On November 23-26 Italian DeputyPrime Minister Gianfranco Fini visitedIsrael at the invitation of the IsraeliGovernment.Deputy Prime Minister Fini was accompaniedby Hon. Andrea Ronchi, Ambassador GiovanniCastellaneta, Diplomatic Advisor to the PrimeMinister, and the President of the Union of ItalianJewish Communities, Prof. Amos Luzzatto.Hon. Fini was received by President MosheKatsav and by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon,and held meetings with Deputy Prime MinisterEhud Olmert, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom,

and Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.After visiting Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin,Hon. Fini met the Foreign Affairs and DefenceCommittee, headed by MK Yuval Steinitz, andLabor Party leader Shimon Peres.The visit took place in the warm and cordialatmosphere that characterizes Italian relationswith Israel. All of Hon. Fini’s Israeli interlocutorsexpressed profound appreciation for the Italiangovernment's role, also as EU President, insecuring a balanced European position regardingthe Mid East peace process.From the start of Hon. Fini's stay in Israel, whilepaying a visit to the Yad Vashem

On November 18 Prime Minister SilvioBerlusconi received Premier ArielSharon at Palazzo Chigi in Rome.Prime Minister Sharon outlined to PrimeMinister Berlusconi Israel's concerns for securityand stability in the area, and expressed hisappreciation for the role played by Italy asPresident of the EU in reviving the peace processand for the improved state of relations betweenIsrael and the Union. Prime Minister Sharon,emphasizing his government's right to take allnecessary measures to protect the security of itscitizens from terrorist attacks, said he was readyto restart talks in a proposed meeting with the

Prime Minister of the new Palestinian Authority.Prime Minister Sharon expressed Israel's uneaseconcerning the renewal of anti-Semitism inEurope, but was assured by Hon. Berlusconithat the EU Presidency would do its utmost tocombat this tendency. Prime Minister SilvioBerlusconi confirmed the approach towards theMiddle East adopted by the Italian Presidency,based on moderation and stability, maximumattention to security concerns, continuation ofthe fight against terrorism, reform of thePalestinian Authority and the revitalization ofregional economic activity. Regarding the latter,Hon. Berlusconi referred to his

resident Casini was received by PresidentMoshe Katsav, Prime Minister Ariel

Sharon, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom andLabour Party leader Shimon Peres. PresidentCasini met MK Moshe Kahalon, head of theIsrael-Italy Parliamentary Friendship League,as well as Israeli business and culturalpersonalities during a dinner hosted at theAmbassador’s residence. At Yad Vashem,President Casini laid a wreath in memory ofHolocaust victims. The visit touched a widevariety of issues and was held in a notably cordialatmosphere. President Casini emphasized therole of “parliamentary diplomacy” to furtherstrengthen bilateral relations. In a pointappreciated by his interlocutors, Hon. Casini

said that Italy has spared no efforts inencouraging Europe to actively contribute tothe Mid-East peace process. President Casiniaffirmed Israel’s legitimate right to defend itselfagainst the intolerable terrorist attacks on itspopulation. Foreign Minister Shalom thankedItaly for its efforts. In all his meetings, Pres.Casini stressed the importance of vigilance inregard to the rise of anti-Semitism, which everyresponsible politician must recognize. Italy wasthe first European country to develop a concretestrategy aimed at preserving the memory of theHolocaust and passing on its message toyounger generations. In his meeting withSpeaker Rivlin, the President of the Chamberof Deputies underlined the importance of inter-

parliamentary contacts, such as the Israel-ItalyParliamentary Friendship League,

Intense Activity in Italian-Israeli Bilateral RelationsOn November 9 – 11 the President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Hon. Pier Ferdinando Casini, visited Israel at theinvitation of Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin

1

(cont. p. 6)

NOTIZIE ITALIANENewsle t t er o f the Embassy o f I ta ly in I srae l No. 27 January 2004

P

President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies PierFerdinando Casini with Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin

Prime Minister Sharon greets Deputy Prime MinisterGianfranco Fini during his visit to Israel

(cont. p. 6)

(cont. p. 6)

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi welcoming Prime MinisterSharon in Rome

he Committee is an elective consultativebody of Italians in Israel whose aim is to

cooperate with Italian diplomatic and consular

authorities in identifying the social, culturaland civil development needs of the community.The Committee, in conjunction with the Italian

consular, regional and local authorities, andwith other entities and associations, will alsopromote appropriate initiatives in

For the first time a Committee of Italians Abroad (COMITES) will be elected in Israel on March 26thT

(cont. p. 4)

8

E V E N T S I N I SRAEL

NOTIZIE ITALIANE January 2004

E V E N T S I N I TALY

Picturing Words: Publishing and 20thCentury Vanguard ArtistsTill 31 March 2004

The Biblioteca NazionaleCentrale in Florencepresents Picturing words:Publishing and the 20th-Century VanguardArtists, an exhibition ofwork from the BertiniCollection, one of the mostimportant collections of20th-century art found inpublishing. The showcelebrates the artistic

journey of the 20th century though the publishingprocess, following the transformation of the illustratedbook into an art object. In total there are 220 examplesof livres de peintres (painters' books) on display,following a parallel evolutionary process as Europeanartistic movements from 1900. The collection includesworks by Bonnard, Rouault, Picasso, Braque, Gris,Derain, Kandinskij, Kirchner, Matisse, Chagall, Mirò,Bellmer, Duchamp, Ernst, Dalì and Italians Baj, Burri,Carrà, De Chirico, Fontana and Modigliani.www.bncf.firenze.sbn.it/notizie/testi/fondobertini.htm

Roman Purim25 January 2004This specifically Roman Jewish holiday, called theMo'ed di Piombo or Lead (as in the metal) Mo'ed,celebrates a miraculous event that took place in 1793.According to historical records, on the second day ofthe month of Shevat (in January) a fire was set outsidethe gates of the Jewish ghetto in Rome and, as it grew,the skies suddenly darkened "to the color of lead"and let loose a torrential rain that extinguished theflames. It is a joyous day for Roman Jews, celebratedlike any other Mo'ed or feast day. It is rememberedin morning and afternoon prayers, and in the eveningRome's Jewish temple is illuminated and the Rabbiexplains the meaning of the celebration.

