6 THE JAPAN TIMES WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2010 (3) world

Israel loyalty oath applicable to all citizens: Netanyahu Hamas ‘has antiaircraft missiles’ Jerusalem AFP-JIJI automatically entitled to citizenship in the state of Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday Israel. ordered that a controversial loyalty oath to Israel as a Israeli-Arab lawmaker Jamel Zahalka charged know if you know this, but to- Hamas has yet to deploy the ready for it. But it will not be ‘‘Jewish state’’ be amended to apply to both Jews that Netanyahu’s changes did not make the bill Netanyahu says Israeli domination day we are struggling to fly weapons, but Israeli pilots fly like the last war in 2009 in and non-Jews, a statement from his office said. less racist as ‘‘it forces Arab citizens to take an near Gaza because they have over Gaza with the assumption which we realized the strength ‘‘Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered oath of allegiance to a Jewish state.’’ of skies over Gaza compromised antiaircraft missiles there,’’ that the missiles are there, the and weakness of our enemy,’’ Justice Minister (Yaakov) Neeman to prepare a Israeli-Arab lawmaker Ahmed Tibi said Monday Netanyahu said. officials said, speaking on con- he said. government bill that will apply the declaration of ‘‘imposing identity values by force — on Jews or Jerusalem Israel’s aerial freedom has He warned that the missiles dition of anonymity according Hamas has fired thousands loyalty to a Jewish and democratic state also to non-Jews — is absolutely useless.’’ AP been compromised by the new could also threaten air traffic to military protocol. of rockets and missiles into Is- Jews wanting to become citizens under the Law of And ultraorthodox politician Moshe Gafni said ------weaponry, presumably smug- at Israel’s international air- Hamas refused to say rael in recent years, though it Return,’’ a brief statement from his office said. Netanyahu ‘‘should deal with Israeli citizens’ real Gaza’s Hamas rulers have ob- gled into Gaza through tunnels port. ‘‘Israel’s security needs whether it has any antiair- has largely refrained from at- The initial proposal approved by the Cabinet on problems rather than trifles that don’t mean tained antiaircraft missiles, connected to neighboring are real, the solutions have to craft weapons and accused the tacks since Israel’s offensive. Oct. 10 was to apply only to non-Jews wanting to anything to anybody.’’ Israel’s prime minister said Egypt. He said any future be real, not on paper. We need Israeli leader of spreading On Sunday, an Israeli air- apply for citizenship in a move that was widely One famous international voice to speak out Monday, in a potentially peace agreement would have to find long-term solutions propaganda to justify future strike killed two Gaza mili- condemned as racist by Israel’s Arab minority. It was against the proposal was veteran British movie game-changing development to include security arrange- that give Israel security,’’ he attacks in Gaza. tants who Israel says were largely seen as aimed at Palestinians seeking director Mike Leigh, himself Jewish, who canceled that could threaten the Israeli ments to deal with the threat. said. ‘‘These remarks reflect the preparing to fire rockets over citizenship after marrying Israeli-Arab citizens. a working visit to Jerusalem because of it. Air Force’s ability to strike at Israel believes that despite Netanyahu gave no evi- intention of the Zionist enemy the Gaza border. The Israeli However, if ministers approve this new The 67-year-old director of films including the Islamic militant group. its military offensive and dence to support his claim, to commit more crimes and military said more than 165 amendment that would make the law applicable to ‘‘Secrets and Lies’’ and ‘‘Naked’’ had been due to Israeli aircraft have long Egypt’s stated goal of halting and aides would not discuss more future aggression rockets and mortar shells Jews and non-Jews alike, it would make the bill spend a week at the Sam Spiegel Film and dominated the skies over the arms smuggling, Hamas has details about the missiles. against our people, taking ad- have been fired at Israel from similar in nature to pledges of allegiance to nation Television School at the end of November, in a trip Gaza Strip, striking suspected managed to restock its arse- The Israeli military refused vantage of the American sup- Gaza so far this year, a signifi- states around the world. that would also have seen him meet Palestinian Hamas military installations nal with longer-range missiles to comment on Netanyahu’s port and the Arab silence,’’ cant drop from the numbers Under the so-called Law of Return, Jews are film students and lecturers. and assassinating dozens of that can strike the heart of Is- remarks. said Fawzi Barhoum, a Ha- before the 2009 war. wanted militants. The Israeli rael. Security officials said they mas spokesman in Gaza. Hamas is a not a party to the Air Force played a key role in Netanyahu’s assessment have long assumed Hamas has ‘‘We emphasize that the Pal- newly restarted Israeli-Pales- el. He said the Palestinians other