Italy’s Minister forCommunity Policies,Hon. Prof . RoccoButtiglione, attendedthe “Israel and WiderEurope” conference onF e b r u a r y 1 6 - 1 7 ,o r g a n i z e d b y t h eInterdisciplinary Center(IDC) of Herzliya.<>

n J a n u a r y 2 7 a nimpressive number of

ceremonies and initiatives tookplace throughout Italy incommemoration of HolocaustMemorial Day. At a press conference inRome, Prime Minister SilvioBerlusconi said that "MemorialDay unites us all in the painfulmemory of the sacrifice ofmillions of our brothers."Warning of the dangers of anti-S e m i t i s m , B e r l u s c o n iannounced that the governmentis setting up an inter-ministerialcommit tee to f igh t thephenomenon. "The committeewi l l f igh t a l l fo rms ofintolerance, racism andxenophobia and identify theright educational tools andsanctions to combat behavior that is racist orstems from religious hatred," he said. President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, ministers,trade union leaders and Jewish communityrepresentatives took part in a two-hourceremony at Rome’s new Auditoriumconcert venue, with guests delivering theirspeeches from a stage draped with an enormousblack-and-white photo of death camp victimsunder which was written 'So As Not To Forget'.The ceremony featured a screening of someinterviews with Shoah survivors along withrare film footage of the death camps.

Deputy Pr ime Min i s te rGianfranco Fini said before aparliamentary commemorationceremony in Rome that"remembering the Shoah is amoral duty but we must domore . We must t ry andunderstand. Prejudice and anti-Semitism still exist, in Italy andEurope," said Fini. He later metwith Nobel peace prize winnerand Auschwitz survivor ElieWiesel who attended thecommemorative ceremony atRome’s city hall.All Italian newspapers and TVchannels provided several daysof extensive and wide-rangingcoverage on the Day ofremembrance that included notonly live reporting of officialevents but also accounts from

Holocaust survivors, films, theatricalpresentations and discussions. Italy's Jewish community praised thecommemorative events, saying that theyrevealed "growing public awareness about theHolocaust, particularly among the youngergenerations." A conference on anti-Semitismin Europe, organized by Pres identof the Senate Marcello Pera provided theoccasion for a visit to Italy by Minister forJerusalem and Diaspora Affairs NatanSharansky. <>

The Italian-Israeli Industrial Design Forumwill be held on 18 - 20 May at the ShenkarCollege of Engineering and Design in Ramat-Gan. <>

NOTIZIE ITALIANENewsle t t er o f the Embassy o f I ta ly in I srae l No. 28 March 2004

O

Day of Remembrance

At the invitation of Israeli Deputy PrimeMinister and Minister of Foreign Affairs,Silvan Shalom, Italy's Foreign MinisterFranco Frattini will visit Israel on March 16-17 for a series of bilateral meetings withIsraeli officials. The visit will provide anadditional boost to the political dialogbetween the two countries and tonumerous joint economic, scientific andcultural init iatives. <> (Frattini p. 2)

Italian-Israeli Scientific Cooperation

1

Minister of ForeignAffairs to visit Israel

Industrial Design

(p. 6)

Water ManagementThe Italian-Israeli Water ManagementWorkshop will take place at Ben GurionUniversity’s Sde Boqer campus on March10-12. <>

resident Carlo Azeglio Ciampi awarded a goldmedal for civil merit, the highest award in Italy,

in honor of the Roman Jewish Community on occasionof the Day of Remembrance "as an example ofbrotherhood and devotion to the Italian Homeland".Ciampi awarded the medal to Jewish Community PresidentLeone Paserman at the end of the ceremony in Rome'sauditorium attended by Senate President Marcello Pera,Education Minister Letizia Moratti, and ShoahFoundation President Douglas Greenberg. <>

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(Statement. p. 2)

President Ciampi awards gold medal to Rome’sJewish Community

( p. 6)

The Embassy of Italyo r g a n i z e d s e v e r a levents in Israe l incommemora t ion o fHolocaust Memorial Day

‘Giornata dellaMemoria’ in Israel

(p. 2)

Holocaust Memorial Day solemnly marked allover Italy

(Cont. p. 5)

Widespread appreciation forspeech by Min. Buttiglione

NOTIZIE ITALIANE March 2004

Day of Remembrance

ppreciation for the Holocaust Dayinitiatives promoted by the Italian

Embassy were expressed by both Israeliofficials and members of the Italian Jewishcommunity.

On the morningof January 27 aceremony wash e l d a t Ya dVashem, where awreath was laidat the Hall ofRemembranceby the Charge`d`Affaires Cons.

