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Written by Spokesperson of the President's Office

Published: 09 August 2022

 Photo: President Herzog with Ambassador of  Germany, H.E. Mr. Steffen Seibert

Tuesday, 9 August 2022 / 12 Av 5782

President Isaac Herzog received the credentials today of the new ambassadors of Germany, Vietnam, and Nepal upon the assumption of their diplomatic duties in Israel. The incoming ambassadors were welcomed by the IDF Band playing their respective national anthems and they inspected an IDF honor guard, after which they presented their letters of credence to the President in the Great Hall of the President’s Residence in Jerusalem. The President held an audience with each ambassador, after which the ambassadors signed the guest book. At the end of each ceremony, the Israeli national anthem was played.

 Photo: President Herzog with Ambassador of Viet Nam, H.E. Ly Duc Trung

The first ambassador to present his letter of credence was the Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, H.E. Ly Duc Trung, who has previously served as Vietnam's deputy ambassador to Spain and as a deputy director-general in the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Vietnamese ambassador arrived wearing cerulean-colored national dress, which was especially designed for today’s ceremony. The President and the Vietnamese ambassador discussed their nations’ histories, as Israel and Vietnam prepare to mark 30 years of diplomatic relations. The President expressed his desire to expand Israeli-Vietnamese collaboration in the fields of trade, agriculture, innovation and more.

The second ambassador to present his letter of credence was the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E. Steffen Seibert, who most recently served as the German Federal Government’s spokesman under Chancellor Angela Merkel. President Herzog praised the positive direction of Israeli-German relations, noting the many visits by German leaders to Israel over the past year. The President noted the deep significance of the arrival of a new German ambassador in the Jewish state, adding that while both nations must always remember the past, they must also look toward the future together. After the ceremony, President Herzog and the First Lady showed the ambassador and his wife the artwork in the Great Hall, pointing out the ceiling mural panels by Holocaust-survivor Naftali Bezem, which tell the story of the artist’s family’s escape from Nazi Germany. 

 Photo: President Herzog with Ambassador of Nepal, H.E. Kanta Rizal

The third and final ambassador to present her letter of credence was the Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, H.E. Kanta Rizal. The Nepalese ambassador arrived wearing a traditional sari and greeted the President with rehearsed remarks in Hebrew, saying that she hoped to work together with him to strengthen and develop the friendly relations between Israel and Nepal. The President expressed his hopes to expand Israeli-Nepalese cooperation, with an emphasis on agriculture, tourism, innovation, and more. At the end, the Nepalese ambassador extended an invitation to President Herzog to visit Nepal.

Photos: Haim Zach/GPO

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Written by Silvia G. Golan & Jacob Maor

Published: 20 July 2022

On 19th July 2022 the Ambassador Designate of Viet Nam to Israel H.E. Mr. Ly Duc Trung and Madame Trang Pham host  " Afterwork Get Together"  event, on the occasion of the 29th Anniversary of the establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Viet Nam and Israel , at the Conference Room of the Embassy in Tel Aviv

Article by Jacob Maor

Thirteen most attractive places in Vietnam for Jewish travelers

Two years before the establishment of the State of Israel, David Ben-Gurion and the leader of the Vietnamese liberation movement, Ho Chi Minh, became friends. Ben-Gurion shared with his Vietnamese friend his frustration and anger at the British government, which was closing the gates of Eretz Israel to Holocaust survivors, and arresting the Jewish leaders on "Black Shabbat." Ho Chi Min proposed to Ben-Gurion to establish an exiled Jewish government in Vietnam, and later to direct the Jewish immigrant ships to Vietnam, and to establish the Jewish state there. A few months later, Ho Chi Minh became the president of Vietnam, and then allocated an autonomous territory in the center of his country for the "Tribe of Judah," in Gia Lai and in Dak Lak Provinces. A kind of new "Uganda Plan". Ben-Gurion rejected the proposal due to Zionist reasons

