02-05 March, 2017, the Consular Corps of Israel has organized a very successful Consular Conference in Tel Aviv: all the FICAC Members were kindly invited to attend this conference with the theme “Consuls in quest of Peace & International Co-operation”.
On Friday, 3rd of March, 2017, the delegates enjoyed a joint breakfast with the Members of the Executive Committee of the Consular Corps of Israel: Hon. Peter Gad Naschitz, Dean of the CC Israel, who was President of FICAC 2000-2003, welcomed all the participants and wished them a very fruitful conference. The President of FICAC, Hon. Aykut Eken thanked everyone for their attendence.
The first visit was done at the Jaffa Peres Center of Peace, where Mr. Chemi Peres, son of Shimon Peres, and Ms. Yona Bartal, A.D.C. to the late President Shimon Peres, welcomed all the delegates.
Mr. Chemi Peres kindly did himself a brilliant presentation of the Center.
Founded in 1996 by the late Ninth President of Israel and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Shimon Peres, the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation aims to realize his vision for a prosperous Israel within a peaceful Middle East. The Peres Center is Israel’s leading non-profit, non-political, non-governmental organization focused on developing and implementing innovative and cutting-edge peacebuilding programs in Innovation, Peace Education, Medicine, Business, and Environment, reaching tens of thousands of participants over the last 20 years. The President thanked to Shimon Peres and he added that all of us need a peace, especially in our region but also all over the world.
All the rest of the day was dedicated to a highly interesting visit of Jerusalem and its highlights: the Israel Museum, The Supreme Court and the Knesset, the holy places to all religions – Dome of the Rock, Church of the Holy Sepulcher – , and a panorama view of Jerusalem.
On Saturday, 4th of March, 2017, the 6th FICAC Board of Directors’meeting took place at the Dan Hotel Tel Aviv, the venue of the conference
The Gala dinner hosted by the Consular Corps of Israel was held on Saturday evening.
During the dinner, several members of the Consular Corps of Israel were awarded with the FICAC Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of their valuable contribution and dedication to the Consular Corps of Israel:
Hon Gad Propper – Hon Consul of New Zealand Hon Eival Giladi – Hon Consul of Slovenia
Hon Orni Izakson – Hon Consul General of Norway Hon Ami Orkabi – Hon Consul of Korea
Hon Ami Lapidot – Hon Consul of Denmark
Mr. Fernando Pinto Oliveira, former member of FICAC Board of Directors, received an Award in recognition all what he achieved for FICAC.
Last but not least, Hon. Peter Gad Naschitz, Dean of the Consular Corps of Israel, was awarded with the FICAC Award of Merit in recognition of his valuable contribution and dedication to FICAC – World Federation of Consuls.
The Guest-Speaker, Dr. Yossi Vardi, Entepreneur, Israeli Hi-Tech, delivered a very interesting speech about “The Moving Factor to International Progress”.
On Sunday, 5th of March, 2017, the Conference “Consuls in quest of Peace & International Co-operation” gave the opportunity to the audience to learn a lot from the high level panel of speakers:
Hon. Prof. Stelio Campanale, Chairman of FICAC Security Committee Hon. Nikos Margaropoulos, Secretary General of FICAC
Hon. Dr. Elaine Monica Davis, Regional FICAC Chairman for Caribbean’s Region and Member of the FICAC Women in Diplomacy Committee
Prof. Shlomo Avineri, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, former Director General of Foreign
Ministry, Israel, Prize Laureate: Middle East Peace – Is it in Sight?
Brigadier General (Ret.) Danny Bren: The Israel Cyber Industry – Wordwide Success
Mr. Sever Plotzker, Senior Economic Correspondant, Yediot Aharonot, Israel’s biggest daily paper: Israel’s Economy, Past and Present
Major General (Ret.) Eitan Dangot – COGAT – former Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories
Mr. Joseph Ciechanover, Vice-President of Miya Water Co. on solution for water shortage in arid areas, irrigation and desalination
Mr. Oded Fixler, Head of Israel Water Authority, on regional water projects, water canal from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea
Mr. Shaul Singer, Israel, Start-Up Nation
These highly interesting presentations were followed by a debate moderated by Hon. Consul Eival Gilady “Behind the Screen of Peace Negotiations – an Augur for the Future?”.
The actual negotiators of Israel’s peace efforts and agreements, who were participating to this high level discussion were:
Mr. Efraim Halevi, Former Head of “Mossad”
Mr. Yakov Peri, Former Head of Shin-Beth (Israel’s Security Agency), former Director General of Cellcom, Bank Mizrachi, former Minister of Science
Prof. Uzi Arad, Professor of governance, security and international relations, Interdisciplinary
Center, Herzliya, former consultant to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Head of National Security Council
Hon. Consul Amos Eran, Former Director General of Prime Minister Itzhak Rabin’s Office,
Chief Peace Negotiator of Peace Agreement with the Kingdom of Jordan
Ambassador Zalman Shoval, 2 times Israel Ambassador to the USA, Member of Knesset
All delegates and participants agreed on the high level quality of all the presentations and the debate.