Luca Franchetti Pardo, the Italian ConsulGeneral in Jerusalem, Nicola Manduzio, andthe Defense Attache’ Col. Alessandro Veltri.The ceremony was attended by a fullcomplement of Embassy staff with theirfamilies, and many members of Israel’s ItalianJewish community, led by David Cassuto andClaudia Amati.The ceremony was also attended by the Directorof Yad Vashem, Prof. Avner Shalev, as well asby the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s Advisor onAnti-Semitism and Holocaust Remembrance,Martin Peled-Flax, both of whom underlinedthe significance of the ceremony as a tangibleexpression of Italy’s engagement in the struggleagainst anti-Semitism.This theme was echoed by Cons. FranchettiPardo who underlined the importance placedby Italy on Holocaust Memorial Day andeducating young people on the lessons of theShoah. Referring to the statement released on

the occasion by President Carlo AzeglioCiampi (see below), Franchetti Pardoemphasized the role of the “RighteousGentiles”, among whom figure many Italiansand others who remain anonymous.Pres. Cassuto expressed his “pride” over thedetermination demonstrated by our Institutionsin combating anti-Semitism: “Italy’s positionshould be an example to other Europeancountries,” he added. In the afternoon a seriesof conferences was held at Italian CulturalInstitutes on themes related to the Shoah.In Tel Aviv the results were presented ofresearch conducted by Dr. Yael Orvieto(researcher at "YadVashem") and Dr. DinaVardi on the theme of Holocaust memories bysecond and third generation descendents ofvictims. A large public that included someHolocaust survivors and their families attendedthe meeting, organized in collaboration withthe Association of Italian Jews, which wascharacterized by the intense involvement ofthose present.In Haifa a conference was held on the writerPrimo Levi, a survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto,which included a lecture by Marek Herman,who recalled his personal relationship with thewriter. This was followed on January 28 by aninternational conference at Jerusalem’s VanLeer Institute dedicated to Levi, which wasattended by a large public that included Italianand foreign experts, among whom Prof. CaroleAngier, who has discovered previouslyunpublished texts by Levi, and who has alsoauthored an important book on the writer fromTurin.<>

‘Giornata della Memoria’ in IsraelA

2

ozens of sports figures, artists, politiciansand journalists participated in the

"Match of Memory", a charity soccer matchorganized to commemorate HolocaustMemorial Day and help pay for the plannedHolocaust Museum in Rome, by Italian soccerauthorities together with the Jewish Communityof Rome. The game attracted widespread mediaattention, and was broadcast live on statetelevision. Among those attending was NobelPeace Prize laureate and Holocaust survivorElie Wiesel. Professional players all over thecountry marched onto the field at the weekend'sSerie A and B matches bearing “Do NotForget” and "Match of Memory" signs on theirT-shirts.<>

DSoccer ‘Match of Memory’

oreign Minister Franco Frattini hasdeclared that the problem of anti-

Semitism needs dialogue, analysis andconfrontation.Frattini met representatives of the Jewishcommunity in Rome on January 13 for anexchange of opinions regarding peace prospectsin the Middle East and what is considered aworrying return of anti-Semitism in Europe ingeneral. The issue was discussed duringFrattini's meeting with the chief rabbi in Rome,Riccardo Di Segni, the leader of the Jewishcommunity, Leone Paserman, and thespokesman for the community RiccardoPacifici. Frattini was returning the visit madeto the Farnesina a few days earlier bycommunity leaders. On February 17 Minister Frattini held ameeting in Rome with Abraham Foxman,director of the Anti Defamation League (ADL),to plan the international conference on anti-Semitism to be held in Rome next June under

the patronage of the Foreign Ministry. Thechoice of Rome as venue for the conference istestimony to the commitment of the Italiangovernment in this regard. In his meeting withMr. Foxman, the Foreign Minister underlinedthe Government’s resolve to combat anti-Semitism and intolerance, and the choice ofItaly to assume the presidency of theInternational Task Force on the Holocaustin 2004.<>

F

Minister Franco Frattini with Chief Rabbi of Rome,Riccardo di Segni, during their meeting

Minister Frattini visits synagogue

H o l o c a u s tMemorial Day is an

invitation to reflect on theShoah, organized by theNazis to exterminate theJewish people, an entirepopulation, which was anevent without parallel inhistory. Let us recall that the enormity of theevents of those years, during which 6 millionJews, almost the entire population living atthat time in Europe, were systematicallyslaughtered, make this crime almostunbelievable: “think about it, because ithappened” is the warning left to us by PrimoLevi.Let us remember so that the horror cannothappen again, so that every demonstration ofanti-Semitism, of racism in all its forms, iscondemned and banished. Let us rememberthe guilty ones, Hitler’s racist ideology andthose who collaborated with it and providedthe tools, also in Italy, that made thedeportations possible. Let us also recall therighteous and those who acted according toconscience and the spirit of humanity. It givesus comfort to remember that among therighteous were also many Italians, thousandsof people, ordinary citizens, officials, diplomatsand military personnel in every region of Italyas well as in Greece, Yugoslavia and the southof France who, risking their lives, savedthousands of Italian and foreign Jews.Democracy, justice, the love for our fellowmen, these are what we have been taught andthese should be our strengths, recalling thepast and looking to a future of peace andharmony between all peoples.<>

“

“

Statement byPresident Ciampi

ajor-General Roberto Martinelli of Italyhas been appointed as the Commander

of the peacekeeping and observers forcestationed in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt,effective March 1, 2004. The appointment wasmade with the approval of the Governments ofEgypt and Israel. Gen. Martinelli tookpossession of his duties at a ceremony in MFOheadquarters in Sinai, at which AmbassadorTerzi was present.