The wheel of history is turning, and about thirty years later ships laden with refugees sailed again, and again no country had agreed to let them in. This time it was Vietnamese refugees. Menachem Begin, who was elected prime minister of Israel, nobly offered to take in Vietnamese refugees in Israel. This is without knowing Ho Chi Minh's proposals to Ben Gurion

I am a second-generation of Holocaust survivor family, and it is possible that if Ben-Gurion had accepted the offer, I and many of our readers would now be Vietnamese. That is why we have a special warm attitude toward Vietnam in our hearts, and it arouses special personal interest among Israelis. Recently, a new ambassador of Vietnam, Ly Duc Trung, began serving in Israel, and he is working vigorously to promote Israeli tourism in Vietnam

Amazing Vietnam has become a popular destination for Israeli tourists. In the past it was considered a destination for backpackers, but today it is considered for the general public, including the religious public. Vietnam's Ministry of Tourism also offers special services to religious travelers, through Chabad houses in Saigon, Hanoi and Hu Yang, which provide kosher food in their restaurants and catering deliveries. The kosher keepers are given attention in the publications of the Vietnamese Ministry of Tourism, also in general brochures intended for non-Jews. The Ministry of Tourism also offers a list of local kosher chefs who can join organized tour groups. Soon, a kosher hotel will be opened there (but more details are classified yet). I

There are Israeli tourism companies that have a private closet in Vietnam with pots and cooking utensils and cutlery, and someone cooks for the group. There are companies that attach a cook to their religious groups traveling in Vietnam. Ambassador Trung notes that it is easy to keep kosher in Vietnam because it has many vegetarian restaurants. In addition, in supermarkets across the country we can find imported products with OU kosher symbol

In the past, there was a large Jewish community in Vietnam, and at the beginning of the last century there were several synagogues with rabbis and two Jewish schools. In 1940, the Vietnamese adopted the antisemitic "Jewish status law" of the Vichy rule, and most Jews abandoned Vietnam. The Jewish community organization evaporated, and no trace left of the glorious Jewish institutions. Today there is a small Jewish community in Vietnam with only 300 members, most of them former Israelis, and American soldiers who remained there after their military service

Ambassador Ly Duc Trung proudly notes that Vietnam gained its independence from a Jew- the French Prime Minister Pierre Mendes France, who managed the evacuation of France from the Indo-China countries. There is a certain historical resemblance between us and them, because many nations who passed through it tried to conquer it

The newest tourist trend in Vietnam is agricultural tourism. Tourists come to tea and fruit orchards to pick lychees and flowers and to taste the very fresh agricultural produce they have picked themselves. There are also options to go fishing with the locals. Many agricultural tourist sites also have authentic cooking workshops, and offer artistic folklore of traditional singing and dancing

The length of Vietnam is about 3000 km, like the distance from Jerusalem to Munich, and it extends over 10 latitudes. It is divided into three geographical areas: the Red River and the Pensifan ridge (in the north), the South China Sea coast (in the center), and the Mekong Delta (in the south of Vietnam) i

The capital city is Hanoi in the north, which is considered like "Jerusalem of Vietnam". It, too, is seen as a charming combination of old and new, between splendor and simplicity, and between authentic East Asian motifs and French colonialist motifs

In the center of Vietnam are the cities of Da Nang and Hu Yang, which are very popular for tourists from Israel and Asia, as well as with the Vietnamese themselves. In the past times, they were not allowed to move freely from province to province, and only in the last generation did they begin to travel in their own country. In the city of Alma, 40 km from Da Nang, there is an Israeli-owned resort hotel (non-kosher), which is very popular with tourists from the former USSR

To the south lies the economic capital Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, which is considered by us as the "Tel Aviv of Vietnam". Today it boasts many modern skyscrapers, as well as beautiful colonial-style buildings. One of the most beautiful of these is the main post office building, and the Pagoda of Thian Hau. Other important tourist attractions are the Union Palace and the War Remnants Museum, where we can learn about the Vietnam War and the scars it left on the country. Today, many Israelis also live in the city