Tennis in Milan2-8 February 2004

The Milan Indoor tournament at thePalalido Arena is an ATP tour rankingevent that attracts many of the world'stop stars for a week of high-class tennis.The tournament is played on indoorcarpet and a tournament purse of380,000 helps draw many high-ranking

stars.www.atptour.com

Mandorlo in Fiore2-10 February 2004Mandorlo in Fiore is a celebration of the colors andsmells of the spring season, taking place in thebreathtaking Valle dei Templi, a complex of extremelywell-preserved Greek temples. The aim of the festivalis primarily to promote Sicilian local produce, tourismand the cultural traditions that are unique to the island.The International Festival of Folklore is part of theevent, with an array of performances including theatre,music and dance.www.aapit.pa.it

Viareggio Carnival8, 15, 22, 24, 29 February 2004The Viareggio Carnival is one of the mostspectacular in Italy, and is famous worldwide forits incredible puppets. The figures satirise publicand political figures, and making and setting thematop the floats requires considerable technical skillas well as creativity and imagination. The hugefloats parade around the town competing for thefinest float award, each one carrying about 200people in costume. Each parade finishes withgastronomic events and a massive municipalfireworks display.www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com

Carnival of VeniceFebruary 7 - 24Musical, theatrical, acrobatics and danceperformances from the East will animate SanMarco's square for 17 days, the theatres and thefamous Venetian "campi", but also Lido, Mestre,Marghera and Riviera del Brenta. The children’sCarnival will take place in Campo San Polo whileYoga and martial arts courses at the Italian Pavilionof the Biennale's Gardens. Also scheduled areshows, historical and non-historical parades.Oriental Express. Masked journey on the SilkRoad is the theme chosen for the 2004 edition ofthe Carnival. Venice will be invaded by sounds,voices, dances, acrobats, street artists, eithercoming from the East or freely inspired by theEast.www.carnevale.venezia.it/index_eng.html

Unusual Beethoven SymphonyJerusalem, 8 January at 7.30 p.m.Tel Aviv, 12 January at 5.30 p.m.“Ludwig van Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, op.92, in its version for wind instruments - Vienna 1816”is the subject of lectures in Jerusalem and Tel Avivby Maestro Pierluigi Destro, deputy director of theA. Pedrollo Conservatory of Music of Vicenza.Info. 02-6241610; 03-5234544

Caviar and LentilsFrom 20 January, Tel AvivGiulio Scarnicci and Renzo Tarabusi’sNeapolitan comedy, directed by IlanRonen, will be performed at the CameriTheatre, under the auspices of theEmbassy and the Italian CulturalInstitute. Live performances ofNeapolitan music in the foyer willprecede and follow the show.Info 03-6061910; 03-6096169

“Appassiunata”12 February, GivatayimConcert of classical Neapolitan songswith singer Brunella Selo, accompanied

by Antonello Paliotti (guitar, voiceand arrangements),Mauro Squillante, (mandolin, mandoloncello, voiceand percussion), Leonardo Massa (cello).Info. 03-732.5340

Voice of Prayer of Italian Jews26 February, Ramat AvivConcert at the Diaspora Museum will feature ItalianJewish liturgical songs from Renaissance to present

times, interpreted by singer Charlette ShulamitOttolenghi, with Alexander Zlotnikov, piano andLudmilla Zlotnikov, cello.Info. 03-6407886

Black Inside26, 28 February, Cinematheque Tel AvivThe 15th Annual JazzFestival of Tel Avivhosts the talented andhugely celebratedAntonio Faraò Trio,one of Italy’s top jazzensembles. Born inRome in 1965, pianistAntonio Faraò (photo)has been considered anextraordinary talentsince his early teens.C o m b i n i n g amediterranean soundsensibility with a deepunderstanding of the black piano tradition, Faraò hasdeveloped his own virtuosic, soulful style that is hailedas one of the finest contemporary voices in jazz.Info. 03-5234544

“Primo Levi – the Man and the Writer”Jerusalem, 28 JanuaryConference dedicated to the post-War-World-II literary giant, withthe participation of Carol Angier,author of a massive, recentlypublished biography on the ItalianJewish writer; Prof. AmosGoldberg, Dr. Manuela Consonni and Mr. Uri S. Cohen from theHebrew University of Jerusalem;Prof. Ariel Rathaus, from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.Van Leer Jerusalem InstituteInfo. 02-5605222

Silicon Workshop 2004Genova, February 11-13, 2004The fifth edition of the Silicon Workshopaims to bring together research on siliconand silicon-based systems in different fieldssuch as materials science, photonics,communications and computer engineering.www.ifn.cnr.it/si-workshop-2004

The Molecular Approach2nd National Conference on Nanoscience and NanotechnologyBologna, 25-27 February, 2004