General Martinellih a s h a d adistinguished militaryand peacekeepingcaree r spann ing3 5 y e a r s . A f t e rgraduation from themilitary academy andofficers training in

1971, he served in the "Folgore" ParachuteBrigade, 2d Battalion, progressing from PlatoonLeader to Operations Officer. After attendanceat Army Staff College, he served as the Planningand Operations/Training Officer at HQ AlliedLand Forces Southern Europe, 1986-88, andreturned to the "Folgore” Parachute Brigade in1988 as Commander. From 1992-94 he servedin Somalia under UNSOM. His recent positionshave included Chief of Staff of the InfantrySchool, Director of the Military Center for CivilDefense on the Defense Staff and Director ofthe Combat Training Center. In 2001-2003,General Martinelli was Deputy Force

Commanderand Chief ofM i l i t a r yObservers ofM O N U C ,U n i t e dN a t i o n sOrganizationMission int h eDemocraticRepublic ofthe Congo. General Martinelli holds a mastersdegree in strategic science and speaks fluentEnglish and French. He is married to Tizianaand has a daughter, Paola.The MFO is the international organizationcharged with supervising the implementationof the security provisions of the Egyptian-IsraeliPeace Treaty of 1979, pursuant to its 1981Protocol. It lies outside the UN system andreports directly to the two Treaty Parties. Itconsists of both an eleven-nation militarypeacekeeping force of 1685 personnel and asmall civilian observer unit.In addition to furnishing the MFO’s next ForceCommander, Italy hosts MFO Headquarters inRome and is an important participating state,providing the three patrol vessels and 75 sailorsthat compose the MFO Coastal Patrol Unit atSharm el-Sheikh.

www.mfo.org <>

rom March 10 Admiral Di Paola willreplace General Rolando Mosca

Moschini, who next April will be appointedHead of the Military Committee of theEuropean Union in Brussels. LieutenantGeneral Gianni Botondi will be the newSecretary General of Defence.

Admiral Giampaolo DI PAOLA was born inTorre Annunziata (Naples) on August 15, 1944.He entered the Naval Academy in 1963 andgraduated as an Ensign in 1966. His mostsignificant appointments were: Chief of "Plansand Programs" Branch of the General andFinancial Planning Department (1986/1989),Assistant to Deputy Chief of Staff (1989/1991),Chief of Plans and Policy Office of the Plansand Operations division (1991/92) and in1992/94 Chief of the same Division. He held

the positionof Chief ofM i l i t a r yP o l i c ydepartmento f t h eI t a l i a nD e f e n c eG e n e r a lStaff from1994 to 1998. In November 1998 he wasappointed Chief of Cabinet of the Minister ofDefence. From March 2001 he was SecretaryGeneral of Defence/National ArmamentsDirector. One of his latest and most importantactivities as Secretary General of Defense andNational Armament Director, was the officialvisit to Israel in January 2003, on behalf of theItalian Ministry of Defence. <>

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NOTIZIE ITALIANE March 2004

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

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

Holocaust Memorial Day in ItalyPresident Ciampi Awards Gold MedalMinister Frattini to Visit IsraelAppreciation for Speech by Minister ButtiglioneWater Management WorkshopIndustrial Design ForumGiornata della Memoria in IsraelStatement by President CiampiFrattini Visits SynagogueSoccer ‘Match of Memory’New Italian Chief of Staff AppointedGen. Martinelli new commander of MFONew Initiatives from Rome UniversityVino NovelloStudy Day on ArchitectureVerdi's Attila and Italian WeekBeethoven's 7th Symphony for WindsAmbitious Agenda for Chamber of CommerceIsraeli and Arab Students in RomePresident of Dante Alighieri Society in IsraelItalian Trade Fair and Events 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

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M

rof. Dino Guerritore, Coordinator of theCommission for International Relations

at Rome’s La Sapienza University, and Dr.Massimo Caneva, visited Israel on January13-16. They held meetings with the Rector ofJerusalem’s Hebrew University, Prof. HaimRabinovich; the Rector and Vice Rector at TelAviv University, Prof. Shimon Yankielowiczand Prof. Israel Zang; the Rector of Ben GurionUniversity in Beersheba, Prof. JimmyWeinblatt, and with Deputy Rector of HaifaUniversity Prof. Joseph Chetrit. At a workinglunch hosted by Couns. Luca Franchetti Pardothe group was joined by Dr. Ami Shalit,Director of the Secretariat of the WeizmannInst i tute of Science in Rehovot . <>

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New initiatives fromLa Sapienza University

Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola appointed newChief of Defence Staff.

General Roberto Martinelli is newcommander of MFO

4

NOTIZIE ITALIANE March 2004

rofessor Giorgio Gianighian of theIstituto di Architettura in Venice recently

participated in a study day devoted to the social,economic and cultural aspects of recoveringand preserving the city of Haifa’s artistic andarcheological heritage. Invited by the ItalianCultural Institute and the Haifa Polytechnic,Prof. Gianighian described how Italianexperiences in resolving architectural and urban

planning problems could serve as a referencemodel for Israel. The conference, entitled “TheMemory of the Past and Future Prospects: TheRole of Preservation and Urban Planning”, isconfirmation of the strengthening ties ofcollaboration between the Cultural Instituteand Haifa Polytechnic, which employs anItalian lecturer and where several Italian-Israelieducators occupy leading roles. Prof.