The Ambassador says that Ho Chi Minh City is an exit base to the Mekong delta and the mountainous and rural areas where we can be exposed to nature and beautiful landscapes as well as the history and culture of Vietnam

West of Ho Chi Minh City is the Mekong River, 4,350 km long, which is considered to be the 11th longest in the world

Its flow starts in Tibet, passing through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia, to the estuary in the South China Sea in Vietnam. Tourists take a cruise on the Mekong, and see the trade going on boats in the river. One of the special sites on its banks is the Kai Rang Floating Market, where we are exposed to rural and traditional Vietnam and the powerful nature it has to offer

We asked Ambassador Trung to recommend the most interesting tourist sites in his country, and here is a summary of his remarks

Hạ Long Bay- where the huge rocky cliffs jut out from the heart of the sea. Is one of the international "7 Wonders of the Natural World" list

Hue– The historic capital of Vietnam since the reign of the Nguyen dynasty in the 19th-20th centuries. It has historic buildings and beautiful architectural wonders of Vietnam, such as the "Purple Forbidden City" and the "Fish Gills Tower" fortress, which preserve the country's historic heritage

Da Lat is a charming resort town in central South Vietnam, with plenty of attractions. One of the most notable is a motorcycle trip with local guides. We are particularly interested in it because of its location in the center of the province where Ho Chi Minh suggested locating the Holocaust survivors Jews. When we visit there, we can imagine that it could have been our own childhood landscape

Cu Chi Tunnels- in the heart of the forest about 35 km from Saigon. Here we can crawl into 300-meter underground tunnels set up by Vietnamese fighters for hiding and surprise attacks on the American army. This is especially interesting to us because this is where Hamas and Hezbollah picked the idea of ​​tunnels penetrating into Israel. Vietnam has many long caves, some of which are so long that they reach as far as Laos and Cambodia

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is a must-see for nature lovers, also known as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has hundreds of caves, including Sun Dong Cave, which is considered the largest cave in the world

Sa Pa in northwestern Vietnam is surrounded by green rice terraces, and various ethnic communities

Bac Ha Market– is about a 3-hour drive from Sa Pa, full of shops and stands offering local handicrafts and clothing that characterize the area. Israelis like to buy souvenirs there

Hội An– is a resort town recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the evening, the city sidewalk is lit with charming paper lanterns. There is an ancient Japanese bridge, which is considered the symbol of the city

 The city is known as the "tailor capital" of Vietnam. We can order tailor-made clothes and suits from local tailors for bargain cheap prices, and they will sew them quickly within a few hours

Ambassador Trung is a relaxed man, who speaks in a calm quiet voice. But when he told me about these sites, something changes in him. He gets excited and speaks louder and faster. His eyes sparkle like those of a young patriot in love with his country. The conversation with him made me passionate to visit Vietnam, and I am looking forward to a press trip there

Entering Vietnam requires a valid visa. The visas can be issued at the Vietnam Embassy in Tel Aviv. It costs 300-400 NIS, depending on the period and type of passport. The embassy forwards applications for approval to the Foreign Ministry in Hanoi, and after about a week they receive a permit, and the embassy in Tel Aviv issues a visa within 4 hours

In Vietnam there are still some Covid19 restrictions. A Covid test is required. Only groups of more than five people are allowed to travel in. It is mandatory to utilize a local guide to each group, because all guides are connected with the Ministry of Health, so that they can be located if someone gets sick. Ambassador Trung adds: "I hope that next year we will be open to free travel for independent travelers as well." i

Today we can get to Vietnam on connection flights only. Ambassador Trung is currently negotiating with El Al to extend its route from Israel to Bangkok, so it will continue to Vietnam. The flight distance from Bangkok to Hanoi or Saigon is less than two hours

www.jewishtraveler.co.il/thirteen-attractive-places-vietnam-jewish-travelers-0722/