7

NOTIZIE ITALIANE January 2004Fe

brua

ry 20

04

4 – 6 Feb FLORENCEPITTI IMMAGINEFILATI - Yarncollections for theknitting industrywww.pittimmagine.com

9 – 11 Feb MILANMODAIN – Textilesand accessorieswww.fieramodain.it

13 – 16 FebFLORENCEFLORENCE GIFTMART - Gifts,Tableware, Furnishing

Accessories, Lighting,Company Gift Articles,Silverware and GoldItemswww.gift.florencemart.it

14 – 17 FebMILANB.I.T. – Internationaltourism exchangeexpo@expocts.it

18 – 20 FebBOLOGNAMANUFACTURING IT – Integratedindustrial management

and control systemswww.bolognafiere.it

19 – 21 FebFLORENCEPRATO EXPO –Spring/Summer Textileswww.pratoexpo.com

19 – 22 Feb VERONALEGNO &EDILIZIA – Wood inthe building industrywww.veronafiere.itinfo@veronafiere.it

20 – 22 FebPADUAMIFLOR – Gardeningand nursery gardeningshowwww.padovafiere.it

20 – 22 Feb PADUAFLORMART –Gardening and nurserygardening showwww.padovafiere.it

22 Feb – 1 Mar MILANMILAN MODADONNA –International

womenswearwww.cameramoda.it

26 – 28 Feb RIMINIPARK SHOWINTERNATIONAL– Components andequipment foramusement parks, waterparks and fun fairswww.riminifiera.it

27 Feb – 1 Mar MILANMODIT – Internationalwomenswear and fashionaccessoriesinfo@efima.com

27 Feb – 1 MarMILANVENDEMODA –Women’s prêt-à-portercollectionswww.iniziativefieristiche.com

28 Feb – 7 MarNAPLESNAUTICSUD –International boat showwww.mostradoltremare.it

1 – 4 MarCERNOBBIOIDEABIELLA -Fabrics for Men’s wearwww.ideabiella.it

2 – 6 Mar MILANEXPOCOMFORT -Heating, air-conditioning,refrigeration, plumbingtechnology, bathroomfittingswww.fmi.it

3 – 7 Mar VERONAFIERAGRICOLA –International farmingand livestockwww.veronafiere.it

6 – 9 Mar VALENZA(AL)VALENZAJEWELLERYEXHIBITION, SpringEditionwww.valenza.org

6 – 14 Mar PARMAMERCANTEINFIERA PRIMAVERA –Antiques, modernantiques and collectibleswww.fiere.parma.it

17 – 19 MarCERNOBBIOIDEACOMO –Fabrics for women’swearwww.ideacomo.com

17 – 21 MarBOLOGNASAIEDUE – Interiordesign, recycling andbuilding technology,claddings and finisheswww.federlegno.it

19 – 22 Mar VERONASOL – Virgin and extra-virgin olive oil showwww.veronafiere.it

20 – 23 Mar MILANMIPEL - LeatherGoodswww.mipel.it

20 – 23 Mar MILANMICAMSHOEVENT –International footwear

exhibitionwww.micamonline.com

20 – 28 Mar BARIEXPOLEVANTE –Leisure, sport, tourismand holiday exhibitionwww.fieradellevante.it

24 – 25 MarFLORENCEMODA PELLE -Leather industry previewwww.pittimmagine.com

26 – 28 Mar MILANEXPOSALUTE –Healthcare and healthprevention products andequipmentwww.senaf.it

26 – 28 Mar MILANEXPOBENESSEREHealth andpharmaceuticalswww.senaf.it

26 – 28 Mar MILANEUROPHARMEX –Internationalpharmaceuticalsexhibitionwww.senaf.it

26 – 28 Mar MILANEXPOSALUTE –Healthcare and healthprevention products andequipmentwww.senaf.it

27 – 31 Mar AREZZOORO AREZZO -Gold, silver andjewellery exhibitionwww.oroarezzo.com

31 Mar – 1 AprCERNOBBIOFILO - Yarns, fibres,textile design andfinishing for woven andknitted fabricswww.filo.com

31 Mar – 3 Apr PADUATRAMAG –International handlinglogistics, transport andmultimode exhiibitionwww.padovafiere.it

Mar

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04

t the beginning of December themil i tary band Fanfara dei

Bersaglieri from Florence visited Israelfor a series of performances organized bythe Embassy, the Italian Cultural Institute,member of Tuscany Regional Council Mr.Virgilio Luvisotti, the President of theFlorence sect ion, Mr. GabrieleBerlincioni and Mr. Mario Fineschi. Thevisit started on December 5 with thetraditional march-past that followed a long route from Jerusalem’s Italian synagogueto the old city. The following day the band

performed a selection of military marchesat the Givatayim Theater before a largecrowd that was addressed by Prof. LucioIzzo, director of the Institute, and ColonelAlessandro Veltri, Defense Attaché atthe Embassy, who greeted the visitors.The following day, after a Mass in honorof Italian soldiers, an enthusiastic publicenjoyed a concert in Jaffa’s main square.The Bersaglieri also perfomed at theAmbassador’s residence (photo) in honorof the visit to Israel by Italy’s AgricultureMinister, Giovanni Alemanno.

