and trade.
On January 1st of 2019 the United States, Israel and Honduras issued a joint statement following the trilateral meeting held in Brasilia, Brazil, between the U.S Secretary of state Michael R. Pompeo, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández. The countries "agreed to strengthen political relations and coordinate cooperation on development in Honduras" and further "agreed to pursue a plan of action, which includes meetings in their three respective capitals, to advance the process of the decision to open embassies in both Tegucigalpa and Jerusalem". The issue was raised by Prime Minister Netanyahu's spouse Sara Netanyahu during her official visit in Guatemala. President Hernandez, the first graduate of Israel's MASHAV leadership program elected to lead a national government, has for many years been an active friend of Israel. Under his leadership, Honduras became one of the two countries in Latin America, and one of the five in the world, to most often abstain from resolutions opposed by Israel. On December 2017, Honduras was one of the small number of countries that joined Israel in voting against the UN resolution that opposed the US moving its Embassy to Jerusalem.
In accordance with the plan of action and public commitments to initiate the first steps, Honduras, on March 2019 recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and on September 1st, 2019, opened its commercial office in the capital of Israel, the city of Jerusalem and Israel reciprocally on August 20, 2020 opened its trade and cooperation office in the capital of Honduras, the city of Tegucigalpa.
Today, with their flags flying over each other's capital cities, Israel and Honduras wish to announce the intention to complete the plan of action, before the end of this year, with the reciprocal opening and inauguration of their embassies in the national capitals, Tegucigalpa and Jerusalem.
Photo from Tuesday, 1 January 2019 when PM Netanyahu Holds Meeting with Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez and US Secy. of State Mike Pompeo in Brasilia
credit: Avi Ohayon - GPO
