The Embassy of Nepal celebrated Constitution Day, and 61 years of Nepal-Israel bilateral relations, with a festive reception at the Ambassador’s Residence in Herzliya on Sunday night. The evening brought the flavors of Nepal to Israel, with traditional cuisine prepared for guests to enjoy.
The Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, H.E. Kanta Rizal, wearing a traditional sari, greeted the guests. After the playing of the national anthems, a traditional candle lighting ceremony was held. Ambassador Rizal then began her formal remarks.
Ambassador Rizal explained the importance of Constitution Day as “the day to celebrate our achievements,” with the celebration lasting three days this year to include both the Gregorian date and the Nepali date. The ambassador spoke about the importance of enshrining secularism and inclusiveness as founding values, protecting the religious, linguistic, ethnic and cultural diversity of Nepal.
The ambassador lauded the strong ties between Israel and Nepal, and expressed appreciation for Israeli support during the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, as well during Covid 19, and through agricultural training programs. Ambassador Rizal closed by reiterating her confidence that the bilateral relations would only continue to grow in the future.
Tamar Zandberg, the Minister of Environmental Protection, spoke next, noting that the long history of strong bilateral ties included then Prime Minister of Nepal B.P. Koirala’s visit to Israel and meeting with Israel’s founding prime minister, David Ben Gurion, in 1960. The minister spoke of how the connection between the countries has blossomed to include agriculture, health, education, tourism, security and humanitarian aid, demonstrating the “true friendship shared between our peoples.”
Minister Zandberg highlighted the foreign ministry’s MASHAV and the “Learn and Earn” training program which has trained thousands of graduates to return to Nepal “equipped with unprecedented knowledge and experience in modern Israeli farming technology.” The minister also commended Nepal on its democratic stability as a model for other countries to emulate.
As environmental protection minister, Minister Zandberg also addressed the shared challenge of both Israel and Nepal as countries facing the impacts of climate change, and “climate-vulnerable” countries. In closing, she reiterated the best wishes of the Israeli government and people to the nation of Nepal on their national day.
Nepal is a beloved tourist destination for many Israelis, including those interested in hiking. In that regard, high altitude mountaineer Nadav Ben Yehuda, Honorary Public Relations Representative of the Nepal Tourism Board, took the stage to talk about the touristic highlights of Nepal, while playing a video showing the beauty and diversity of the country.
The President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, also sent a formal gift for the ambassador, following her recent arrival to take up the position. The gift was presented at the conclusion of the ceremony.
Guests then enjoyed the traditional dishes, with the ambience of festive lights and decorations. For those planning a trip or just eager for more information, there were books and fliers in English and Hebrew about visiting Nepal.
The distinguished guests in attendance included Mr. Gil Haskel, Chief of State Protocol at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affair; Rafael Harpaz, deputy director general of the Asia Pacific department of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Dan Ben Eliezer, former Israel Ambassador to Nepal; Michael Ronen - Head of India and Southeast Asia Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Major General (Res) Matan Vilnai; Raviv Byron, President of the Israel-India & Nepal Chamber of Commerce; Stephen Abrahams from the Ministry of National Infrastructures Energy and Water Resources; Mr. David Freeman, Jerusalem Representative of the Baha'i community, and many members of the diplomatic corps in Israel.
The Staff of www.diplomacy.co.il congratulates the government, people, and Embassy of Nepal on the occasion of their National Day,
Steven Aiello
Founder--DebateforPeace
https://debateforpeace.wordpress.com/
Photos Silvia Golan
More Pics at Facebook Israel Diplo