Gianighian also held a seminar at the ItalianCultural Institute entitled “ElementaryArithmetic and the Invention of the DoubleDwelling in Renaissance Venice”, whichattracted a contingent of local culturalpersonalities and which underlined theemergent role of Israeli architects who havebeen educated and trained in Italianuniversities.<>

PStudy day on architecture in Haifa

he Israeli Opera’s 2004season opened on

January 21 with a vividrepresentation of GiuseppeVerdi’s Attila, given beforean audience of around 1600people. The New IsraeliOpera (NIO) staged therarely performed opera,presented in collaborationwith the Italian CulturalInstitute, which featuredinterpretations by baritoneGianfranco Montresor andtenor Fernando Del Valle;sets and costumes were designed by CharlesEdwards and Jon Morrel respectively.Attila is the first of four Italian operas, producedin cooperation with the Italian Cultural Instituteof Tel Aviv, which form the center of theOpera’s 2004 season. Aside from regularperformances of Puccini’s Tosca and Fanciulladel West, conducted by Giancarlo del Monaco,the NIO’s main attraction of the season will bethe world premiere of the same Tosca in a newproduction that combines opera and dance. Theauthor and director of this unique version ofPuccini’s popular opera, which will open onApril 14, is the celebrated choreographer of

the Vienna State OperaBallet, Renato Zanella(see p.8).Following the successfulproduction of Attila, theCultural Institute and theC a m e r i T h e a t e rpresented the Israelipremiere of Scarnicciand Tarabusi’s Caviarand Lentils, translatedinto Hebrew by DinaParnes and directed byIlan Ronen. Sold-outperformances took place

in the newly inaugurated hall of the CameriTheatre, which disposes of four main stagesand two large areas for multimediapresentations.Tel Aviv’s Mayor Ron Huldai was among thecelebrities attending the show, which wasopened by the Cameri Theatre’s DirectorGeneral Noam Semel and Italian CulturalInstitute Director Prof. Lucio Izzo, who alsolaunched the Cameri’s week of Italian musicaland multimedia events.

www.israel-opera.co.ilwww.cameri.co.il (Hebrew only) <>

TVerdi’s Attila and Italian Week at the Cameri

n January 12 theItalian Cultural

Institute of Tel Avivhosted a lecture byMaestro Pierluigi Destro,Director of Vicenza’sConservatorio di Musica“A. Pedrollo” on hisedition of Beethoven’sSeventh Symphony, scored for windinstruments in 1816. The anonymousarrangement, commissioned by Viennesepublisher S.A. Steiner, calls for the famoussymphony, written between 1811-12, to beperformed by an orchestra consisting of 2oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 horns, 2 bassoons and adouble-bassoon, a total of nine instruments.This version, illustrated in the lecture byrecordings, was first presented to the publicby Maestro Destro in 1992 in a concert inPadua. The Maestro’s visit to Israel alsoincluded a lecture at the Nahon Museum inJerusalem and participation as member of thejury for the 5th International “C. Tavasani”Piano Competition, organized by the IstitutoMagnificat for the Study of Sacred Music. <>

O

Beethoven’s 7thSymphony ‘Lite’

he traditional Salone ofVino Novello took place

in the northeastern city ofVicenza on November 5,2003. Yair Koren, an Israeli journalist covering the wine

industry, visited, tasted and was impressed bynew wines produced from local varieties likeTeroldego from Trentino. The diminished harvest of 2003 in Italy (dueto weather conditions) did not affect theproduction of Vino Novello, the first wine of thelatest vintage, which even increased by 6%,compared with the year before. 326 wineries

from all Italian regions produced 19 millionbottles, and their sale commenced, by law, onNovember 6.Vino Novello was "invented" by Angelo Gajaand Piero Antinori in the 1970s as an Italianequivalent to the successful French BeaujolaisNouveau. Indeed, as in France, producers usehere the technique of "maceration carbonique"to accelerate the process, but all the rest isdifferent: legislation does not restrict theproduction to certain varieties (in 2003 thewineries used 59 varieties) or to certain regions.All the Novellos are produced as IGT, a part ofthem as DOC. The leading variety in 2003 was

Merlot, followed by Cabernet and Sangiovese.As in France, in Italy also there is a "tradition":the deblocage of the first bottles is done atmidnight (with countdown) during a solemnceremony at Vicenza Fair, and the followingmorning the opening of the exhibition SaloneNazionale del Vino Novello, takes place. In the16th Salone, more than 150 wines werepresented in this elegant exhibition, and aftertasting a few dozen it was clear to me that thistime my personal preferences are for the winesfrom Trentino, Piemonte and Puglia made fromlocal grapes such as Teroldego, Lagrein, Dolcettoand Primitivo.

