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- Written by Jonathan Danilowitz
The warm Tel Aviv evening was softened and smoothed by the elegance and charm of the celebration’s host, His Excellency Mr. Andreas Baum, at the lovely Ramat Gan ambassadorial residence. Guests mingled on the lawns, cooled by the delightful Swiss wines and other refreshments. The Israel diplomatic corps and a large gathering of Swiss nationals and residents of Israel, together with the cream of Israeli society, business people, journalists and friends, made for a “gemütlich” event.
A quartet of musicians, the “Pushkin Music Band” entertained the guests while cocktails and snacks were being served. Before Ambassador Baum addressed the gathering, the musicians gave beautiful renditions, first of the Israeli national anthem, and then that of Switzerland. The event was of course to celebrate the Swiss National Day (German: Schweizer Bundesfeier; French: Fête nationale Suisse; Italian: Festa nazionale svizzera; Romansh: Fiasta naziunala Svizra) of that multi-cultural and multi-lingual democracy, which actually falls on the 1st August. This year marks 724 years on the confederation. Mazal tov.
Following the address by His Excellency (copied below in full, for the convenience of www.diplomacy.co.il readers) a delicious buffet meal was offered, with true Swiss raclette taking pride of place.
“ Honoured guests, dear friends and colleagues,
Thank you for joining us to celebrate Switzerland’s 724th anniversary. We will now hear the national anthem of our host country Israel, followed by the Swiss Psalm.
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Thank you. I am happy to reaffirm the close ties between Switzerland and Israel. They are broad and diverse, based on common interests and shared values, and not least on the large, vibrant Swiss community, many of whose representatives are here tonight. On the official level, the year was marked by the December visit of a high level official, scientific and business delegation with the aim of learning from the Israeli innovation and startup system. It was followed in May by the visit of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Swiss Council of States, led by Professor Felix Gutwiller. The official calendar is yet to be completed by the regular political dialogue between the Foreign Ministries planned for November. Together with its Israeli partners, the Embassy is busy organizing a multiplicity of events, such as yesterday’s lecture by Dr. Nicolas Wyrsch, who is present among us tonight, on the Solar Impulse technology. Solar Impulse, as you know, is a Swiss airplane, currently in Hawaii on an attempt to complete a pioneering round-the-world trip using solar energy only. A strong orientation towards innovation and creativity is common to both countries and binds them in multiple ways. And I am pleased that this year’s Locarno Film Festival will specially highlight Israeli films.
A common attachment to democratic values is another essential ingredient in the relationship. Shared interests and values don’t thrive through verbal reaffirmation. They have to be nourished and experienced daily, by both Swiss and Israeli efforts. Because we care, we will sometimes express our worries. We admire and support Israel’s vibrant democracy, which currently offers a remarkable degree of democratic space. That NGOs can disagree with government policies and still freely go about their business is a credit to Israeli democracy, and should remain an indispensable ingredient.
Switzerland is firmly opposed to all boycotts, to antisemitism, to all attempts at denying Israel’s right to exist. We thus support a negotiated two State solution. And you won’t be surprised to hear that all high level official Swiss visitors regularly urge their Israeli interlocutors to end the occupation and the settlement enterprise. We haven’t witnessed a war for almost one year. This is not the cruel summer of 2014. For this we can all be grateful. But the lack of perspective is disquieting. Even in an unsafe, rapidly changing, truly frightening geostrategic environment, perspective is necessary, a larger context and opportunities do exist. I still don’t believe in zero-sum games, with fear as their main guiding principle. The last three years may have somewhat dampened my optimism. But my message tonight is not one of quiet resignation; it is rather a polite, respectful and unbowed reaffirmation of our principles and our determination.
Speaking of perspectives, I am often asked whether Swiss federalism could serve as a model for Israel. One of the most concrete proposals was put forward by my compatriot and Professor at Tel Aviv University Carlo Strenger. Based on the broad differences of lifestyle and values within Israeli society, he asks whether the creation of Swiss style Cantons with a certain degree of autonomy would not provide answers. Beyond my general skepticism about the applicability of “models”, of transplants and advice, I believe that these ideas deserve discussion within Israeli society. But I must remind the audience that the Swiss model consists of a whole political culture, which comes as a package, composed of Cantons, direct democracy, a culture of pragmatism and compromise, a strong orientation towards consensus. Cantonal boundaries often do not coincide with language or religious boundaries, creating a unique patchwork where every citizen is in one way or the other both in the majority and the minority. In our system internal differences are not seen as a threat, but as making us richer. The full model is relatively recent - our last civil war, with a strong religious connotation, goes back to 1847 only - and it currently undergoes its own challenges, such as our relationship towards migration and with the European Union. But I have no doubt that some of our experiences about how to integrate minorities could be of interest to Israel.
