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President Javier Milei's First Visit to Yad Vashem
On the first full day of his first trip to Israel, President of Argentina H.E. Dr. Javier Milei visited Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, located in Jerusalem. President Milei, accompanied by native Argentinian Chairman of Yad Vashem, Dani Dayan, toured the Holocaust History Museum and the Hall of Names. Following the guided tour, the President participated in a solemn memorial ceremony in the Hall of Remembrance and signed the Yad Vashem guestbook outside the Hall of Remembrance.
In President Milei's entry in the Yad Vashem guest book he wrote:
"In this symbolic and transcendent place, where darkness reaches unimaginable extremes of cruelty, it is precisely here that we can see the greatness of a people. The greatness of going through the pain and rising up again even stronger than before. We all bear the duty not to remain silent. Never again is now."
In part of his strong and emotional speech the President expressed: "As I see the grim images of the Holocaust, I wonder where the free world was then and today. I ask myself the same question again. Where is the voice of the world? freedom that demands the release of more than 100 people kidnapped for more than 100 days? Choosing life is demanding the release of those kidnapped! We must not remain silent in the face of the monstrosity of Nazism. In the same way, today we should not remain silent silence in the face of modern Nazism, disguised as the terrorist group Hamas... "that inside Yad Vashem saw destruction and death, but outside in the country it sees prosperity and freedom. He gave several examples from history, where after tragedies there was reconstruction.
At the conclusion of the visit Yad Vashem Chairman Dayan stated:
"This visit was especially pertinent given the fact that there have been Latin-American leaders who have used in the last months rhetoric with clear antisemitic tones, including Holocaust trivialization. For the President of Argentina to visit Israel and Yad Vashem and commit so clearly to uphold the values and lessons of the Holocaust, is extremely important. Yad Vashem continues to work closely with the educational authorities in the Argentine Republic in order to increase Holocaust awareness and education for the Argentine people and the Spanish-speaking world."
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- Written by Greer Fay Cashman / Jerusalem Post
VIETNAM and Israel established diplomatic relations in July 1993 and last year celebrated the 30th anniversary of those ties. Israel opened an embassy in Hanoi in December 1993. Vietnam waited till 2010 to establish an embassy in Tel Aviv, but since then the ties between the two countries have become increasingly stronger. The number of Vietnamese citizens resident in Israel is somewhere between 150 and 200. The first Vietnamese came to the country as refugee boat people in the late 1970s. One of the initial acts by Menachem Begin after he became prime minister, was to grant them political asylum. During the Vietnam War, numerous temporary Jewish communities were set up in Vietnam, consisting largely of American military personnel.
After the Vietnam War, the Jewish community decreased significantly, but in recent years has begun to return, Ly Duc Trung, the ambassador of Vietnam, told a large group of Israeli business executives at a superb luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Herzliya that he cohosted with the Ambassadors Club of Israel.
Chabad is active in Vietnam, with centers in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hoi An, where visitors can receive kosher meals, Sabbath services, and ritual baths. Each of the abovementioned cities has a synagogue. There is also a Jewish school, said the ambassador.
At formal events, the ambassador is usually attired in the national costume of his country, but this time he wore an elegant business suit.
While people were networking before the meal, which incidentally was served with true professionalism, some of the food and beverage products of Vietnam could be viewed on a display table, along with a book of beautiful photographs of Vietnam in the totality of what it has to offer.
At the tables, guests heard something of the ambassador’s remarkable biography, both from Yitzhak Eldan, the founding president of the Ambassadors Club, and from the ambassador himself. Ly Duc Trung entered diplomatic school when he was 18, stayed for four-and-a-half years, and was awarded a scholarship to Paris. He wanted to officially join the Foreign Service, so he returned home and has held a number of positions over the years.
Eldan noted that while some ambassadors left after October 7, Ly Duc Trung stayed on and did much to improve the connections between Vietnam and Israel.
But most of the conversation centered on what the two countries could do for each other.
The Vietnamese people believe in a balanced diet, which is why they are so slim, the ambassador told his guests.
But the real purpose of the luncheon was to explore imports from Vietnam and Israeli investment potential in Vietnam.
Israeli car importers are very interested in importing Vietnamese electric cars, and Vietnam is interested in exporting them to Israel, but there’s a lot of bureaucratic red tape to cut before that can happen. The ambassador said that before he came to Israel, he had envisaged traversing the country in its length and breadth in an electric car. Unfortunately, he can’t see that happening during his posting here.
Among the guests were architects, town planners, transport and tourism officials, and people engaged in night vision devices, cyber, agriculture, homeland security, diamonds, civilian and military communications equipment, and journalism.
