NOTIZIE ITALIANE Newsletter of the Embassy of Italy in Israel No. 47 October 2007 President Peres chooses Italy as first foreign Justice Ministers destination exchange views himon Peres’s first official foreign visit S since assuming the office of President of taly’s Minister of Justice, Sen. Israel took place in Rome on Sept. 5-9. During I Clemente Mastella, made a brief but his stay President Peres met with Italian intense visit to Israel on September 19 at President Giorgio Napolitano, Prime Minister the invitation of his Israeli counterpart, Romano Prodi and Foreign Minister Massimo Justice Minister Daniel Friedman. D’Alema, and participated in a Studio Discussions between the two officials Ambrosetti Workshop "Intelligence on the confirmed once again the excellent state of World, on Europe, on Italy" at Villa d'Este in institutional and bilateral relations and Cernobbio on Sept. 8-9. cooperation between the two countries, facilitated by Israel’s Italian President Giorgio Napolitano welcomes President adherence to Shimon Peres at the Quirinale all major of their intensive and cordial discussions. international “I find it significant and wish to express my judicial warmest appreciation for the fact that Mr. Peres agreements. has chosen to make Italy his first official foreign Moreover, destination as President,” continued President the strength- Napolitano. ening of “During the course of his many visits to Italy relations President Peres has always been welcomed with between the respect and admiration. I am certain that his two countries President Peres with Prime Minister Romano Prodi discussions here with members of the in different Italian Justice Minister Clemente “I am particularly pleased today to host the government and other politicians, as well as sectors Mastella speaking at Yad Vashem President of the State of Israel Shimon Peres, with our cultural and economic leaders, will provides an whom I greatly esteem and with whom I have confirm the closest ties enjoyed between our opportunity to more easily implement had a long personal friendship,” affirmed two peoples and countries, ties that are administrative and juridical formalities. President Giorgio Napolitano during the course profoundly felt and shared by a large (cont. p.2) Minister Friedman thanked Sen. Mastella for his invitation to participate in an international conference on judiciary cooperation between Mediterranean countries that will be held on November 19 at the New visit to Israel of Foreign Minister Massimo Caserta Palace, and confirmed his intention to attend the event, an occasion to further renew bilateral contacts. D'Alema Minister Mastella also visited Israel’s taly’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Supreme Court where its President, Dorit I Minister, Massimo D’Alema, paid a visit Beinish, welcomed him. The cordial meeting to Israel on September 4-5, meeting with Prime between the two officials offered an Minister Ehud Olmert, Vice Prime Minister opportunity for comparisons between the Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. organizations of their respective judicial The Foreign Minister also met with Tony Blair, systems. official Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle Minister Mastella’s busy day in Israel, East, and received a delegation representing which included the laying of a wreath at Yad families of kidnapped IDF soldiers. Vashem, concluded with a meeting at the Minister D’Alema, fresh from talks in Cairo Italian Residence with representatives from with representatives of the Arab League, Comites (Committee for Italians Living underlined the urgency for progress in realizing Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema held discussions Abroad), who outlined the nature of life in a political horizon that would encourage the with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Israel and the expectations of its Italian Palestinians to engage in a negotiated peace. residents. During the meeting the Minister For his part, Prime Minister Olmert solidarity for the citizens of Sderot, the long also summarized the Italian Government’s expressed his appreciation for Italy’s engagement time target of Kassam missiles. adoption of initiatives to prevent the and contribution in establishing a more favorable Minister D'Alema's discussions with his resurgence of Anti-semitism, Holocaust climate for developing peace talks, and for Israeli interlocutors covered all the major issues denial and intolerance.