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Vino Novello: 19 million bottles, 59 grape varieties, 326 producersby Yair Koren, Senior News Editor, Israel Broadcasting Authority

(Cont. p. 5)

ith close ties to thelocal business

community and to public institutions in Israeland in Italy, the Israel-Italy Chamber ofCommerce and Industry in Tel Aviv is astrategic partner for Italian companies thatwant to enter the Israeli marketplace. It alsohelps in creating joint ventures, facilitatestechnology transfer and exploits the relativecomplementary advantages of the twocountries. In addition, the Chamber isresponsive to the strong and growing demandfor direct investment in Italy by Israelicompanies. The Chamber has sets itself anambitious agenda for the year 2004:

Information ServicesTrade Opportunities - The “Business Proposals”section on the new Web site provides updatedinformation to all members and institutionsassociated with the Chamber. The goal for 2004is the enhancement of the Chamber’s onlinedata collection system.Business Intelligence - The Chamber willpublish Macro-economic statistics on its websitewith data on foreign trade between Italy andIsrael, business news from the two countries,Chamber activities, trade fairs in both countriesand articles about economic and legal issues.Internet Web Site - Open to all visitors, thewebsite contains general and economicinformation about Italy and Israel, businessproposals published by members and users, andtrade news. The goal for 2004 is to enhanceefficiency of the website through direct access

to company databasesand business proposals,

in order to offer better matchmaking servicesto our members and substantially increase thein-depth level of analysis on all subjects. Themain goal set by the Chamber for its new websiteis the creation of a key user community of250,000.Business contactsIn 2004 the Chamber of Commerce in Tel Avivwill assist visiting Italian delegationsparticipating in commercial events organizedin cooperation with the Embassy of Italy.During the Chamber’s Annual Meeting, to beheld in April 2004, successful Joint Venturesbetween Italian and Israeli companies will beawarded.Information and support to companiesUpdated information databases – The Chamberhandles requests from companies, searches forstrategic partners, representatives, etc. throughthe International Desk. Starting this year, it willbe possible for all users to conduct onlineresearch on the site, with the support of anupdated database.Research and Matchmaking for jointinternational cooperation and Joint Ventures –During 2004 the Chamber will continue thetrend started in 2003, not only matching Israelipartners with Italian companies, but alsoproviding the necessary support to successfullyconclude cooperation agreements.To Register: Tel 03-6202034 Fax: 03-5258539www.italia-israel.com <>

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NOTIZIE ITALIANE March 2004

ight students from the Aviv Senior HighSchool in Raanana, and 8 students from

the Alsadia Secondary School in Qalqilya,recently returned home from a weeklongworkshop in Rome after jointly producing a7 minute animated film on peace. The projectwas co-sponsored by the renownedInternational Animated Film Festival I CastelliAnimati and Rome Municipality’s Office forPeace in Jerusalem.The sixteen high school students, aged16-18, cooperated in workshopsmoderated by animation professionalsto jointly develop the story, characters,set design and initial storyboard forthe short animated film with a workingtitle My Country in a World of Peace.Among those helping the studentscreate the film (and donating theirtime) were noted animation and filmprofessionals, including LucaRaffaelli, Artistic Director of the ICastelli Animati film festival, Attilio

Valenti and former Oscar-nominees GiulioGianini and Emanuele Luzzati. This initiativewas the latest in a string of similar cooperativeprojects between the Municipality of Raananaand its neighbors in the Palestinian Authority,including Nablus and Bethlehem. The IsraelNational Commission for UNESCO alsosponsored the project.www.castellianimati.it <>

E

Israeli and Arab Students in Rome produceanimated film on peace

Ambitious agenda for Chamber of Commerce

Teachers and students from Raanana and Qalqilya took part in the animatedfilm workshop at Villa Piccolomini in Rome

W

Minister Buttiglione also held meetings withDeputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, MinisterNatan Sharansky and Labor Party leaderShimon Peres. Warmly welcomed by Israeligovernment officials, who praised the ItalianGovernment’s foreign policy and decisionstaken during its Presidency of the EuropeanUnion, Minister Buttiglione laid a wreath atYad Vashem in memory of Holocaust victims.

At the IDC in Herzliya he underlinedEuropean and Italian commitment to theMiddle East peace process, and initiativestaken against the proliferation of terrorismand anti-Semitism.

The 'Jerusalem Post' described the speech withemphasis: “According to the Minister, Europe,and especially the EU following May'saddition of 10 new member states, will hardlybe monolithic. "Don't forget that Europe iswide, it is not made up of 3 countries but of25," he said. "These 25 will not accept thelead of three countries (Germany, France andBritain)...Italy has as large an economy asFrance and Britain." According to theJerusalem Post, “Buttiglione said he foreseesa Europe more friendly to Israel, noting thatfollowing the expansion, 55% of Israelis couldbe eligible for EU citizenship. Buttiglioneended his speech with what would receive theheartiest ovation of the day. After recountinghis experiences earlier during a visit to YadVashem, he said he is worried that anti-Israeland anti-Jewish sentiment in Europe is gainingtraction, especially among intellectuals. But,"never again", he vowed, would Europeansstand by and watch the destruction of thecontinent's Jewry”. <>

(cont. from p. 1)

Community Policies MinisterHon. Rocco Buttiglione

(cont. from p. 4)

