Welcome to the Web Site of the Embassy of Israel, Pretoria, South Africa.

The main aim of this site is to provide useful information about Israel, Israel / South Africa relations and the service the Embassy provides.  It is designed to give access to a range of information and data  relating to different events both locally and in Israel.

The State of Israel is a modern miracle. Comprising people speaking over eighty different languages. We have revived the ancient Hebrew language, created a vibrant democracy, and cultivated a diverse and exciting culture. We also stand at the forefront of medical, educational, and scientific innovation. We have created a first class high-tech industry, extending from Tel Aviv to the Silicon Valley.

In the words of our founding father, Theodore Herzl, "if you will it, it is no dream."

We hope that, through the wealth of information on this site, you will be able to reflect on the Israel behind the headlines, and learn more about our unique country, history and people.

We welcome your suggestions, comments and enquiries. Email: publicaffairs@pretoria.mfa.gov.il 

For all Consular related enquiries, Please email consular@pretoria.mfa.gov.il or consularit@pretoria.mfa.gov.il

Thank You. 

Israel Embassy statement on Russell Tribunal Cape Town Event

The Embassy of Israel in Pretoria, totally rejects this cynical attempt to defame the State of Israel.

People of conscience understand that this elaborate publicity stunt serves no constructive purpose. It does nothing to promote the direct negotiations and reconciliation which are the right and only way to bring peace to the Middle East, as South Africa's own experience has shown, and it dishonours the memory of the struggle against apartheid here in South Africa.

Instead of seeking to turn people away from each other, we urge all those who care about Palestinian rights, Israeli rights, and human rights in general, to promote a peaceful resolution of the Middle East conflict through dialogue and engagement, not diatribes and defamation.

Hila Stern

Spokesperson of the Israeli Embassy in Pretoria

TO ALL ISRAELI CITIZENS LIVING IN SOUTH AFRICA

Dear Friends,

Past experience has shown us that in cases of emergency, (natural disasters etc) the need to immediately trace Israelis who may be in danger, is an acute one.

The Foreign Ministry of Israel has therefore requested, all Israeli missions around the world, to update their data base of contact details of Israelis living abroad, in our case - South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland.

To this effect,

All Israeli Citizens that live in the above mentioned countries, should please email consularit@pretoria.mfa.gov.il with your Name, Last Name, Your Israeli ID, Your Mobile Number and Email Address. Please include your spouse and children if they have Israeli Citizenship.

It should be mentioned that the information received is ONLY for the Embassy's use, should a case of Emergency arise.

We take this opportunity to thank you in advance for your co-operation and wish you all a happy and peaceful new year.

הודעה חשובה

חברים יקרים,

לקראת הערכות לשעת חרום ולמוכנות השגרירות לאפשרות של פינוי ישראלים בעיתות משבר, אנו מבקשים להכין רשימת

ישראלים המתגוררים דרך קבע במדינות דרום אפריקה, סווזילנד ולסוטו.

אנא ציינו את שימכם ושם משפחתכם, מספר תעודת הזהות הישראלית, מספר הטלפון הנייד וכתובת המייל שלכם.

אנא צרפו לרשימה את שמות בני זוגכם וילדיכם, במידה ויש להם אזרחות ישראלית.

consularit@pretoria.mfa.gov.il ,את הפרטים יש לשלוח לכתובת הדוא"ל :

חשוב לציין כי הפרטים הללו נועדו לשימוש השגרירות בשעת חרום בלבד.

אנו מודים לכם על שיתוף הפעולה ומאחלים לכם שנה טובה!

This Friday, 12 August sees the highly anticipated kick off of the 9th annual Israeli Film Festival exclusively at Cinema Nouveau Theatres.  Leading the way in presenting the very best in foreign and art films, Cinema Nouveau Theatres in conjunction with the Embassy of Israel and tararam, the South Africa-Israel Culture Fund, present the Israel Film Festival which has in the past decade built its following of film-lovers who wish to acquire a taste of Israeli life from several different angles.

Several Israeli films have been nominated for Academy Awards for the past few years and the powerful stories of love, friendship, family drama and corruption hold their own on the world’s screens.  Of this year’s line-up of eight scintillating and thought-provoking films, there is undoubtedly something for everyone.

The film festival will run for four consecutive weeks in four South African cities at the Cinema Nouveau Theatres premiering in Rosebank Mall on 12 August (Johannesburg) before moving to the V&A Waterfront (Cape Town) followed by Brooklyn Mall (Pretoria) and finally wrapping up at the Gateway in Durban.  