I listened with great interest to President Rivlin’s words at the recent Herzliya Conference, his description of the challenges and fragmentation currently facing Israel. He even talks of an “inter-tribal zero sum game”. His vision of a New Israeli Order, requiring a move to a new concept of partnership between the various population sectors of society, is truly inspiring. Through a sense of security, shared responsibility, equity and equality, the creation of a shared Israeli character, he foresees an “Israeli dream” that can be realized by each and every young person. This, in the humble opinion of this outsider, is true vision and reason for hope.
This National Day celebration marks the last official function in Israel for my deputy Natalie Kohli, my closest adviser for the past years, who put her essential stamp on the embassy’s work and became a friend to many of those present tonight. We will miss you and wish you good luck for your next posting as the Deputy Head of the Division for UN Affairs in Berne.
Finally, I wish to thank all of those who have made this evening possible, from the Embassy team to the kitchen and service brigades. A special thank you goes to the musicians of Pushkin, who, after their much appreciated performance last year, are again delighting us with their creative and dynamic renditions of neo-classical music. The buffet should now be open. Cheese can be found on my left side, meat on the right and salads inside. Again, thank you for coming and let’s enjoy the evening together."
Photos : Silvia G Golan
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- Written by MFA
The government of Paraguay stood by Israel during Operation Protective Edge and has been supportive of Israel at major international forums.
The Israeli Embassy in Asunción, Paraguay, was reopened on Tuesday 28 July 2015 in the presence of outgoing MFA Director General Nissim Ben-Shitrit and Ambassador Israel Peleg Levy. Paraguay was represented at the opening by Minister of Agriculture Jorge Gattini, the deputy ministers of foreign affairs and industry and other officials.
The event took place in conjunction with other festive ceremonies, which included the ambassador's credential-presentation ceremony, where he presented his credentials to the President of Paraguay Horacio Cartes on 21 July, and the affixing of a new mezuzah at the Israeli Embassy in Asunción.
The government of Paraguay stood by Israel during Operation Protective Edge, a time when Israel was criticized by many countries. More recently, Paraguay supported Israel at major international forums. Israel cooperates with Paraguay in the battle against terrorism and maintains a supportive role in actions against Hezbollah at the tri-border region.
The two nations maintain a bilateral free trade agreement within the framework of Mercosur - the South American Common Market. Sophisticated Israeli risk-prevention systems have been installed at the Itaipú hydroelectric power plant, one of the largest hydroelectric power plants in the world. The bilateral balance of trade stands at $ 200 million. Large-scale meat imports form a large portion of Israel’s trade with Paraguay. Israel maintains close cooperation with Paraguay in the areas of water, agriculture, education and medicine, and recently the Ministers of Agriculture of the two countries exchanged visits and signed agreements of cooperation in the field of agricultural technology.
The embassy’s reopening represents a full historic circle after the embassy was closed in 2002, along with 15 other embassies around the world, due to budgetary constraints. In July 2013, a month before taking office, the newly elected president of Paraguay announced the opening of the embassy of Paraguay in Israel and appointed Honorary Consul Max Haber as Paraguay's ambassador to Israel.
Ambassador Peleg Lewi presented his credentials to Paraguay President Horacio Cartes
Copyright: Dirrección de Informática - SICOM Paraguay
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- Written by Silvia G Golan & Hagit Farber
Happy 24th National Day To Croatia!
On a perfect June 29TH early evening, at the elegant Dan hotel in Tel Aviv, overlooking the Mediterranean seashore, a most respectful & joyous celebration took place for Croatia's 24th National Day.
As the honorable guests from around the world arrived to the distinguished reception room , they received a heart shaped necklace - one of the Croatia's national symbols.
Mr. Pjer Simunovic, The Ambassador of the Republic Of Croatia to Israel, and Ms Tina Krce, the Minister Counsellor, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Croatia to Israel, personally greeted each and every guest with a hand shake and a warm welcome .
Among the distinguished guests were ambassadors and representatives from top Israeli society and commerce , the four Honorary's Consul of Croatia Shmuel Schlesinger, Aron Frenkel, Ran Fuchs and Yossi Landesman, the Israeli Businessman Gad Propper, Aviv Shir-On deputy Director General European Affairs of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mrs Miriam Aviezer Writer and author of the book "Righteous Among the Nation-Croats" and Nikola Vujčić a retired Croatian professional basketball player, as of 2013 a team manager Maccabi Tel Aviv .
Mr Dan Oryan, Ambassador of Israel to Macedonia told "Diplomacy"'s journalists about the important collaboration between "Habima" and "HaCameri" - Israel's National Theatres & Croatia's National Theatre.
