March International Women´S Day Dear Friends, February and March Are Busy Who Started the Zodiac Tradition
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March 2016 | since 1998 Ambassador Shein: President Rivlin receives International Perspective on the diplomatic credentials of Women's Day 4-9Current Middle East 10-13new ambassadors to Israel 20-23 march International Women´s Day Dear friends, February and March are busy who started the zodiac tradition. months with lots of major festivals Israel is preparing to celebrate and events taking place in the world. a Purim. Purim commemorates the survival of the Jewish people Saint Valentine's Day ,International in Ancient Persia, from the threat Women Day are traditionally a of annihilation at the hand of the days on which lovers express their powerful and evil Haman, the love for each other by presenting "prime minister". Haman plotted flowers, offering confectionery, to kill the Jews on the 13th of Adar, and sending greeting cards (known but his plan was foiled and he as "valentines"). The holidays ended up being killed himself. As a missed they religious or ideological consequence, the Jews celebrated meenings. the next day, the 14th of Adar. People across Asia have celebrated To celebrate the joyous holiday is Chinese New Year. Known variably reading Megillat Ester (The Book of as the Year of the Goat, Sheep or Esther) which tells the whole story Ram, the sign's confusion stems of the events relating to the holiday, from its Chinese character, "yang," dressing up in costumes, giving gifts which broadly describes any of to the poor (matanot l'evyonim), the ruminating mammals, with or giving gifts to friends (mishloach without horns. manot) and having a large Purim feast (seudat Purim). Many Chinese prefer to translate it as the "Year of the Sheep" because The Diplomatic Club is celebrating sheep are cute and cuddly, and an International women's day with hope for good future of all women, large sheep figures have appeared every mother and here children in around the capital's shopping areas the world. in recent weeks. The goat, however, is more likely to be the original Sincerely yours, meaning because it was a popular Julia Verdel farm animal among Han Chinese Publisher and Team Interview Tunisia for the second time. And now I’m Ambassador to Israel. Israel differs very much, in all and from all; not only from the Arab countries, but also from European countries, which I often visit. Israel is a completely distinctive and unique country, with a distinctive and unique society. I wouldn’t compare it with anything. Nevertheless, there are numerous common grounds with everyone, and, I would say, with Russia above all others, due to the large wave of emigration from the former USSR. DC: The Russian-speaking population of Israel has indeed stimulated a huge commercial, medical and cultural exchange. How do you see the prospects for further development? Ambassador Shein: AS: We already have very developed commercial and Perspective on the economic ties. The foreign- trade turnover between Russia Current Middle East and Israel is about 3.5 billion USD. We trade a variety of AS: My family and I find it goods: Russia’s export to Israel very nice; we like it here. I also includes mainly oil, as well as By Eveline Erfolg find it very interesting from a petroleum products, diamonds, wood, metals, some primary professional point of view. I’ve commodities such as sulfur, food arly in October of 2015, spent most of my diplomatic H.E. Mr. Alexander items, and agricultural produce, E career in this part of the world, such as wheat. Shein began his work as as after my graduation from Ambassador Extraordinary and the Moscow State Institute of Israel also exports agricultural Plenipotentiary of the Russian International Relations I joined produce to Russia, but it’s Federation to the State of Israel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, different and includes fruits after being posted in a variety of which sent me to the Middle and vegetables. Approximately countries in North Africa and the Eastern and North African regions. one-third of Israel's export to Middle East. Russia is mechanical equipment, My first diplomatic mission was as which is encouraging given DC: Alexander Petrovich, an attaché of the Soviet Embassy Israel’s great achievements after staying in many in Tunisia, the second was in in the field of high technologies. different countries in this Algeria, then in Syria. Later on, I Israel also exports chemical war-struck region, how do was appointed as Ambassador in products, pharmaceutical and you find Israel? Iraq, then in Jordan, and then in medical equipment. 