Jo’burgers will enjoy an eclectic mix of movies from the hilarious Monty Pythonesque style movie “This is Sodom” which focuses on the infamous city; the gambling, sex and corruption capital of biblical times to coming of age story of Arik, in the “The Matchmaker”.  This must-see movie tells the story of a teenage Haifa lad working for a mysterious holocaust survivor Yankele, a matchmaker. Arik begins to learn the mysteries of the human heart and at the same time he finds himself falling in love with free spirited Tamara. Avi Nesher’s touching story set between a decade of post war recovery and the cultural and sexual revolution of the 60’s in the US and Europe, creates a magical and heartwarming discovery.

“Restless” reflects human drama through the interaction of a father whose life has steadily slid on a downward spiral of failure and his son who lives on the edge, risking his life in every way possible, as though trying to ease some internal wound – a winner at the Berlin international film festival.

“There Were Nights”, a powerful human drama, is a story of a daughter's love for her father and at the same time, her desire for independence.  Starring the acclaimed Israeli actor, Moshe Ivgy together with his real-life daughter, Dana, the superb acting brings this touching tale to life. 

The crime drama, “Ajami”, an Academy Award nominee which received the highest critical acclaim, is a collaborative Israel/Palestinian film set in the Ajami neighborhood of Jaffa, reflecting a melting pot of cultures and conflict amongst Jews, Muslims and Christians. We witness a dramatic collision of different worlds and the tragic consequences of antagonists living as neighbours.

Nominated for 9 Israeli Film Awards, “Three Mothers” tells the story of Rose, Flora and Jasmine, a rare triplet, born in Egypt in 1943 who were blessed by King Farouk. Now Israeli residents, their lives are clouded by secrets and lies from the past. The suspenseful and poignant tale questions the meaning of blood ties, marital loyalties, independence and motherhood itself. The romantic drama “Five hours from Paris” sees two very different people; he, an Israeli taxi driver and she, a Russian immigrant involved in a sweet, mature and thoughtful romance.

“The Human Resources Manager” of Jerusalem's largest bakery is in trouble, as he is accused of indifference when one of his employees is killed in a suicide bombing.  On a mission to honour a woman he didn't know but has grown to admire, the HR Manager fights to regain his company's reputation - and possibly his own humanity.

The show reel for this year’s Israeli Film Festival is presented to the South African audience among its host of shimmering awards collected from prestigious festivals in Israel, the US, Canada and Europe. 

This entertaining and uplifting cinematic journey is sure to give South Africans who might not otherwise have had the opportunity to see such a collection of world-class foreign works; a tender and frequently humorous exploration of the Israeli experience. 

The entry fee of R15 is being donated in support of the Ster-Kinekor Vision Mission Project which treats children from underprivileged communities with impaired eyesight. Pre-booking is available on www.sterkinekor.com or at the box-office. 

Israel Film Festival Schedule:

Johannesburg: Rosebank Cinema Nouveau: 12 August – 18 August; 14:00 (weekends only), 17:30 & 20:00 shows (Friday – only 20:00)

Cape Town: V&A Waterfront Cinema Nouveau: 19 August – 25 August; 14:00 (weekends only), 17:30 & 20:00 shows (Friday – only 20:00)

Pretoria: Brooklyn Cinema Nouveau, 26 August – 01 September; 14:00 (weekends only), 17:30 & 20:00 shows (Friday – only 20:00)

Durban: Gateway Cinema Nouveau, 02 September – 08 September; 14:00 (weekends only), 17:30 & 20:00 shows (Friday – only 20:00)

Click HERE for more information including video and statements by Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Barak.

Here are photos of the weapons found on the Victoria as well as PM Netanyahu speaking at Ashdod Port.

The Bedouin compelled to find common ground

Born to a family of Bedouin shepherds in the Negev, Ishmael Khaldi was the only one of his 11 siblings to earn an advanced degree. Now the former shepherd is a seasoned Israeli diplomat.

Picture 1: Photo by Abigail K. Leichman

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25451173@N08/5351405551/

Israel's first Bedouin diplomat penned an autobiography, "A Shepherd's Journey."

Picture 2:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25451173@N08/5380799154/

Israel's first Bedouin diplomat penned an autobiography, "A Shepherd's Journey."

By Avigayil Kadesh

Ishmael Khaldi (http://www.ishmaelkhaldi.com), the first Bedouin in Israel’s foreign service, was the only one of 11 siblings in his family to earn an advanced academic degree and travel to the United States – even before he had ever visited Jerusalem or Tel Aviv.

He advocated for Israel on college campuses, served as Israel’s deputy consul general in the US Pacific Northwest and has been Middle East and Arab affairs adviser for Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman since August 2009.