At the reception, the guests comfortably mingled, exchanged views & business contacts, while also enjoying the generous buffet that included a delicious assortment of fine Croatian cheeses, pastas, fresh and roasted vegetables, innovative chef salads and of course the traditional delicacies from both countries: The delicious Croatian national pastry "fritules" Burek ,and among the delightful desserts, Israel's most beloved summer fruit - the red sweet water lemon!
The welcome address to the gathering opened with Croatia's national anthem
"Lijepa naša domovino" (Our Beloved Nation) followed by the Israeli national anthem "Hatikva".
The honorable Ambassador toof Croatia to Israel, Mr. Pjer Simunovic greeted the distinguished invitees in and expressed his thanks to the government of Israel in Hebrew!
Back in English he thanked the staff of the embassy for their efforts at making the reception such a success.
The Ambassador expressed his deep respect and appreciation to the state of Israel , emphasizing the strong bonds & commitments between the two nations and the importance of the economic ties between Croatia& Israel. The Ambassador praised the commercial companies that provided generous support to the Croatian embassy: Teva, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Elbit Systems, Ashdod Bonded and proceeded to provide a short brief of Croatia's history, his nation's attributes and the significance of Croatia's independence day.
Responding on behalf of the State of Israel , The Minister of Environmental Protection, Avi Gabai congratulated the ambassador of Croatia on the occasion of it's National Day, and also congratulated Croatia on its success in every aspect of growth and progress.
The Israeli representative made mention of the excellent economic ties between the two countries, and of Croatia’s popularity in Israel "Diplomatic relations between Croatia and Israel were first established in 1997" ( Israeli embassy opened in Zagreb in 2005) . " Israel strives to share its global accomplishements in advanced fields with Croatia : our technology start - up professionals attend Croatian conferences, and young Croatians participate in events organized in Israel.
He conclude with congratulations to the ambassador , to the Government of Israel and to the Croatian People the on occasion of the National Day
Was a delightful event hosted by the Ambassador and the embassy of Croatia, Thank you and Here's a toast LE'HAIM to the brave nation Croatia!!!
Photos Silvia Golan
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- Written by Hagit Farber ַ& Silvia Golan
Vive La France! Bastille Day
On July 13th' early evening, at the beautiful residence of H.E the ambassador of France in Israel, Mr. Patrick Maisonnave, the traditional Bastille Day was celebrated with approximately 500 distinguished guests from France, Israel and around the world.
It was indeed a festive event with fine French decor, all "Blue White Red" flags, balloons, lighting effects, and a magnificent Eiffel tower cake…
At the entrance to the ambassador's residency, an old replica of "The Marseillaise" was placed, and an honorary French delegation welcomed the guests.
Throughout the beautiful house and garden, the honorable guests mingled, while drinking fine Israeli kosher wine from "Barkan" wineries, and world famous "Evian" water to cool the hot summer evening.
Among the distinguished guests were noticeable with their elegant white uniform the crew and soldiers of the French marine ship Bismuth that is now harboring in Haifas' harbor, alongside Israeli soldiers all dressed in the marines' white uniform.
Among the versatile guests also noticeable Israeli artists, Clergy people, military personnel and many representatives from the Israeli government and the top business sector.
At 19:30 h/e the French ambassador Patrick Maisonnave opened his speech by welcoming the honorable guests, touching upon the glorious story of the Bastille and the great French revolution, then perused to ensure the long and lasting strong allies between the Republic of France and the State of Israel, emphasizing the bonds and friendship between the two nations and peoples, the commitment of France to the security of the state of Israel, from the times of the Embargo, through the wars that the brave state Israel had to endure in its pursuit of legitimateexistence in the Middle East ,and its strive for peace with the Arab world.
The ambassador ensured that France continues to stand by Israel in the fight against world terror, and mentioned with great sorrow the Charlie Hebdo and the kosher market massacres.
The ambassador Patrick Maisonnave talked about the continuous peace initiatives of France, in spite of some criticism, to help reach agreements between Israel and the Palestinians.
The ambassador expressed his appreciation to the 150000 French residents living in Israel, who love and admire Israel.
The ambassador then thanked the Israeli Minister of Environmental Protection Mr Avi Gabbay for the cooperation in the fields of agriculture and the contribution to global ecology.
Mr Avi Gabbay, representing the state of Israel, talked about the true and deep friendship between the two nations that "is not just nostalgic ties", Mr. Gabbay continued to talk about the concept and the meaning of "Liberty ,Equality ,Fraternity " that the two nations share, and the importance of democracy.
He talked about Zionism and how France stood by Israel at the declaration of the independence of Israel by the UN, and is continuing to stand by Israel against Irans' nuclear threats and world terror.