Vino Novello

Novello wines are very important to the Italianwine industry from the point of view of image,although economically they represent only0.33% of the annual turnover. If you have abottle of Novello, it is recommended to chill itand drink it within a few months or even weeksfrom the harvest. Many Novellos are pleasurablewines that conserve original flavors and aromas,but their price is relatively high - 4.58 Euro onaverage to the customer in Italy.The producershave been "struggling" for years with anessential dilemma: perhaps it is time to changethe character is t ics of Vino Novel lo(novello=new). Many are convinced thatNovello should be more "Wine" and less"Novello". <>

he President of the Dante AlighieriSociety, Ambassador Bruno Bottai, visited

Israel on February 22-26 on the occasion ofa ceremony at Haifa University for the donationby the local branch of the Society of 1200Italian books, including classics of Italianliterature, art, history and language studies,to the University library. During his visitAmbassador Bottai met with representativesfrom Israeli cultural institutions including theDeputy Director General for Cultural Relationsat the Foreign Ministry, Raphael Schatz. TheAmbassador also visited the Haifa andJerusalem branches of the Dante AlighieriSociety, and confirmed his keen support for itsmany activities, including the proposed RomeProject in Jerusalem. On February 23 Amb. Bruno Bottai,accompanied by Amb. Giulio Terzi, thePresident of the Haifa branch of the DanteAlighieri Society Elio D’Angeli, Prof. LucioIzzo, Director of the Italian Cultural Instituteof Tel Aviv and Prof. Edoardo Crisafulli of theHaifa branch of the Institute, attended aconference at Haifa University. The Italiandelegation held meetings with University RectorProf. Ben Zeev, deputy Rector Prof. JosephShitrit and Director of the Arab-Israel Center,

Dr. Faisal Azaize. Appreciation forthe excellent ties of collaborationbetween Italian and Israeli academicinstitutions was expressed duringthe course of the meeting, where aninternational conference on TheEnvironment and ArcheologicalSites in the Mediterranean wasannounced for next June. Haifa University maintains anumber of joint projects with Italianacademic institutions such asFederico II of Naples, Rome’s LaSapienza University, and those ofTrento and Turin. An exchange ofresearchers and doctoral students recently tookplace with the Law Faculty at Turin University,while the libraries of Trento and HaifaUniversities are developing joint projects onnew information technologies. The official ceremony was opened by Prof.Baruch Kipnis, Director of the Universitylibrary, and by the Vice President of theUniversity, Mrs. Yael Metzer. This was followedby an overview by Elio D’Angeli of the Haifabranch of the Dante Alighieri Society. In thefirst years of its existence the Haifa branch,which was established in 1950, had over 800

members. In his remarks Amb. Bottaiemphasized the vital role undertaken for over acentury by the Dante Alighieri Society toencourage the spread of Italian language andculture worldwide. In this regard Amb. Bottaipraised the prolific work of the Haifa andJerusalem branches of the Society to promoteItalian culture. Ambassador Terzi remarked onthe growing interest for Italian culture in Israelas a result of increased attendance at Italianlanguage courses throughout the country, andthe success of Italian literary works translatedinto Hebrew.

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NOTIZIE ITALIANE March 2004

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Italian-Israeli Scientific Cooperation

Industrial Design Forum, May 18-20, 2004he Italian-Israeli IndustrialDesign Forum will be held on

18-20 May, coincidentally with themeeting of the Board of Governors of ShenkarCollege of Engineering and Design in Ramat-Gan.

The Forum is an important new initiative forcollaboration between Italian institutions andthe prestigious Shenkar College, and isdedicated to a subject, industrial design, that

is of great interest for bilateral relations.The organizing committee includes the ItalianEmbassy and Cultural Institute, the director ofPR at Shenkar College Varda Kalmar, theDean of the Faculty of Design Prof. HananLaskin, Director of the Department ofIndustrial Design Alex Padwa, Vice-Presidentof the Italian Association of Industrial Design

(ADI) Dr. Maurizio Morgantini, andDr. Giuliano Molineri, member of theExecutive Committee of ADI. The

second day of the event will be dedicated toindustrial cooperation, under the aegis of ZviYemini, CEO of Zag Industries.The Forum will present an exhibition ofparticularly significant examples of Italianindustrial design from the Piaggio Museum inPontedera, custodians of the famous Vespascooter.<>

T

he Italian-Israeli Workshop "Water:Management and Environmental Issues",

which will take place in Blaustein Institutes forDesert Research at Ben-Gurion University of theNegev, Sede Boqer Campus on March 10-12, willexamine the issues and offer a practical opportunityto compare experiences of both countries inhydrological management of territory and resources. In areas characterized by water scarcity, such asIsrael and Italy, the planning and integratedmanagement of water resources are key instrumentsfor coping with water deficiency and protecting thequality of resources. The workshop will focus on the following majortopics: Efficient water management; Pollutionprevention and safeguarding of resources;

Improvement and implementation of technologiesfor the use of alternative water resources; Formulationof water basin plans for integrated water resourcemanagement. The official language of the workshopwill be English. The event is being organized by the Ben GurionUniversity’s Institute for Water Sciences &Technologies, Italy’s Landau Network Centro Voltaof Como and the Embassy of Italy.