'Fanfara dei Bersaglieri' Military Band in IsraelA

'Fanfara dei Bersaglieri' at the Ambassador’s residence

Italian Trade Fair & Events Calendar February - March 2004

The conference will examine the ensembleof methodologies characterised by themolecular approach. These are mainlyrelevant to soft matter, viz. molecular,polymeric and biological, as well as hybridorganic-inorganic materials and interfaces;

molecular and organic electronics, photonics,optoelectronics and photovoltaics;biosensors, metallic and magneticnanoparticles as well as unconventionalapplications.www.isof.cnr.it/conferenze/nano04.htm

ulture, art, tourism, made in Italy,everything beautiful in Italy - the country

with the biggest cultural heritage in the world- will soon be available to all thanks to a‘National Multilingual Portal on Culture, Artand Production’ financed by the Italiangovernment.This ambitious project, initiated by theInterdepartmental Committee for EconomicPlanning, was at the centre of attention duringa recent session of the European Conference inParma, part of the European Minerva Projectthat monitors the digitization of cultural and

scientific content on the web. The project,coordinated by the Italian Ministry for CulturalAffairs with the support of the ministries of the15 member states, will give the multilingualportal a standard European platform to enableeasy understanding and access to Europe'scultural heritage. www.minervaeurope.org

CMultilingual Portal To Promote Italy

6

NOTIZIE ITALIANE January 2004

n evening of wine tasting featuring someof the most prestigious Tuscan wines was

held at the Carlo Italian restaurant on December19. The event was organized in collaborationwith Israel’s major wine importers and wasaccompanied by a delicious regional buffet.Of the 25 wines presented, the following wereparticularly appeciated: Guado al Tasso eTignanello Antinori, Molin Vecchio Carpineto,Solengo di Montalcino Argiano, Brunello diMontalcino Bionti Sandi, Testa Matta BibiGrentz, Sassicaia, Solaia Antinori, L’apparitaCastello di Ama, Tesoro Trabianca, Oreno SettePonti and Vigorello San Felice. The occasionwas the first in a series of planned wine tastingevents, which will be followed in March by anevening of wines from the Piedmont region.

Tasting Tuscan WinesA

he IsraeliF i l m

director AmosGitai (photo)was guest ofhonor at thepresentation ofa book on hiswork AmosGitai, CinemaForza di Pace,he ld a t theC u l t u r a lInstitute in TelAviv on December 18 by the Italian filmcri t ic and author Daniela Turco .Ms. Turco, invited to take part in aretrospective on the works of Amos Gitaiheld in all the major cinematheques of Israelin December, contributed an overview ofGitai’s contribution to cinema and his 30year relationship to the medium, to cultureand to history.

Amos Gitai, CinemaForza di PaceT

in recognizing signs of anti-Semitism and exchanging information pertinent to the peaceprocess. Israel has expressed its appreciation of those European countries, especially Italy, which sidewith Washington on the question of international terrorism. Strong support was expressed by PrimeMinister Sharon for Italy’s position in this struggle and its decision to send troops to Afghanistan andIraq. Referring to Iran, Prime Minister Sharon expressed his appreciation of Italy’s role in the IAEA andits election to the Board of Governors. President Casini recalled the importance placed by Italy on tieswith the US and outlined the actions taken by its government. Foreign Minister Shalom emphasized theimportance of stronger and more balanced ties with Europe, and the role played by the Union in the peaceprocess.

(cont. from p. 1)

"Plan for the Reconstruction of the Palestinian Economy", and repeated his offer to hostin Italy the peace conference, as envisioned by the Road Map. Prime Ministers Berlusconi and Sharonexpressed their satisfaction at the positive state of economic and commercial ties between the twocountries, and conveyed their wish to expand them further in the future. Mr. Sharon also expressed Israel'sand the Israeli Government's condolences to the Italian Prime Minister for the tragic events at Nassiriya.

Holocaust Museum, his remarksgarnered widespread attention. He urged younggenerations not to forget the past and to take anexample from the 'Righteous Gentiles', whoshowed how not to "look away" while the tragedyof the Holocaust unfolded. "There can be nojustification for slaughter, or for those who couldand chose not to save a human life," said Hon.Fini. The fight against anti-Semitism was a themerunning through many of Hon. Fini’s discussions.Referring to the International Task Force on theHolocaust, of which Italy will assume the

Presidency in 2004, Hon. Fini confirmed thatItalian educators would attend courses at YadVashem to learn the best methods for teachingabout the Shoah in schools.At an event organized by the Italian Ambassador,Hon. Fini met with representatives from Israel'sbusiness, academic and media communities.Speaking at the "Israel Council for ForeignRelations", the Italian Deputy Prime Minister againunderlined, before members of the "World JewishCongress" and foreign ambassadors, some of thethemes expressed at Yad Vashem. He dwelt on the

fight against anti-Semitism in Europe andengagement in the struggle against terrorism. The"World Jewish Congress" invited Hon. Fini toat tend i ts next convention in the US.At the Centro Einaudi in Jerusalem Hon. Fini waswelcomed by President David Cassuto and otherrepresentatives of the Italian Jewish Communityin Israel. He also participated at a ceremony in the"Peace Forest", organized by Keren Kayemet,where he planted a tree dedicated to the memoryof the Italian soldiers and civilians killed atNassiriya in Iraq.