Israel and Vietnam complement each other in that Israel grew out of the mosquito swamps and the desert, and Vietnam grew out of a wild jungle. Traditionally, both countries also observe lunar calendars. Vietnam’s New Year, the Year of the Dragon, coincides with February 10. Both Vietnam and Israel have developed out of very little into highly modern countries, and the ambassador asserted that not only Vietnam but all of Asia is destined to become a formidable power.
The luncheon was held on Tu Bishvat, so the ambassador received a large tray of fruit from Eldan, and in return he presented Eldan with a work of Vietnamese art.
The ambassador recommended Vietnam as a popular honeymoon destination, saying that it is so close to other Southeast Asian countries that honeymooners can go for day drips and return for romantic evening meals. Vietnam has become so popular a honeymoon destination for Indians, he added, that some even have the wedding in Vietnam, and most Indian weddings have around 300 guests. An Indian wedding is a weeklong affair, which is a tremendous boon to Vietnam’s tourism
Presumably, Vietnam will soon be hosting Israeli weddings.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-784424
Photo by Silvia G Golan
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Indigenous Coalition for Israel is pleased to announce the opening of an Indigenous embassy in Jerusalem. The Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem will be hosted by Friends of Zion Museum in center of Jerusalem.
The Indigenous Embassy in Jerusalem is an international project that opens with strong expressions of support from Indigenous leaders from all around the world: Singapore, Taiwan, Samoa, American Samoa, Hawaii, Tahiti, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, Tonga, Fiji, Native American chiefs and paramount chiefs from Southern Africa.
Dr. Mike Evans- one of the greatest Evangelicals leaders, founder of Friends of Zion Heritage center, a # 1 New York Times bestseller of 118 published books read by 38 million people and Nobel Peace Prize candidate for his contribution fighting antisemitism, declares; "Friends of Zion Heritage center is a Zionist platform dedicated combating anti-Semitism and BDS, which main goal is supporting the Jewish people and the state of Israel. Naturally, the Indigenous Embassy which will open in Jerusalem would operate in its campus. I congratulate ICFI on the decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem and thank them for their support in Israel, especially in these times".
Jerusalem’s Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum who spearheaded the initiative along with the ICFI said, “We are grateful to the ICFI leadership for pursuing this initiative, especially during a time of war. The Jewish people are the indigenous people of Israel and so we are thrilled with the support of the global First Peoples’s community “.
According to Dr Sheree Trotter, ICFI co-founder and one of this project's initiatives: ‘Antisemitism has seen a disturbing and unprecedented rise in the weeks since 7 October. The indigenous peoples recognize the Jewish people as indigenous to the land of Israel. Further, many view Israel as a truly inspirational expression of self-determination in ancestral homelands. "We believe this is the right time to launch the embassy in order to send a strong message of solidarity from indigenous peoples around the world, that we recognize the Jews as indigenous to Israel and stand with her in her struggle against forces that seek her annihilation".
IEJ will become a hub for indigenous peoples visiting Israel and a tangible expression of their support. IEJ will also support and promulgate the academic work being undertaken to respond to false narratives.
IEJ will not purport to be an official representative of any of the governments that host nations of the respective indigenous peoples. It will engage in educational and cultural initiatives and mutually beneficial collaborative projects.
IEJ will foster relationships with Israel, promote understanding and fight antisemitism.
A formal inaugural event will be held on 1 February at 18:00 at Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem, with the presence of the Foreign Minister Mr. Israel Katz
Friends of Zion Heritage center was established in 2015, in the center of Israel’s capital Jerusalem, by founder Dr. Mike Evans.
This is a Zionist platform dedicated to the fight against anti-Semitism and BDS. On of its main goals is bolstering awareness for the historical support of the Christian friends of Israel. In their advanced Media Center, FOZ museum holds dozens of events, activities, and press conferences in line with their vision.
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Mike Evans, a Trump insider, said on Jan. 29 at a special Israeli Government Press Office event entitled “Israel in the Foreign Media in the October 7 War,” at the Friends of Zion Heritage Center which he founded, that he was asking President Trump to use his power and platform to mobilize support for the U.S. retaliating by bombing Kharg Island into the Stone Age in light of Iran's drone attack on a U.S. military base, killing three soldiers and wounding dozens Sunday.
Three U.S. service members were killed in Jordan at Tower 22 on Sunday and at least 34 others were injured from an Iran-backed drone attack, the first American military fatalities since the Oct 7 massacre.
Evans said there have been 159 attacks on U.S. forces since the October 7 Iranian-funded massacre by Hamas on Israel. Kharg Island plays a key role in the export of Iranian oil and serves as its main terminal for crude oil. It is the home of its petrochemical complex, which produces oil for export and domestic consumption.