Mr. Avi Gabbay then concluded with the warmest congratulations on behalf of the state of Israel to the French' national day.
The guest of honor, Mr. Shimon Peres, the former president of Israel then addressed his speech.
His honorary Mr. Peres moved everyone in the vast crowd with his calm, soothing manner of speech, expressing his personal love and appreciation to France, its leaders and the French people, who stood by Israel in its most vulnerable times of need.
Mr. Peres talked about the beginning of Zionism in the Alfred Dreyfus trial, the fact that the Jews are deppendant on the world so they needed to change that by creating Zionism, he praised Emil Zola and his historic "J'accuse".
Mr. Peres talked about the 4 Jewish head of state in France and the fact that after world war 2 France stood by Israel in spite of its allies and the embargo against Israel.
Mr. Peres recalled sitting with Prime Minister Ben Gurion at the evening of the declaration of the state of Israel by the UN, who then told him that "today we are joyous but tomorrow there will be bloodshed…"
Mr. Peres stressed the fact that only France gave us weapons, allowed ships to harbor in France and allowed to bring Jews to Israel.
He talked about his admiration to the former prime minister Charles De Gaulle, one of the great friends of Israel, then continued to praise the support of France in the "Kaddesh Operation", the "Six Days War" with weapon supply of French fight planes, tanks etc'. Mr. Peres concluded his speech by appreciating and thanking the ongoing collaboration between the two nations.
After the speech, all the attendants were invited join in singing the French anthem "The Marseillaise", followed by the Israeli anthem "Hatikva" and right after everyone raised a toast "Vive la france!"
The elegant celebration went on with best French cuisine and fine wine into the beautiful night, overlooking the Yaffa seashore.
Photos Silvia Golan
- Details
- Written by Marina Smolyanov
THE NATIONAL DAY OF REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA 2015
Many distinguished guests and members of the diplomátic community in Israel, gathered on June 30th at the sunset in the Slovenian ambassador residence in Hertzliya in honor of Slovenian 24th national day. Live Jazz and colorful mosaic of people contributed to the special ambience at the event.
The ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to Israel her excellency Alenka Suhadolnik, welcomed the guests with great eloquence, humor and charm. She highlighted the beauty in the relationship between Israel and Slovenia which she was surprised to reveal during her 4 years of service. She expresessed her hope for the ties of friendship between Israel and Slovenia to continue growing even stronger in the coming years. "The potential is enormous, and we are committed to developing the relations between the countries".
The Deputy Director General for Europe at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Aviv Shir-On, congratulated the Republic of Slovenia on the occasion of its National Day. "Slovenia has made great strides since declaring its independence and seceding from Yugoslavia in 1991. Israel was among the first countries to recognize Slovenia as an independent country and provided assistance in the Slovenian War of Independence,while the whole world stood indifferent".
He emphasized that Slovenia is a country known for its natural beauty, making it a highly attractive destination for tourists, including even medical tourism. Israelis have discovered Slovenia and so far thousands visited there each year.
Moreover, Mr Shir-On stated, that our countries enjoy growing economic relations, as is reflected in numerous areas, and especially in innovation. Additionally, the Israel-Slovenia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, based both in Tel Aviv and Ljubljana does important work to promote bilateral trade. In April this year, the CEO of the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute visited Slovenia to further advance trade relations between our two countries. He also mentioned that the port of Koper serves as an important gateway for the distribution of Israeli merchandise to Central Europe.
The guests were inspired to learn that Ljubljana has demonstrated its commitment to commemorating the memories of its Jewish community that perished in the Holocaust while trying to return the property of the victims and survivors to their families.
At the political level, Israel looks forward to strengthening the positive trend of mutual visits and to promote the excellent professional relations between our Foreign Ministries. In fact, at the begining of July, the political director of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alon Ushpiz, will be visiting Slovenia.
Israel and Slovenia also have a strong program of cultural exchanges in the fields of music, literature and the arts. There are growing numbers of books by Israeli authors that have been translated into Slovenian in recent years. Even the book Start-Up Nation, has been translated into Slovenian. Furthermore, an anthology of Israeli poetry will soon be published in Slovenia.
Towards the end of the event the ambassador awarded three finalists for the photography competition. The prize of a flight ticket to Ljubljana was sponsored by Josef Weiss, the owner of Adria Airways.
To conclude, Mr. Aviv Shir-Or expressed his gratitude, on behalf of the State of Israel, to the warm hospitality this evening. "Please convey our congratulations to your government and to the Slovenian People on the occasion of your National Day. May Slovenia enjoy growing prosperity, success, and peace".
Photos Silvia Golan