4 Interview By the way, a well-known Israeli We highly appreciate this We postponed the implementation pharmaceutical company, Teva, independent policy of Israel. At of that contract for a while, has built a factory in the Russian the same time, I would like to until the problem of the nuclear city of Yaroslavl, which is already mention that the sanctions are program was resolved and the making Israeli medical supplies not the worst thing Russia is sanctions on Iran have been and medications in Russia. There going through, as the worst harm alleviated. Now, in accordance are many more examples of our is caused by the falling prices of with the Joint Comprehensive bilateral economic cooperation. Plan of Action, this problem is solved, and largely thanks to the Other than that, I would like We view today’s vigorous activity and the efforts of to highlight one more point, not only Russia but also, and even which opens new prospective situation as a perhaps to a greater extent, of the horizons for our two economies. historical opportunity to United States, which may have In 2015, Russia, together with strained relations between Israel other Israel-friendly countries – say goodbye to Russia’s and the US. Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia dependence on the export and Kyrgyzstan – formed a of hydrocarbons and to DC: Recently, the relations Eurasian Economic Union, which have been strained not only offers a new fully integrated develop a vivid, innovative between the US and Israel, common market of over 180 market economy. but also between the US million consumers, cheap skilled and Russia. Could this be labor, huge natural resources and the beginning of a new Cold transparent rules for investments. our traditional export goods. In War? fact, we view today’s situation as The Union’s executive body a historical opportunity to say AS: This is not the Cold War; has concluded that Israel is a goodbye to Russia’s dependence the situation reflects the ongoing desirable partner to sign a free on the export of hydrocarbons historical process of an emerging trade zone agreement. Israeli and to develop a vivid, innovative polycentric world-order and partners have expressed such an market economy. a geopolitical interaction interest too. Thus, now we are between states and groups at the negotiation stage, which, As for the cooperation with Arab of states for the influence on countries, it is by no means aimed I hope, will bring a fruitful, these transformations. These against the security interests mutually beneficial outcome. contradictions are much deeper. of Israel. On the other hand, a DC: Despite the fact that number of Western countries, The era of the Western dominance Russia supplies weapons to including the closest allies of is coming to an end. The share of Arab countries, and trains Israel, do much more than the West in global GDP is falling. Russia in supplying weapons and their personnel, thereby New economic and financial training to the Arabs. strengthening its economic giants are emerging today. This is a long-term trend. and political positions, Of course, Israel doesn’t really particularly in Iran, Israel like the fact that we are beginning Russia is such a large country does not participate in to supply weapons to Iran. that even when it is going economic sanctions imposed However, this concern was through difficult times, when it on Russia, does it? always expressed over the context is weakened, it cannot dance to of Iran's nuclear program, and someone else's tune for a long time. AS: No, Israel is not involved I would like to stress that this together with most of the deal includes supply of strictly After the collapse of the Soviet nations of the world; it refused defensive weapons, and there Union, when Russia was greatly to participate in these sanctions should be no complaints or weakened economically and from the very beginning. speculations on the matter. politically, then we had a very 5 Interview good relationship with the West, one common root. Nevertheless, Kiev's forceful propaganda especially with Washington. our relations were messed up muzzles journalists who wish They liked to help us build by the aggressive propaganda to express an independent “democracy,” so to speak, just campaign started by the regime alternative viewpoint; a number as they want to impose its social that illegally came to power of them are not only silenced, but model everywhere. It sat well in Kiev, by means of a violent also assassinated. The Ukrainian with Russia’s former leadership. unconstitutional coup d’état. government does not deny that its opponents are being killed, but it However, when Russia got The campaign is strongly does nothing to find and punish stronger and a new leadership supported by the Western the guilty. emerged, it decided to implement governments and media outlets, It has behaved this way in the a sovereign, independent foreign which are seeking to prevent the case of the burning alive of over and domestic policy. The relations spread of alternative information 40 opposition activists in Odessa soured at that instance. The or opinions on ongoing processes.