(cont. from p. 1)

(cont. from p. 1)

President Casini

Prime Minister Sharon

Deputy Prime Minister Fini

Intense Activity in Italian-Israeli Bilateral Relations

World Youth Chamber Orchestra “Tour for Peace”h e Wo r l d Yo u t hChamber Orchestra

(Wyco), made up of 25 youngmusicians from 21 countries,gave a series of 3 concerts during their “Tourfor Peace”. As Goodwill Ambassadors forUnicef Italia, the orchestra opened on December20 with a concert in Ramallah, at which twoyoung Palestinian musicians were awardedscholarships. The following day Wyco performedat the Nevè Shalom-Wahat al Salamcommunity, and on December 22 the orchestraperformed at the Hebrew University’s WiseAuditorium, where two more scholarships were

presented to Ilan Schul,Director of the JerusalemAcademy of Music andDance, by Maestro Damiano

Giuranna, conductor of the orchestra. Thegrants will enable two students of the Academy,Jonathan Givoni, percussion, and SharonCohen, violin, to join the two Palestinianmusicians in the orchestra for the next season.The “Tour for Peace” was planned under thepatronage of the President of the Republic, inpartnership with prominent Italian andi n t e r n a t i o n a l o r g a n i z a t i o n s .www.musicaeuropa.it

T

5

NOTIZIE ITALIANE January 2004

Week of Italian Gastronomyn N o v e m b e r 3 0 ,Ambassador Terzi

inaugurated the Week ofItalian Gastronomy at theDavid Intercontinental Hotel.

Organized by the Embassy and the CulturalInstitute in Tel Aviv, in collaboration with the‘Accademia Italiana della Cucina’, the eventsmarked the establishment of the institution’sIsraeli branch. The President of the Academy,Prof. Giuseppe Dell’Osso, outlined the roleplayed by his institution in promoting Italianculinary traditions around the world.

The Academy’s principal objective, said Prof.Dell’Osso, is to enhance culinary practices byteaching young people to recognize the valueof tradition as a way of maintaining culturalidentity. The head of the Israeli branch of theAcademy will be Professor Ariel Toaff, anexpert in medieval history and author of thebook “Eating in Judea –Jewish Cuisine inItaly from the Renaissance to the ModernEra”. On December 1 Prof. Dell’Osso and Prof.Lucio Izzo opened the exhibition “Fifty Yearsof Italian Cuisine”, which featured a lectureillustrating the development of Italian tastes in

food from the Second World War to moderntimes. A highlight of the evening was the arrivalof two celebrated Italian chefs GiovanniTerracina and Dario Bascetta, who organizedthe food-tasting exhibit. On December 3 the twochefs held a conference and gave practicallessons in Italian cooking with a menu elaboratedby the Academy. At Bar Ilan University Prof.Dell’Osso and Prof . Toaff met withrepresentatives from Israel’s academic andcultural communities.

O

hree days of intensive work distinguishedthe Italian-Israeli Meeting on "Advanced

Topics in Materials Research", which was heldon November 16-18 at Israel's prestigiousWeizmann Institute of Science.

The Italian delegation, headed by Prof.Giovanni Marletta, Director of the TargetedProject "Special Materials for AdvancedTechnologies" at Italy's National ResearchCouncil (CNR), included 18 academicians andresearchers from various universities andinstitutes (Bologna, Catania, Ferrara, Florence,Lecce, "Federico II" of Naples, Padua, "ScuolaNormale" of Pisa, "La Sapienza" of Rome,Siena, Trento, Trieste, the CNR's "Istituto perlo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati" andfrom the "Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli", bothfrom Bologna), as well as representatives fromItalian industrial enterprises (Centro RicercheFiat and SAMO).

Attendance on the Israeli side included a highlyqualified group of scientists from the WeizmannInstitute, coordinated by Prof. Lia Addadi, Deanof the Faculty of Chemistry, as well asresearchers from Jerusalem's Hebrew University,the Technion of Haifa, and Ben GurionUniversity of Beer Sheba. Industrial enterprisesincluded Israel Aircraft Industries, AppliedMaterials, El-Op and NanoMaterials.Scientific presentations and discussions dealtwith specific themes relating to the field ofadvanced materials, including biomaterials,electronic and photonic materials, optoelectronicmaterials, nanomaterials, fullerenes andnanotubes. The conference concluded with anagreement to hold a further symposium on thesame themes next September in Taormina, Italy.

Cellular and Molecular Biology in the LifeSciences was held at the Weizmann Institute ofScience in November and examined areas ofpossible collaboration in the sector betweenItalian and Israeli scientists. A project betweenRome’s La Sapienza University and theWeizmann Institute was inaugurated on

Conformational Control of IntraproteinElectron Transfer Reactions, which will beinserted into the Programme on Italian-IsraeliScientific and Cultural Collaboration 2004-2007.T

Italian Israeli Workshops Gain MomentumFour bilateral Italian-Israeli scientific workshops and seminars were held in Israel in November and December

Digital Access to Scientific and CulturalHeritage was an Italian-Israeli seminar heldlast December in Jerusalem under theauspices of Israel’s Ministry of Science andTechnology, and will be followed by Israel’sparticipation in the MINERVA PLUS project(MInisterial NEtwoRk for ValorisingActivities in digitisation), due to be launchedin February 2004.

Israel’s Society for Neuroscience organizeda seminar on Neuronal Signaling: Intraand Intercellular Communication, held inEilat last December 13-14, that included adelegation of Italian scientists led by Prof.E. Cherubini of Trieste’s ScuolaInternazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati(SISSA)

he ‘First InternationalConference of Italian

Entrepreneurs Worldwide’, aninitiative undertaken by theMinister for Italians Abroad, Hon.Mirko Tremaglia (photo), andunder the patronage of thePresident of the Republic, tookplace in Rome on October 20-22.