important thing to end, Israel fears the Palestin- a fierce three-week offensive was the first time an Israeli of- smuggled in Russian-made estinian people have the right tinian peace talks, which are would be willing to end all his- the conflict, and we are ready ians will press for refugee in Gaza early last year, which ficial has openly said Hamas Strela antiaircraft missiles, to defend themselves against deadlocked over Israel’s re- toric claims against Israel if a for that, to end the historic de- rights even after the creation began with airstrikes that also possesses antiaircraft presumably supplied by Iran. any future aggression and this fusal to extend restrictions on Palestinian state is estab- mands,’’ Abbas told Israel’s of their state instead of set- killed hundreds of Hamas weaponry, though intelligence Some versions of the Strela are is a national and holy duty,’’ he Jewish settlement construc- lished on lands captured by Is- Channel 1. tling in the future Palestine, fighters. The air raids also officials have privately sus- shoulder-fired and are de- added. tion in the West Bank. rael in the 1967 Mideast war: Though Abbas did not elabo- thus undermining Israel’s destroyed vast amounts of in- pected that was the case. signed to target planes, helicop- Hamas leader Mahmoud In a rare interview to an Is- the West Bank, east Jerusa- rate, this has typically alluded Jewish character. frastructure and killed hun- ‘‘The security problem is ters and drones at ranges of Zahar said the militant group raeli television station, Pales- lem and the Gaza Strip. to the Palestinian demand for Netanyahu said he heard dreds of civilians. not just the new rockets that around 4 km, according to the had learned its lessons from tinian President Mahmoud Once the Palestinians have Palestinian refugees to have a Abbas’ words, but preferred to Speaking to his Likud Par- will enter the area and will military information website the last battle. Abbas appeared to make a sig- established their state inside right to return to their home- have the conversation face to ty, Netanyahu disclosed that threaten city centers. I don’t GlobalSecurity.org. ‘‘If they want war, we are nificant gesture toward Isra- the 1967 borders, ‘‘there is an- lands inside what is now Israel. face. Guatemalan president’s visit

Celebrating 75 years of Japan ties Short profile of President Colom Alvaro Colom Caballeros was born on June 15, 1951, in Alvaro Colom Caballeros look for its strengthening and between and Ja- Guatemala and was one of the . He is married to de Colom and is PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF expansion. These efforts will pan, which started on Feb. 20, first friendly nations who had the father of three children. Colom was an industrial engineer who GUATEMALA be consolidated in a short visit 1935. We will also sign an im- offered its hand at times when graduated from the University of San Carlos of Guatemala. ------during October to this beauti- portant agreement to launch our country has suffered from His resume shows him as a conciliatory and hardworking Japan and Guatemala hold ful, prosperous and booming the large ZONAPAZ (Peace natural disasters such as the person. He was a university professor and vice dean of the Faculty friendship and collaborative nation. Zone) Road Improvement in- Pacaya volcano eruption and of Economics, Rafael Landivar University (Guatemala). He relations that have gone be- During my stay in Japan frastructure project. the Agatha storm that enor- specialized in textiles and the clothing industry, promoting textile yond administrations and we will commemorate 75 Japan is one of the princi- mously affected our territory development projects in various regions in Guatemala. that, in my government, we years of diplomatic relations pal cooperation partners of early this year. He served as a production manager in several companies, as a The support Japan pro- business development consultant, a leader in the Chamber of vides to our country in the Industry and a member of the Board of the Guatemalan Exporters form of various technical and Association. financial cooperation pro- As a public official, he served as deputy economy minister in jects, both loans and grants, 1991 and was responsible for the conception and design of social is an invaluable component funds in Guatemala. As executive director of the National Peace for the development of our Fund (FONAPAZ), he played a leading and active role in building people and our country as a peace. whole. During the internal armed conflict his initiative led to the Japan and its people have establishment of 75 companies, through which were created extended their hands to assist Alvaro Colom Caballeros 23,000 direct jobs and 100,000 indirect jobs. in our proposals and efforts to From 1991 to 1997, he contributed to the return home of more advance the Central Ameri- and it is in education where transmit from Asia, from Ja- than 30,000 refugee families settled in Mexico, laying the can regional integration pro- Japan’s aid is mostly felt, par- pan, our weekly radio pro- foundations for peace in the region — in Ixcan, the Ixil area, the cess, one that