Shalom, Annan meet in Tunisia

Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom met with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan during a historic visit to Tunisia Tuesday.

The foreign minister thanked Annan for his efforts to improve Israel’s standing in the world, following years of animosity by U.N.-member states over its conflict with its Arab neighbors and the occupation of Palestinian territory.

The U.N. general assembly recently unanimously approved January 27 as International Holocaust Day, in recognition of the 6 million Jews who died in the Holocaust.

Shalom also thanked Annan for his harsh criticism of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over remarks that Israel should be “wiped off the map.” Annan cancelled a trip to Iran in protest over the comments.

FM Shalom and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan (Photo: GPO)

The foreign minister said he hoped the International Atomic Energy Agency would refer Iran’s nuclear issue to the Security Council when the nuclear watchdog organization meets on November 24.

The two met ahead of a three-day global summit in the Tunisian capital of Tunis, aimed at determining the control of the internet in the future and the narrowing of gaps between the developed and developing countries.

The Israeli-Palestinian peace process did not fail to surface in talks between Annan and Shalom, with the two discussing the latest debacle over the reopening of the Gaza Strip border crossings.

A deal on the reopening of the Rafah crossing along the Gaza-Egypt border has been hampered by disagreements over security arrangements. Israel insists it should hold the right to monitor the crossing using live closed-circuit camera images, a prerequisite insulting to Palestinian sovereignty according to the Palestinian Authority.

Shalom told Annan that Israel would push for a more active role for a European Union monitoring team to oversee security procedures at the crossing.

Shalom arrives on first direct Israel-Tunisia flight

An Israir plane carrying the foreign minister landed in Tunisia Tuesday, marking the first direct flight from Israel to the North African Arab country.

Shalom head an Israeli delegation that included Communication Minister Dalia Itzik, MK Eli Yishai, two mayors and a number of journalists.

Shalom, MK Yishai in a Tunisian synagogue (Photo: GPO)

Shalom, who was born in the southern city of Gabes, spoke of his pride to come back to his country of birth as Israel’s foreign minister, telling reporters that he was “in a lot of countries in the world as foreign minister yet ahead of this visit my family and I were very excited.”

The Israeli plane landed in the Tunisian island of Jerba where Governor Ben-Mansour Khalifa welcomed Shalom. The delegation visited the Jewish community's synagogue, where Jews have been living for 2500 years.

Tunisia prepares for Israeli delegation (Photo: AP)

The community’s Rabbi Haim Bitten said “I am excited that Israel’s foreign minister arrived, it’s a celebration day for all Jews here.”

Shalom presented Bitten with a

shofar (ram’s horn) as he entered the house of worship with his mother Miriam.

The Shalom family donated a humble sum to the synagogue, where the foreign minister was impressed by the Torah scroll.

The delegation was treated to a feast of the best that Tunisian cuisine can offer, including the renowned Tunisian couscous.

“Relations between us and our Muslim neighbors are very good. There is no tension. They were happy to hear Foreign Minister Shalom is coming

and they hope his visit will liven up tourism,” Gabriel Yaish, 32, a Jewish resident of the Island told Ynet.