More information (BGU): 08-6596984 or 08-6596979ruthal@bgumail.bgu.ac.ilwww.centrovolta.it www.bgu.ac.il <>

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Dr. Eilon Adar (photo) is head of Ben Gurion University’s Institutefor Water Sciences & Technologies

Water: Management and Environmental Issues, March 10-12, 2004

Mission to Israel by President of the Dante Alighieri Society Amb. Bruno Bottai

(Cont. p. 7)

(from left) Ambassador Giulio Terzi, Mrs. Yael Metzer, Vice President ofHaifa University, with President of the Dante Alighieri Society, AmbassadorBruno Bottai

Elections to choose the hostcity of Expo 2008 will takeplace in December 2004,d u r i n g t h e G e n e r a lAssembly of the BureauI n t e r n a t i o n a l d e sExpositions (BIE) in Paris. The theme chosen for thecandidature of Trieste is "Mobility of Knowledge",which is a response to the globally recognized need fora more efficient and productive circulation of ideas andinformation. The theme will be articulated under fourheadings: Infrastructures of Information (places andphysical spaces for the creation, conservation and

t r a n s m i s s i o n o fknowledge); Ideas throughSpace and Time (transfer oftechnological and scientificknow how, but also transferof traditions and cultural

v a l u e s ) ; C a t a l y s t s o fInformation and Local Development (which reads theeconomic and social progress of a country with thepresence of "Catalyst Centers" for the mobility ofinformation, like advanced regions, cities of science,etc.); Intelligent Mobility (physical and virtual mobility,efficient control and logistics).

7

NOTIZIE ITALIANE March 2004

Italian Trade Fair & Events CalendarS o f t w a r e a n dComplex SystemsFlorence, 14-16 April, 2004

How Software Technologies andDistributed Systems can help in thedesign and management of complexsystems, linking industrial andacademic partners, research andapplication. Co-located with the 9thIEEE International Conference onEngineering of Complex ComputerSystems.www.dsi .uni f i . i t / iceccs04/Paolo Nesi (nesi@dsi.unifi.it) <>

Intelligent Manufacturing SystemsForum 2004Villa Erba, Cernobbio, Lake Como, May 17th – 19th 2004

The focus of the International IMS Forum 2004 will be toshowcase the creation of an innovative level of internationalcollaboration for advanced manufacturing initiatives.IMS is an industry-led, government-facilitated internationalresearch and development (R&D) program established todevelop the next generation of manufacturing and processingtechnologies.www.imsforum2004.orgwww.ims.org <>

Cosmoprof 2004 2 - 5 April, Bologna

Product sectors:C o s m e t i cp r o d u c t s ,Professional hairp r o d u c t s ,Equipment andfurnishings forhair salons and

perfumery shops, Products and equipment forbeauty salons, Gift and promotional items,C o s t u m e j e w e l l e r y, P a c k a g i n g .www.cosmoprof.com <>

On February 25 Ambassador Bottaimet at the Ministry of Foreign affairsDeputy Director General for CulturalRelations, Raphael Schatz, togetherwith Mr. Raphael Gamzu and Dr.Nurit Tinari-Modai. Amb. Bottaiemphasized the excellent ties ofcollaboration enjoyed between theDante Alighieri Society and the ItalianCultural Institute, citing the exampleof the Venezia Project, held last yearwith great success, which was a jointventure involving not only the Societyand the Cultural Institute, but also themunicipalities of Jerusalem and Venice.A similar project is being organizedfor this year dedicated to a cultural‘twinning’ between the cities of Romeand Jerusalem (see Progetto Romapage 8). For their part the Israelisrecalled how the Dante AlighieriSociety has contributed to interculturalexchange between the two countries,and the exhibition of works by Israelisculptress Orna Ben Ami at theSociety’s Palazzo Firenze in Rome. <>

(cont. from p. 6)

Dante Alighieri Society

oreign Minister Franco Frattinihas confirmed that Italy will

guarantee across-the-board support forthe Trieste's bid to host Expo 2008."The government will give its fullbacking - said the Foreign Affairsminister during his visit to Trieste - and we willalso try to win support from the private sector".Frattini added that "the parliamentary majority andthe opposition will join forces" to "show that Triestehas a winning ticket due to its strategic positionclose to Eastern Europe". Minister Frattini wasaccompanied by undersecretary Roberto

Antonione, who will head the initiative.Frattini also visited the Collegio delMondo Unito di Duino and the PortoVecchio area where the Expo will takeplace, and expressed the hope that afterthe event the constituency would become

a 'center of excellence' for international gatherings."I was impressed by the number of collaborationsbetween scientists in Trieste and researchers allover the world, particularly in the developingworld", said the Minister, "which form the basicconditions for a real exchange of knowledge."www.triesteexpo2008.it <>

FMinister Frattini supports Trieste for Expo 2008

Beyond the artifact -Digital interpretation ofthe pastPrato, April 13-17, 2004

A large delegation from Israel, representing theWeizmann Institute of Science, the IsraelAntiquities Authority, the Hebrew University, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and the JewishAgency for Israel, will attend the ComputerApplications and Quantitative Methods toArchaeology, to be held in Prato 13-17, April.www.caaconference.org <>

Science, Technology and Cultural HeritageVenice, June 29 – July 1, 2004

The 1st InternationalWorkshop on Science,Te c h n o l o g y a n dCultural Heritage will

take place in Venice on June 29 – July 1, 2004. Organized by AIV (ItalianVacuum Association) its aim is to identify, communicate and promote theuses of vacuum technologies in the diagnostic, restoration and conservationof the cultural heritage. The working language of the workshop is English.www.aiv.it/aiveventi/scopo.html <>