In addition, the island has naval facilities. Kharg Island is only eight kilometers long and four kilometers wide. Since it's one of the centers of production and processing of oil for Iran, it is the perfect target. More than 90% of the island of Kharg has been assigned to oil companies and their terminals.
2023 saw the highest volume of Iranian exports since 2018. Iran made $42.6 billion to fund terror after the Trump administration unilaterally left the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and reimposed all sanctions. It was $7.9 billion in 2020.
It's time to bankrupt Iran. Their only key source for funding terror is oil. This target would not only significantly damage Iran economically, but would punish Iran for its attacks on shipping in the Persian Gulf. Iran has also continued to attack through its Houthi proxy on global shipping in the Red Sea.
Kharg Island is administered by the Iranian providence of Bushehr, which is also the location of Iran’s Russian-built nuclear reactors. Iranian warplanes even fired missiles at a U.S. drone but missed hitting it near Kharg island on November 1.
Approximately 90% of Iranian crude exports depart from Kharg Island. Iran’s exports have been roughly 2.5 million barrels per day. I am sending a message to former President Donald Trump to use his platform and power to mobilize the Republican Party and American people to support the bombing of Kharg Island. I sent this message to him through his former Ambassador to Israel David Friedman moments ago.
Dear President Trump,
I know you have been deeply troubled over the 159 attacks on U.S. forces by Iran and its proxies since the Oct. 7 massacre and the killing of three American soldiers in Jordan at Tower 22 on Sunday and at least 34 others who were injured by an Iranian-backed drone attack in the first American military fatalities since the Oct. 7 massacre.
In light of this, I humbly ask you to use your power and platform to mobilize the Republican Party and the American people to support the bombing of Kharg Island. Approximately 90% of Iran's crude oil departs from Kharg Island, roughly 2.5 million barrels per day from this Iranian location. It is only eight kilometers long and four kilometers wide and located in the Persian Gulf. It’s the perfect target.
2023 saw the highest volume of Iranian exports since 2018. Iran made $42.6 billion to fund terror after the Trump administration unilaterally left the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and reimposed all sanctions. It was $7.9 billion in 2020.
You understand that the vast majority of Iran’s money to fund terror comes from its oil resources. No American president has done more for the State of Israel than you have.
October 7 was a preemptive attack on the state of Israel through Iran’s proxy Hamas. Iran has also continued to attack through its Houthi proxy on global shipping in the Red Sea.
Iran will soon be a nuclear state, with a potential nuclear umbrella of Russian planes flying over Iranian airspace. The U.S. must have the courage to stand up to Iran now before it's too late.
Sincerely,
Mike Evans
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Photo credit Silvia G Golan
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The piercing sound of the Jerusalem Symphonic Orchestra, punctuated by the pan flute performed by Dalila Cernatescu, brought Romanian National Culture Day to life in a gala concert held in Jerusalem on Saturday night January 20.
Martin Salamon, the Director of the Romanian Cultural Center, welcomed guests to the Henry Crown Hall at the Jerusalem Theater. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Romanian Cultural Center in Tel Aviv, Mr. Salamon quoted the saying “When guns roar, the muses are silent” and flipping it on its head, noting that the sounds of the concert give voice to the idea that only art and culture can cover the sounds of guns and violence.
Noting the challenge of promoting soft power with so much ongoing warfare in the region and around the world, Mr. Salamon emphasized that we must continue to believe in peace, diplomacy and cultural relations, and maintain hope. This is the message of the concert he said: “to never give up hope.”
H.E. Dr. Radu Ioanid, Ambassador of Romania spoke next, expressed Romania’s full solidarity with the people of Israel, and noted that the Romanian Prime Minister was the first leader to visit Israel following the October 7th atrocities. Ambassador Ioanid explained that Romania as well was dealing with hostages of Romanian heritage and citizenship and was dedicated to bringing all the hostages home safely.
Following these opening remarks, guests were treated to a unique collaboration of the world class Jerusalem Symphonic Orchestra, led by Maestro Ionut Pascu. The concert featured pan flute virtuoso Dalila Cernatescu, and composer Florin Raducanu, who performed on piano as well as Oren Hardy on the double bass and Yonathan Rosen on the drums. The musicians astounded the audience with a diverse range including Romanian Doina, Klezmer, Sephardic Jazz sketches, and even a pan flute improvisation.
Diplomacy.co.il and www.debateforpeace.org congratulates the Embassy of Romania, the Romanian Cultural Center, and the people of Romania on Romanian Culture Day.
:Steven Aiello
Founder--DebateforPeace
Photos Silvia Golan
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