The aim of the conference was todeepen relations with and amongItalian entrepreneurs living abroadas a fundamental economic resource and apowerful force for the promotion andimprovement of Italy’s position in international

markets. Particular attention shouldbe placed, according to positionsexpressed by delegates , ondevelopments favoring “returninginvestments to Italy” by Italianentrepreneurs abroad. Emphasis wasput on the importance of exchanginginformation to reinforce ties betweenthe Italian “diaspora” and thehomeland. A permanent “Committeeof Italian Entrepreneurs Abroad”would be established and chaired bythe Ministry.

The committee, which would meet every 3months, will monitor the execution of decisionstaken at the ‘First International Conference of

Italian EntrepreneursWor ldwide ’ , andp ropose ways t oachieve its stated aims.Italian businesses inIsrael were representedby Roberta Anati(photo), founder andmanager of EuroIsrael,who has worked inmarketing for over 18 years. EuroIsrael offerstechnical and logistic support to Europeanenterprises wishing to operate in Israel, and isrepresented in Italy, France, Germany, UK,Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.

First International Conference of Italian Entrepreneurs WorldwideT

4

NOTIZIE ITALIANE January 2004

taly paid final tribute onNovember 18 to nineteen

Italians killed by terrorists in Iraq.A state funeral and a national dayof mourning underscored how thetragedy united the country. "We willnever forget our dear heroes," reada banner along the flag-drapedprocession route, lined with tens ofthousands of mourners. The Nov.12 suicide truck-bomb attack in thesouthern city of Nasiriyah killed 19Italians and 14 others. It was Italy'sworst military loss since World WarII. Killed were 12 Carabinieriparamilitary police, five armysoldiers and two civil ians.Cardinal Camillo Ruini said in his homily during theMass: "We will not flee from the terrorists; rather, we

will confront them with courage, energy anddetermination."

I TA LY M O U R N S 1 9 H E R O E S K I L L E D I N I R A QI

economies closer, an aim thatat this time the two sides “cannot achieve bythemselves.” Cooperation and commerce cannotsubstitute for political dialogue, continuedOlmert, but it is essential in creating theatmosphere of trust from which dialogue canproceed. Palestinian Minister Al Masri agreedthat economic activity can have a positive effecton political matters. Deputy Minister Urso andhis delegation were received by Deputy PremierOlmert, Minister of National InfrastructureJoseph Paritzky and Transport MinisterAvigdor Liberman.

Deputy Minister Urso(cont. from p. 2)

he Italian machine-t o o l , r o b o t , a n d

automation industry is ableto react quickly and flexiblyto changes in the markets. Itis no coincidence that one of

the strengths of the Italian machine tool industrylies in supplying custom-made machines andsystems, produced to meet the specificrequirements of individual users.The objective of UCIMU, the Association ofItalian Manufacturers of Machine Tools, Robots,Automation Systems and ancillary products(NC's, tools, components, accessories), is topromote the growth and spread of anentrepreneurial culture by providing constantlyupdated services to meet the requirements ofcompanies operat ing in this sector.

In 2002, the main markets for the Italian machine tools industry were Germany, whichaccounted for 13.6% of the total, and France, with 12%; Spain (11.3%) unseated theUnited States (6.8%) from its coveted third place in the overall ranking, which includesChina in fifth place with 5.9%. Sales to Israel came to just under 11 million euro, up by3.3%, generated mainly by the forming segment. This segment accounts for 42.8% of totalsales and will be featured in the 2004 edition of LAMIERA (Bologna, 12 - 15 May) thatgives an exhaustive overview of machinery for machining sheet metal, pipes, section bars,wires and metallic carpentry, dies and moulds, welding, heat treatments, surface treatmentsand finishes.

Italian Machine Tools Industry: World’s Third Biggest

TItaly confirmed its leading position as a manufacturer and exporter of machine tools worldwide in 2002

UCIMU, Association of Italian Manufacturers of Machine Tools, Robots, Automation SystemsViale Fulvio Testi, 12820092 Cinisello Balsamo (Milano), ItalyTel: 011/39/0226/255.860 Fax: 011/39/0226/255.882ucimu@ucimu.it www.ucimu.it

matters relating to social andcultural life, with particular reference to theparticipation of young people, equalopportunities, social and educational assistance,vocational training, recreation, sport and leisureactivities of the Italian community living inIsrael.Electoral lists of 12-16 candidates tomembership of the COMITES can be drawn upand presented to the President of the ElectoralCommittee, First Secretary Andreas Ferrarese(Italian Embassy, Hamered 25, Tel Aviv)between January 15th and January 25th 2004,

if subscribed by 100 Italian citizens. Candidatesand subscribers must be regularly registered inthe Italian Ministry of Interior’s list of Italiansresident abroad and the signatures must beauthenticated by the consular authority.Vote will take place by mail. The envelopes withthe electoral material will be sent by theEmbassy by March 6th 2004 and must bereturned by March 26th.More detailed information will be provided bythe Embassy: Tel: 03-5104004; by IVR Tel:057-608810; and at the Embassy’s Websitewww. i t a l i an -embassy- i s rae l .o rg .

