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
Ambassador Trung said "Vietnam wants friendly relations with Israel, and he is interested in hearing from the guests about their feelings and experiences related to Vietnam. The Vietnamese ambassador and many of the Vietnamese guests wore traditional Vietnamese robes.
Ambassador Yaron Meir said that he also expects an atmosphere of friendship in the relations between the countries. "I am sure that we can to do a lot in the coming years."
The giant Vietnamese company City Group recently opened an office of interests in Israel. The head of the representative office in Israel, Tzachi Zeltzer, said that the company was established as the largest real estate company in Vietnam, about a decade ago it expanded into other business areas, including high tech. Since Israel is considered a high tech powerhouse, they decided to invest in innovative initiatives in Israel as well. Now Citigroup is focusing on R&D in the areas Agriculture, biotech, and medtech.
The tourist, Aaron Lipner, owner of the global catering company GEM KOSHER, said that some Israelis think that going to Vietnam is like going 50 years back in time, but this is not true. Vietnam has developed tourism, with many high-class hotels. Vietnamese 3-4 star hotels provide 5-star service that is accepted in Israel. He revealed that he is negotiating with several hotels, with the aim of turning one of them into a kosher hotel. In his opinion, Vietnam will be one of the main destinations for Israeli tourism in the coming years. This is especially so in light of the fact that flights to the East are being shortened due to Saudi Arabia's permission for Israeli planes to fly over its territory.
Ambassador Trung added that these days he is negotiating with El Al to extend its line to Bangkok, which will continue to Hanoi or Saigon.
After this is done, he intends to bring Vietnamese airlines to Israel as well, which will operate a regular route to Israel.
We were invited to congratulate another twenty businessmen who import products from Vietnam. Among them stood out an Israeli-Vietnamese couple who established a farm near Moshav Bnei Zion in Sharon for growing Vietnamese vegetables and fruits. They also manufacture and market Vietnamese food products. At the entrance they placed a counter with a display of Vietnamese food products that they produce in Israel and products that they import from Vietnam.
In the entrance hall for the ceremony, buffets were placed with authentic Vietnamese dishes, prepared by the ambassador's wife Trang Pham.
The surprise of the event was a Fashion Show by the Embassy Staff and members of the Vietnamese community in Israel
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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