The Staff of www.diplomacy.co.il  congratulates the government, people, and Embassy of Viet Nam on the occasion of the 29th Anniversary of the establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Viet Nam and Israel

Photos by Silvia G. Golan
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Written by Greer Fay Cashman / Jerusalem Post

Published: 21 July 2022

Colombian Ambassador Margarita E. Manjarrez Herrera, though a career diplomat, is also a lawyer by profession. Last year, she hosted her country's National Day reception at her elegant residence in Kfar Shmaryahu, but in the interim she has collected many more friends and acquaintances, and therefore moved the celebration to the Tel Aviv Hilton.  In addition to the usual speeches on such occasions, the event included musical presentations and amazing Salsa dancers from the Ensálsate Company.  No-one enjoyed them more than the ambassador herself, who danced and sang along on the floor while the two extraordinarily flexible dancers performed on stage to shouts of 'Bravo!" from the spectators, many of who also began to dance.

Representing the Government was Health Minister and outgoing Meretz chairman Nitzan Horowitz, who was in extremely high spirits, as if a weight had fallen from his shoulders.

The occasion was in celebration of the 212^th anniversary of Colombian Independence and the 65^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Colombia and Israel. Though Colombia had recognized Israel as early as 1949., it was only in 1956 that Israel sent  Tuvia Arazi as her first ambassador to Colombia whereas Colombia's first ambassador to Israel Jose  Maria Franco Ortega presented his credentials to President Yitzhak Ben Zvi in 1958.

Although cooperation and exchanges between the two countries exist on many levels, the ambassador confined herself to three areas: Climate change and energy transition; tourism; and diplomacy, culture and peace which Manjarrez Herrera believes are inter-related.

The greatest and most urgent challenge for humanity today is confronting climate change, she said, underscoring that it will be a priority for Colombia's new president Gustavo Petro who will take office on August 7.

On the subject of tourism, she said that following the pandemic, steps had been taken to reactivate tourism, and in 2021, incoming foreign tourists increased by 38%, which was higher than the average for all of South America.  This year, Colombia also participated for the first time in the International Mediterranean Tourism Fair in Tel Aviv.

Even though Colombia opened its embassy in Tel Aviv in 1957, it was not until 2013 that a President of Colombia paid a state visit to Israel.

During that visit by President Juan Manuel Santos, that Colombia's Minister of Commerce , Industry and Tourism signed a Memorandum of Understanding with MASHAV, Israel's Agency  for International Development and Cooperation. Colombia and Israel also signed a joint declaration to conclude their negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement.  The FTA was signed three months later and implemented in August 2020.

In addition to the practical aspects of the diplomatic relationship, such as agriculture, education, defense, trade, investment, and innovation, said the ambassador, she always thought that it is culture that nourishes mutual knowledge and dialogue

For this reason, the embassy launched Colombia in Israel– A Look Through Art, an 80-page brochure, in both printed and digital versions, in Spanish, English and Hebrew.  The brochure highlights Colombian art in Israel, as an essential element of its diplomacy and, as a window through which the Israeli public can approach Colombian culture and identity.

The connection between the two countries has grown, said Horowitz, noting that this was in large measure due to the courage and commitment of former President Ivan Duque , whom he commended for his courage in opening the Colombian Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Jerusalem last November.

Horowitz also mentioned the benefits of the Free Trade Agreement, and on the purely diplomatic front, also expressed thanks to Colombia for its support at the United Nations its adoption of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism, and for sending its soldiers to be part of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in the Sinai.

In reference to the numerous Colombians who have graduated from a variety of MASHAV training programs, Horowitz said that MASHAV considers Colombia to be a high priority country.

In congratulating Petro and wishing him success, Horowitz quipped that Colombia like Israel is standing before a change of Government.  At the same time, he did not forget to thank Duque for his friendship and support.

