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The Israel Embassy in Ankara has conveyed the offer to the Turkish authorities.(Communicated by the MFA Spokesperson)
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman instructed the Israel Foreign Ministry to convey a message to the Turkish authorities, offering humanitarian assistance following the earthquake which struck Turkey today.
The Israel Embassy in Ankara has conveyed the offer to the Turkish authorities.
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Statement of President Shimon Peres on the Return of Gilad ShalitGilad, Welcome home.
In a few minutes you will descend the stairs and enter your home.
We accompany you with excitement. With tears in our eyes. With a proud heart.
We saw you pale but standing tall. We stood tall with you.
You returned to us. And we returned to ourselves.
The children of Israel and the soldiers of the IDF are tasting the taste of freedom with you. The taste of our homeland.
Your parents worked day and night with love, with determination and respect for your return.
Your were isolated in captivity.
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- Written by Steve Rubin
With every news agency across the world commenting on the WikiLeaks phenomena, diplomacy.co.il could not let the opportunity to offer its own perspectives slip by. Mind you, our main objective is to facilitate more effective communication amongst the diplomatic and business community; however, as we are a site dedicated to the diplomatic world - in Israel and abroad - there is no way we could not give our own commentary on what is definitely the biggest security and diplomatic fiasco over the last century.
In a nutshell, what do these documents portray: cunning and astute bargaining amongst diplomats and heads of states; assessments of terror and nuclear threats; surprising statements by world leaders; quirky wry humor amongst security officials?
Besides giving a more profound look into the Iranian regime's internal conflict and its nuclear development, nothing we did not already know was released.
Skimming through newspapers worldwide, anyone can - on a daily basis - find lengthy articles regarding the wishes of Arab leaders to see the complete destruction of Iran's nuclear program, even if a military strike is the sole way in achieving this goal. Already back in June, reports were published regarding comments by the U.A.E Ambassador to the United States in which he advocated a US strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.
"I am willing to absorb what takes place at the expense of the security of the U.A.E," he said, referring to the possible destruction and consequences posed by a military strike (for the full audio-interview conducted by the Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg, click here).
When an ambassador expresses such issues as related to security and defense, it can only be assumed that those statements are nothing short of the official stance taken by his or her government - be it a monarchy or a thriving democracy.
Are people really surprised that the United States is responsible for the armament of Yemeni forces in their fight against rebel groups providing refuge to thousands of al-Qaeda and Islamist operatives while vying for control of Yemen?
Are the different Israeli assessments regarding an effective timeline for a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities something new to us? Isn't there something in the press every five minutes about this?
Is anyone shocked that the US and Pakistan are feuding over that country's internal policies as applies to the War in Afghanistan as well as Pakistan's fragile and unprotected nuclear arsenal? What WOULD BE shocking is if the WikiLeaks reports were to reveal a trusting, mutually beneficial relationship between the two!
For understanding the complicated trickery and deceit inherent in Middle East politics, one does not have to jump on leaked information regarding the US State Departments inner workings within the region. Simply living here is enough to make anyone realize that shifting alliances are nothing more than a way to shape foreign policy on a day to day basis.
The alliances of today will most likely be gone tomorrow.
Besides making for a great novel turned Hollywood feature, the release of the WikiLeaks documents only expands on reports that have been circulating for years.
Embarrassing? Yes. Enough to restructure the world political divide? Not a bit.
For more in depth coverage of the WikiLeaks saga, visit http://www.haaretz.com or http://www.nytimes.com
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"You created the foundation of the agreement"President Shimon Peres met this morning with the German mediator who was instrumental in facilitating the agreement to free Gilad Shalit. He was joined by senior members of Germany's security establishment and government. The President used the opportunity to thank German Chancellor Angela Merkel for Germany's invaluable assistance in bringing Shalit home.