Committee of Italians Abroad(cont. from p. 1)

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NOTIZIE ITALIANE January 2004

Edited by:The Embassy of Italy in Israel(Economic and Commercial Section)

p.1p.1p.2p.2p.3p.3p.3p.3p.4p.4p.5p.5p.5p.6p.6p.6p.6p.7p.7p.8p.8

Intense Activity in Italian-Israeli RelationsCommittee of Italians Abroad to Open in IsraelDeepening Cooperation in AgricultureMinister Urso Leads Large Delegation to IsraelIsraeli-Palestinian Power Agreements SignedVeneto Increases Collaboration with IsraelMilan Among Europe's Top Business CitiesNew Chamber of Commerce WebsiteItaly Mourns Fallen in IraqItalian Machine Tools IndustryItalian-Israeli WorkshopsItalian Entrepreneurs Worldwide ConferenceWeek of Italian GastronomyMultingual Portal to Promote ItalyWorld Youth Chamber Orchestra “Tour for peace”Tasting Tuscan WinesAmos Gitai - Cinema Forza di Pace‘Bersaglieri’ Military Band Visit IsraelItalian Trade Fair CalendarEvents in IsraelEvents in Italy

Trade Tower, 25 HaMered Street, Tel Aviv 68125Te l : 0 3 - 5 1 0 . 4 0 0 4 F a x : 0 3 - 5 1 0 . 0 2 3 5www.italian-embassy-israel.org econ3@italemb.org.il

he terms of the agreements,under which the IEC will supply

electricity to the Palestinian Authority,w e r e n e g o t i a t e d w i t h t h eencouragement of the EuropeanCommission and the I ta l ianPresidency, from initiatives set inmotion in the EuroMed frameworkby Italian Minister for ProductiveActivities Hon. Antonio Marzano(photo).The agreements, finalized on October 30, wereannounced at a press conference with IsraeliInfrastructure Minister Joseph Paritzky, theEmbassy of Italy, represented by Couns. LucaFranchetti Pardo, and officials of the IsraelElectric Corporation (IEC). “The agreementsform part of Prime Minister Berlusconi’s planfor economic recovery in the Middle East,” said

Couns. Franchetti Pardo, “whichincludes rigorous support forimproved relations with Israel andwith the EU. Economic andtechnological cooperation also fitsthe spirit of the Road Map, in whichItaly is a fervent believer.”The joint projects include buildinga high voltage line, installing a seriesof transformers to supply Gaza withelectricity, building a power

substation for the West Bank and establishinga joint office for coordination of energy issues.In addition, there will be an examination intobuilding a private power station jointly ownedby Israelis and Palestinians. Prospects for furthercooperation were discussed at the EuroMedconference on energy held in Rome inDecember.

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Israeli-Palestinian Power Agreements SignedUnder Italian and EU Auspices

ilan is one of the top ten European citiesfor doing business, according to a survey

of leading European companies by a topinternational property consultancy. "Milan isthe fourth European city in terms of the numberof businesses," explained Paul Bacon, Italianbranch Director of Cushman & Wakefield,Healey & Baker. The ranking is based on 12factors including access to markets, transport,overall costs, personnel, and quality of life.Milan's advantages, according to the research,are its a large pool of qualified labor, access tomarkets and to clients, and internationaltransportation.www.cushmanwakefieldeurope.com

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Milan Among Europe'sTop Business Cities

he Israel-Italy Chamber of Commerce andIndustry has announced the opening of

regis t ra t ion for membership in 2004.The Chamber’s newly revised and completelyredesigned website, which is now online, offersfurther information. The site provides updatedbusiness and economic data and a host of new

interactive services and tools, such as a searchable databasefor business proposals, online publication of memberdetails, proposal submissions and many more featuresboth for members and general users.Tel: 03-6202034 Fax: 03-5258539www.italia-israel.com

TRegistration Opens for Israel-Italy Chamber of Commerce

he President of theVe n e t o R e g i o n

Giancarlo Galan visitedIsrael from November 4 - 11to examine possibilities forcooperation with Israelienterprises and institutionsin the fields of health,a g r i c u l t u r e a n d n e wmaterials.The Veneto Region hasdeveloped a telemedicineproject, with the contributionof Dr. Enrico Mairov, whichwill involve the establishmentof a "virtual hospital" incollaboration with Haifa's Rambam MedicalCenter. The idea is to enable both Israeli andPalestinian patients, after a brief admission intoone of Veneto's health facilities, to receivecompetent medical care directly in their placesof residence. The project has received thesupport of Israeli Health Minister Danny Naveh,who expressed a keen interest in the initiativeduring a meeting with President Galan. The

delegation also met withrepresen ta t ives o f thepres t ig ious WeizmannInstitute (photo) and some ofIsrael's major medical andhealth organizations, in orderto examine specific proposalsf o r c o o p e r a t i o n . T h edelegation headed by PresidentGalan also visited the Italianhospi ta ls in Haifa andN a z a r e t h . S c i e n t i f i ccooperation in agriculture wasat the center of talks heldbetween President Galan andI s r a e l ' s M i n i s t e r o f

Agriculture, Yisrael Katz, who outlined someof the very beneficial collaborative ties alreadydeveloped with Italy under the aegis of theAgreement on Industrial, Scientific andTechnological Cooperation that entered intoforce in 2002. The two sides agreed to set uptechnical committees to examine the possibilitiesfor further scientific collaboration, especiallyin aquaculture.