When it came to the toasts, the ambassador invited  the Foreign Ministry's Chief of Protocol Gil Haskel, who is a former director of MASHAV, and  Jonathan Peled the Ministry's Deputy Director General  for Latin America  and the Caribbean, to join her and Horowitz on stage.

Article writed by Greer Fay Cashman / Jerusalem Post

The Staff of www.diplomacy.co.il  congratulates the government, people, and Embassy of Colombia on the occasion of the  212th anniversary of Colombian Independence and the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Colombia and Israel.

Photos by Silvia G. Golan
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Written by Silvia G. Golan & Lior Sattarov

Published: 26 June 2022

The Embassy of Slovenia in Israel held a National Day celebration Thursday night in honor of Statehood Day, marking Slovenia's declaration of independence from Yugoslavia on June  25th 1991. The event was hosted by H.E. Ambassador Mrs. Andreja Purkart Martinez at the ambassador’s residence in Herzliya Pituach.

Upin arrival, the Ambassador and members of the Embassy staff received the guests. The residence was decorated with bouquets of flowers in the colors of the Slovenian flag, while the flags of Slovenia, the European Union and Israel stood in the garden.

The formal part of the evening opened with the national anthems of Slovenia and Israel. Her excellency Ambassador Andreja Purkart Martinez.
said that: "Both countries have become true partners, and we are very keen on building our relationship further, expanding into areas that are more topical today, which is energy and climate change."  
Moreover, the ambassador mentioned that Slovenia believes there are great opportunities for both countries in sustainable development and green technologies.
"I'm personally delighted to be posted in this country which is one of the leaders in innovations, and it is a privilege for me to work with such exceptionally talented and driven people that I meet here." Furthermore, there are many opportunities to learn from each other in close dialogue.
The ambassador praised the resumption of direct flights from Ljubljana, Slovenia, to Tel Aviv after two years.
In concluding, Ambassador Martinez shared appreciation: "thank my embassy team that always supports my activities with great dedication, both honorary consuls, Adi Rosenfeld and Eival Gilady, who are great enthusiastic supporters always who have many ideas on your cooperation, the president of our bilateral chamber of commerce Eiran Bolless, and CEO Orel Hershkovitz and I would also like to thank a very small but important Slovenian community here in Israel and also for this opportunity to thank Ambassador Eyal Sella who is leaving us for new opportunities, but he is a dear friend, and I hope he will not forget us and we'll stay in touch."

Mr. Yoaz Hendel, the Minister of Communications, spoke on behalf of the Israeli government.
His statement further enriched the strong bonds Israel and Slovenia share: geographic size, the fundamental values of freedom, democracy, and respect for the law, order, and human rights.
Mr. Yoaz also valued the Ambassador's initiative in bringing a delegation of Slovenian entrepreneurs to acquaint themselves with the innovation ecosystem in Israel.
Minister Hendel promised even stronger relations in the future: "We very much hope that this will result in greater cooperation that will prove mutually beneficial for both sides."

After the speeches the guests enjoyed delicious traditional dishes. The ambassador had even made some mouth watering sweets, and invited the guests to taste a traditional, walnut-made baked sweet: Potica. Potica is a traditional Slovenian cake, typically served on special occasions and holidays.

The pleasant atmosphere was further enhanced with live music by a jazz ensemble "The Ram Erez Band " .

Among the honored guests who took part in the celebration were Dan Catarivas, Director of the division of Foreign Trade and International Relations at the Manufacturers’ Association of Israel; Honorary Consul of Slovenia Adi Rosenfeld, Honorary Consul of Slovenia Eival Gilady, Chairman of the Western Galilee College; Eiran Bolless, Chairman of the chamber of commerce, Israel Slovenia; Former Minister Ophir Pines Paz; and many foreign Ambassadors and business leaders.

The Staff of www.diplomacy.co.il  congratulates the government, people, and Embassy of Slovenia on the occasion of their National Day, 31 years of independence

 Photos Silvia Golan
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