Khaldi has a highly unusual story to tell. But as he emphasizes in his recently published memoir, A Shepherd’s Journey, his main message isn’t about himself. It is about how a non-Jew can be a loyal Israeli in a Jewish state often perceived as prejudiced against its minorities.

“Israel is an immigrant country, an assemblage of cultural groups from all over the world – a multiethnic state combining Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews, Bedouins, Druze, Arabs and more, who coalesce to make the country great,” he explains. “We are compelled to find a common language and common ground, despite our differences.”

Saving gelt for New York

Khaldi’s parents recognized his potential early on, urging him not to become a shepherd but to get a full education -- no matter what sacrifice it required on their part.

“My father would always say, ‘Ish, I want you to attend university and visit the White House.’ He didn’t really know what the White House was. He just saw it frequently mentioned in the news and knew it was a powerful institution.”

But first he had to earn some gelt, as he puts it, using one of the Yiddish words that his late grandmother picked up from the pre-state Jewish pioneers she befriended in the Galilee. Working at a kibbutz rubber factory, he met some American volunteers and soon started putting aside a portion of his earnings for an airline ticket to New York.

Khaldi had a recent audience from the Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel laughing over his description of his misadventures in America, starting with his near-death experience scrambling across the tracks to a subway bound for Brooklyn – where he boarded with a Hasidic grandmother.

Back with his family in their tiny house in Khawalid several months later, he determined to bring Americans over for a personal guided tour of his homeland -- “the best place on earth, and the small part of it that is my wonderful village.”

It did not take him long to fulfill this vow: Soon after starting his studies at the University of Haifa, he was arranging visits for foreigners with the help of Prof. Barry Berger, director of the overseas student program. Eventually, he says, thousands of people came to learn about Bedouins in Israel “and the story of one Bedouin in particular who visited America.”

Serving his country

Before earning a master’s degree from Tel Aviv University in political science with a concentration in international relations, Khaldi did two years of voluntary service as a police officer, first with the border patrol and later in Jerusalem. His hand rested on a Koran at his swearing-in ceremony, and he notes that he was continuing the tradition of Bedouin men who have chosen to do military or national service since before the state was officially founded.

He later got a job at the American Embassy in Tel Aviv as a translator, participating in preparations for President Clinton’s historic visit to Israel and Gaza. In 2002, as the intifada raged at home, he left Israel for a grand world tour as a citizen diplomat, speaking on many college campuses.

“I had put my life on the line for my country, and now I wanted to serve it as a diplomat. My idea was to explain Israeli society, culture and politics from the perspective of the Bedouin minority in the Jewish state. My ultimate goal was to advocate for Israel and dispel the myriad of erroneous ‘facts’ that are unfortunately often accepted as truth.”

He is quick to add that he wasn’t setting out to paint Israel as a perfect place. “Like every other nation in the world, Israel has its problems,” he says. Nevertheless, he was blindsided by the ferocity of Israel hatred he encountered – especially among Jews – that often earned him a less-than-warm reception.

He took to reminding Americans that the United States is not perfect either, despite a much longer nationhood than Israel’s. He explains that he believes in a positive approach, searching for solutions as a free member of a democracy, rather than less constructive avenues of criticism.

“I know discrimination in Israel continues to exist. But I feel it is our role, the younger generation’s, to dedicate ourselves to the elimination of discrimination and to seek true economic and social justice throughout our society,” writes Khaldi. “There is an African American [US] president, but that doesn’t mean discrimination does not exist in America, and it also doesn’t mean that African Americans should wash their hands of their country of birth.”

Still a proud Bedouin

By the time he joined the diplomatic corps in October 2004, Khaldi was a seasoned public speaker who had often been described in the media as Israel’s face in the Arab world.

“Those two years of confrontation convinced me of my ability to represent my country,” he recalls.

However, when he accepted the appointment at the Israeli consulate based in San Francisco a year and a half later, he was in for a bit of culture shock. “You can imagine what it was like for me, someone raised in a very conservative and traditional society, in San Francisco – one of the most open, progressive communities in the world,” he says. “Many of the values were very different than my conservative one.”

Though he feels it’s not realistic to return to the shepherd’s life in the Galilee – at 39, he now lives in Tel Aviv -- Khaldi is still a proud Bedouin and believes that a Jewish state is in the best interest of Israel’s minorities.

“It was through their alliance with the emerging Jewish state that the Bedouins began to transcend the isolation that was part of their nomadic history,” he relates to anyone who cares to understand this bit of Middle East history. “My family, too, has reaped the benefits of this alliance, receiving health care, education, job training and pensions. ... Israel’s right to exist is my right and my people’s right.”