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Veneto to Enhance Projects in Medicine, NewMaterials and Agriculture

President of the Veneto Region GiancarloGalan with Prof. Lia Addadi, Dean of theFaculty of Chemistry, Weizmann Institute

ver 100 I ta l i an companies inentrepreneurial mission to Israel and the

Palestinian territories headed by DeputyMinister for Productive Activities Adolfo Urso,December 13-16.The mission to Israel ended at a meeting withPrime Minister Ariel Sharon, which confirmedthe deep ties of friendship, the favor with whichIsrael views initiatives from Italy, and the successof the mission headed by Deputy Minister Urso.The mission aroused much interest for itsproposals regarding Israeli Palestinian dialogueon economic issues.Prime Minister Sharon congratulated the visitorsfor organizing this initiative to Israel and forbringing over 100 business leaders from keysectors for regional development (infrastructure,aerospace, information technology, security,te lecommunicat ions , b iotechnology,pharmaceuticals, environment, agriculture,construction, finance and banks, stone masonry,food, industrial machinery, paper, wood, solarenergy, semiconductors, public services), to largeItalian high tech enterprises (Finmeccanica andAlenia, Telecom Italia, ACEA, ENEL, Anas, STMicroelectronics), and including many otherwell known economic and scientific institutions(Simest, ICE, SACE, CNR, Confindustria, ABI,Confapi, Promos, Federlegno).Deputy Minister Urso recalled the meetings held

last July 7 in Palermo between himself, DeputyPrime Minister Ehud Olmert and PalestinianMinister Maher Al Masri, which led to thepresent visit. Italian companies responded to theinvitation to join the intitiative in a manner thatexceeded all expectations, stated Hon. Urso.

Over 200 Italian and Israeli entrepreneurstook part in the bilateral Italian-Israelibusiness conference on December 14 at theWeizmann Institute, which was dedicated toresearch and development as well as technologytransfer.Ambassador Giulio Terzi opened the

proceedings with an overview of existingopportunities for industrial cooperation betweenItaly and Israel, the creation of new industrialparks, research and development and the transferof technology. Deputy Minister Urso describedthe birth of this initiative, and the agreementreached in Palermo at the EuroMed conferenceto extend to Mediterranean countries the EU’s“accumulation” rule.The Director General of Confindustria, StefanoParisi, and the President of Simest, RuggeroManciati, signed two cooperation agreementswith the Manufacturer’s Association of Israeland the Israel Export and InternationalCooperation Institute (IEICI). In the afternoondozens of one-to-one meetings betweenorganizations were held, organized by Simest,IEICI and ICE.A trilateral Italian-Israeli-Palestinian businessconference was held on December 15 at theNotre Dame Center in Jerusalem and meetingstook place between companies for ten trilateraljoint projects. Seminars on themes such astechnology incubators, energy and environmentinfrastructure projects, medicine, biotechnologyand agriculture, and banking and finance werealso organized.Deputy Premier Olmert expressed hisappreciation for the Italian initiative, designedto bring the Israeli and Palestinian

Deputy Minister for Productive Activities Adolfo Urso withPrime Minister Ariel Sharon in Jerusalem

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NOTIZIE ITALIANE January 2004

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(cont. p. 4)

Deputy Minister Urso Leads Biggest-Ever ItalianBusiness Delegation to Israel

taly’s Minister of Agricultural andForestry Policies Hon. Giovanni

Alemanno, accompanied by a delegation ofbusiness leaders from the sector, visited Israelon December 6-9 to explore possibilities foreconomic and scientific cooperation inagriculture and related technologies.Minister Giovanni Alemanno, as guest of honorat the Israel Business Conference 2003organized by Israel’s economic and financialdaily Globes, chaired a bilateral scientific andindustrial seminar coordinated by Dr. GiuseppeAmbrosio, Head of the Department of Qualityand Services at Italy’s Ministry of Agriculturaland Forestry Policies, and by Israel’s ChiefScientist for Agriculture, Prof. Dan Levanon.Minister Alemanno discussed cooperativeprojects with his Israeli counterpart, AgricultureMinister Yisrael Katz, and signed a Declarationof Intent that outlines areas of bilateralcooperation in the sector. The Minister alsovisited agricultural enterprises and researchcenters, among which the Volcani Institute.Other topics for collaboration were discussedat the Peres Peace Center with NobelPrizewinner Shimon Peres.In a meeting with Minister Alemanno, MinisterKatz congratulated the Italian EU Presidency

for the positive outcome at the Euromed meetingin Venice. The Italian Minister underlined therole of economic diplomacy. Referring to theimminent approval of the EU’s AgriculturalAgreement with Israel, Minister Alemanno saidthe two countries could assume a leading rolein agricultural initiatives in the EuroMed region.Joint bilateral programs should be set up insectors such as water and irrigation, reductionin the use of phytopharmaceuticals, olive oiland other Mediterranean agricultural projects.Particular interest was expressed by MinisterKatz for Minister Alemanno’s suggestion oftrilateral initiatives involving Palestinianenterprises. Products originating from such jointventures could be marketed as “Fruits ofDialogue” from the area. Such initiatives mightindeed contribute to the peace process. MinisterAlemanno was also the keynote speaker at theopening plenary session of the Israel BusinessConference 2003, which was attended by around1000 business leaders from Israel. In his remarksthe Minister underlined the desire of the Italiangovernment to contribute to peace anddevelopment in the Middle East. The presenceof a large business delegation from Italy’s foodand agriculture segment is witness to the interestthat Italy places on opportunities to reinforce

bilateral relations between the agriculturalsectors of two countries, said the Minister.Social highlights of the Minister’s visit includeda reception at the Ambassador’s residence inwhich over 300 guests from business, science,politics and culture participated in a food andwine tasting exhibition at Tel Aviv’s TerraToscana restaurant, organized by theCommercial Office of the Embassy and theIsrael-Italy Chamber of Commerce. The Ministeralso visited Yad Vashem, where he laid a wreathat the Hall of Remembrance, and touredChristian and Jewish holy sites.

Deepening Cooperation in AgricultureI

Minister of Agricultural and Forestry Policies GiovanniAlemanno in Beit Dagan with Agriculture Minister YisraelKatz