no doubt will ticularly in the form of schol- gram ‘‘Presidential Bureau,’’ department Quiche — the most affected areas of the internal provide space for economic arships and especially in which we will inform Gua- armed conflict. growth and for the improve- through the I Love Math pro- temala the results from our In 1999 he was the presidential candidate of the New Nation ment of the regional position gram. These efforts allow the visit. Alliance and after a three-month election campaign, he finished in regard to the international youth to grow and offer Gua- Finally, I would like to ex- in third place. He founded the party in community. temalans knowledge to devel- tend my deep gratitude to the 2001 and was nominated by the party in 2003, finishing in Natural beauty: Lake Atitlan in the highlands of Guatemala is renowned as one of the most My government has priori- op, all these thanks to Japan’s people and government of Ja- second place. In the 2007 elections, he again participated as a beautiful in the world. EMBASSY OF GUATEMALA tized health and education, cooperation. pan for the wholehearted sup- candidate of National Unity of Hope and was elected president This will be a historic visit port and friendship offered of the Republic of Guatemala. Historic similarities persist despite distance since for the first time we will during the last 75 years. Signing infrastructure agreement key to visit Byron Rene Escobedo Menendez millenarian culture, its tourist AMBASSADOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF attractions, its excellent coffee GUATEMALA and rum, plants and ornamen- From Oct. 20 to 23, the Presi- Naoto Kan. Also, President Zone) Road Improvement operation office in Guatemala ------tal products. It is an image dent of Guatemala Alvaro Col- Colom will have meetings with Project. through the Japan Interna- Since my appointment to the heightened by the more than om Caballeros is in Japan on a business groups and individu- Over the years, there has tional Cooperation Agency embassy in Japan in May 250 Guatemalans who have es- working visit. In 2010, we cele- als who work in strengthening been established a strong link (JICA), which has supported 2008, I have re- tablished permanently in this brate 75 years of bilateral re- the bilateral relations, among of technical and financial co- the implementation of sustain- ceived the in- beautiful country and received lations, which began on Feb. other activities. operation between the two able development projects by struction from and been treated as its own sons 20, 1935. During his stay on Japanese countries that began in the improving the living stan- the president and daughters. The agenda includes an au- soil, President Colom will sign mid-70s, with greater empha- dards of the people in rural of Guatemala The visit of the president of dience with His Imperial Maj- an important agreement sis after Guatemala signed its areas, poverty reduction and to strengthen Guatemala coincides with the esty Emperor Akihito and a through an exchange of letters Peace Accords in 1996. environmental management, relations with 10th meeting of the Confer- meeting with Prime Minister for the ZONAPAZ (Peace Japan has a permanent co- among others. the people and ence of the Parties (COP10) to government of the U.N. Convention on Bio- Japan, which is admired by logical Diversity held in Na- Maya civilization: Tikal National Park, which houses the famed Guatemalans in general, par- goya. It will be represented limestone-stepped pyramid temples, is designated a UNESCO ticularly by those who had by a Guatemalan delegation World Heritage site. EMBASSY OF GUATEMALA benefited with the coopera- made up of government and tion from a world power from nongovernment representa- U.N. Millennium Develop- policy traced by President Col- afar. tives. In this regard, the gov- ment Goals with the emphasis om in this friendly and singular President Alvaro Colom Ca- ernment of Guatemala has on poverty alleviation. country. It is an honor to cele- balleros, trusted me to repre- formulated a national policy I am very proud to represent brate 75 years of diplomatic re- sent him in this millenary land, with the vision to contribute to Guatemala in Japan, and to lations with the presence of the which shares an extraordinary the accomplishment of the work in line with the foreign Guatemalan chief of state. culture that resembles much of our Maya ancestors. During the presentation of my diplomatic credentials to His Imperial Majesty, the Em- peror Akihito reiterated his sympathy for the Maya culture and the historic similitude we share. Also, the Emperor ex- pressed his deep knowledge and interest in the Maya world- view illustrated in the Popol Vuh, a sacred book of the Maya. After more than two years, both Japanese and Guatema- lan Ministries of Foreign Af- fairs agreed to organize this Working Visit to Japan led by the president of Guatemala, the foreign secretary and minis- ters of state, with the objective to celebrate the 75 years of dip- lomatic relations between our countries. Guatemala is known in Ja- pan for various reasons: its

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