Complete Listing of 2004 Italian Trade Fairs at www.italian-embassy-israel.org (Economic Section)Complete Listing of 2004 Italian Trade Fairs at www.italian-embassy-israel.org (Economic Section)

Presentation of Works by NoemiVogelmanItalian Cultural Institute, March 9

Noemi Vogelman will present her books “Il doloredel Bello” and “Roma, Una storia d’Amore:Introduzione al Mosè.” Her books are based on heryears of experience teaching Hebrew at ItalianUniversities in Italy. The evening will open with anintroduction by Arch. David Cassuto.Italian Cultural Institute 03-523.45.44

La meglio gioventùCinémat hèq ue, Tel Aviv, Marc h 12

The film La meglio gioventù, directed by MarcoTullio Giordana, follows the life of an Italian familyfrom the 60’s to the present day. The movie portraysthe political and cultural movements in Italy duringthis period. The film forms part of Italy Portrayedby the Cinema, a week of films dedicated to Italy atthe Tel Aviv Cinémathèque Tel. 03-606.08.00

M u s i c a N o v aConsortTel Aviv Museum of Art,May 15

The Tel Aviv Museum ofArt will host the MusicaNova Consort in works byRivolta, Galin, Tan Dun,Keren Rosenboim andAnton Webern.www.tamuseum.com

Choral ConcertBen Gurion University, May 27

The Bnei Shir Chorus under its conductor Eri Doronwill perform the Concerto Italiano at Ben GurionUniversity. The concert will include songs in Latinand Italian accompanied by string instruments andConcerto grosso di Natale by Arcangelo Corelli.Italian Cultural Institute Tel. 03-523.45.44

Venezia ImmagineGiardini di Castello, Venice, 12-14 March

This huge photography fairattracts dealers, gallery owners,photographers and buyers.Located within walking distanceof Venice's San Marco square,

hundreds of photographs are offered for sale overthree days.www.veneziafiere.it

Pinchas Steinbergconducts S t raussParco Della Musica, Rome27 March

Israeli conductor PinchasSteinberg leads the Academy ofSanta Cecilia Orchestra in threeevenings of Richard Strauss at

the New Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome.www.musicaperroma.it

May Day Music FestivalPiazza San Giovanni, Rome, 1 May

On 1 May, Rome celebrates the arrival of spring witha gigantic and heavily televised music festival inPiazza San Giovanni that attracts musicians from allover the world.www.apt-roma.it

Canoeing Along The TiberTiber Embankment, Rome, 25 April - 1 May

In an extraordinary opportunity to experience theItalian environment and landscapes, expert canoeistsguide participants through the valley of the Tiber,passing by Perugia, Assisi, Deruta, Todi, Orvieto andViterbo. The excursion consists of seven stretches of20-30km each and anyone can participate.Tel. +39 329 688 31 35discesadeltevere@tiscali.it

Vintage Car RallyGenoa, 14-16 May

As part of the 2004 GenoaEuropean City of Culturecelebrations, the city organizesa vintage car weekend.

Automobile Club di Genova Tel. +39 010 539 41www.acigenova.it

Tuscan Wine FairVilla Le Corti, Florence, 22-23 May

Alla Corte del Vino is a fair attended by all the majorTuscan wine producers. Now in its eighth edition, theshow offers both wine-lovers and the merely curiousthe chance to taste, get to know and buy the greatwines of Tuscany directly from the producers. Thesophisticated festival offers a rich programme ofevents, encounters and informative seminars.www.principecorsini.com

Maggio Musicale FiorentinoFlorence, 23 April - 23 June

There are three main opera productions for the 67thFestival : Wagner's Die Meistersinger, Mozart'sIdomemeneo and a double bill from LuigiDallapiccola's operas The Prisoner and Night Flight.Concerts include a Rachmaninov marathon, RiccardoMuti conducting the Scala Philharmonic Orchestra,Zubin Mehta, Arcadi Volodos, Pierre Boulez andothers.www.maggiofiorentino.com

Eros RamazzottiFila Forum, Milan, 30-31 March

Superstar Eros Ramazzotti, one of the most famousItalian pop artists in the world, plays to his homecrowd as he visits Milan's Fila Forum for two nights.www.filaforum.it

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E V E N T S I N I SRAEL

NOTIZIE ITALIANE March 2004

E V E N T S I N I TALY

Tosca – The Silence of theInnocenceTel Aviv, Performing Arts Center,April 14, 16, 17

Tosca – The Silence of the Innocence is theworld premier of a new dance work basedon the opera Tosca with 12 dancers, 3 operasingers and orchestra. The work wasconceived by the Italian choreographerRenato Zanella (photo) and is performedby a cast of Israeli dancers, singers andmusicians.New Israeli Opera Tel. 03-692.77.77

Progetto RomaSocietà Dante Alighieri,Jerusalem, from April 29

Following the great success of Progetto Venezialast year, the Dante Alighieri Society will holdProgetto Roma this year. The event will be dividedover various dates and will contain manyconferences and exhibitions as well as projectionsof films and special musical and theatricalevenings.Società Dante Alighieri Tel. 02-622.11.10