<> Minister D’Alema’s public expressions of affecting the Middle East. <> 1 NOTIZIE ITALIANE October 2007 President Peres chooses Italy as first New Honorary Consul appointed in Beersheba foreign destination n September 11 Dr. Blima Sztorchain, in O the presence of Ambassador Sandro De (cont. from p. 1) Bernardin, received an official letter of majority in our political spectrum as well as acreditation from Israel's Chief of Protocol, by the people of Italy. Our ties with Israel are Amb. Yitzhak Eldan, to serve as Honorary excellent and should be enriched, and I am Italian Consul in Beersheba. particularly encouraged by the growing Israeli Blima Sztorchain, born in Milan in 1950, interest in Italian language studies.” studied biology at Milan's Universita’ degli Studi. In their talks the two Presidents discussed After working as a teacher in Italy for several prospects for peace in the Middle East, a subject years she moved to Israel where, since 1985, Ambassador Sandro De Bernardin looks on as Dr. Blima that Italy follows with the closest attention. she has been teaching biology at Beersheba's Sztorchain receives her letter of accreditation from In his remarks at a press conference President Makif Alef high school. With Dr. Sztorchain's Ambassador Yitzhak Eldan Peres affirmed that ties between Italy and Israel have never been closer. “We are grateful to Italy appointment, an important and lively personality for its actions [in the Middle East] and for its will enrich Italy's network of honorary consuls open and courageous stand on anti-Semitism. in the Negev, which the Israeli Government has Europe is a crucial player in the Middle East designated as an area of strategic development. peace process through its participation in the She joins Honorary Consuls already appointed Quartet as well as from frequent meetings Dr. Sztorchain joins the list of Italian Honorary Consuls in Haifa (Dr. Carlo Gross), Nazareth between leaders. I see Italy’s role in a united already appointed in Haifa (Carlo Gross, left), Nazareth (Italian/Israeli industrialist Michael Levi) and (Michael Levi, center) and Eilat (Dr. Fred Mandelli, right) Europe as one of goodwill, not of self interest, Eilat (Dr. Fred Mandelli). <> and therefore as a particularly effective contributor to peace in the Middle East,” Italians recall 1943 roundup of Rome's Jews concluded President Peres. <> s in previous years members of Israel's A Italian community gathered together at Yad Vashem this month to remember the raid into the Rome Ghetto on October 16 1943 which led to the deportation of Italian Jews to the Nazi extermination camps. Edited by: A moving moment of the ceremony was the The Embassy of Italy in Israel lighting of the flame in the Hall of Remembrance (Economic and Commercial Office) by two young IDF soldiers, grandchildren of one of the victims of the deportations. (from left:) Vito Anav, Adv. Beniamino Lazar, Ambassador Trade Tower, 25 HaMered Street, Tel Aviv 68125 Present were Ambassador Sandro De Sandro De Bernardin and Claudia Amati (right) Tel: 03-516.1744 Fax: 03-516.1755 Bernardin, representing Italian institutions; A particularly touching testimony was www.ambtelaviv.esteri.it [email protected] Vito Anav, of the Association of Jews of Italian delivered by Prof. Vito Volterra who, as head Origin and Claudia Amati, President of the Olei of a group a partisans, liberated Jewish prisoners Pres. Peres chooses Italy as first foreign destination p.1 Italia Association, who delivered poignant on the eve of the deportations from the Foreign Minister D’Alema visits Israel p.1 observations on the significance of the event. Servigliano internment camp in central Italy. <> Justice Ministers exchange views p.1 New Honorary Consul appointed in Beersheba p.2 Italians recall 1943 roundup of Rome’s Jews p.2 Annual meeting of the Amitei Italia Association Annual meeting of Amitei Italia Association p.2 Teaching Italian in Israeli schools p.3 he Amitei Italia a kinetic installation by Beit Issie Shapiro hosted at Italian Residence p.3 T Association Raiza Gershon. Ecomondo 2007 p.3 held its annual In his remarks to the assembly on October gathering Ambassador Sicilian delegation visits Israel p.3 17 at the Italian Sandro De Bernardin Chambers of Commerce meet in Fiuggi p.3 Residence in Ramat congratulated Dr. Arieh 7th Week of the Italian Language p.4 Gan. Cohen, President of Italia-Ebraica, 2000 years of dialogue p.5 The splendid Amitei Italia, and other ‘Montedidio’ at Haifa Theater p.5 evening opened with members of the Tribute to Luciano Pavarotti p.5 a recital by vocalist Association’s Aterballetto wins acclaim in Tel Aviv p.6 Cedar, accompanied management p.6 on keyboards by (from left) Dr. Arieh Chen, President of Amitei Italia, committee, for Italy participates in Haifa Film Festival Rami Zeitun, and Simonetta Della Seta, Director of the Italian Cultural organizing such a Mediterranean Music at Akko Festival p.6 was followed by a Institute and Ambassador Sandro De Bernardin successful event. “This The refugee violin p.7 dance recital of the El Nur group of Nazareth. will contribute”, said the Ambassador, “to the Events in Israel p.7 Guests admired the exhibition of paintings, development of your organization, which plays Winter at the Nahon Museum p.7 sculptures and video projections by artists such an important role in strengthening ties Events in Italy p.8 Shlomit Averbuch and Malca Haimovich in between our two countries as well as in p.8 the garden of the residence, which also hosted intensifying awareness of Italy in Israel.” <> Italian Trade Fair Calendar 2 NOTIZIE ITALIANE October 2007 Teaching Italian in Israeli schools Business meetings in Israel he teaching of the Italian language too.