Two of the greatestthreats to peace and

development today areterrorism and the proliferationo f w e a p o n s o f m a s sdestruction. The EuropeanUnion condemns all acts ofterrorism, which are threats todemocracy, human rights ande c o n o m i c a n d s o c i a ldevelopment. We must be firmin our determination to destroythis virus and free present andfuture generations from itsaggressions. Efforts to combatterrorism must respect human rights and thefundamental freedoms, rule-of-law andhumanitarian law. In this struggle we are

working in close collaborationwith and give our full supportto the United Nations. It is abattle that must be conductedfor the sake of freedom anddemocracy - the universalvalues engraved in the UnitedNations Charter, which shouldbe deeply rooted in the lives ofa l l the peoples of th isglobalized world.We must show the samecommitment to stop theproliferation of weapons ofmass destruction and their

carriers. We cannot shirk our responsibilities.The European Union has doubledits efforts to put an end to this threat

Prime Minister Berlusconi at UN: Concrete andGenerous Commitment to Mid-East ReconstructionEuropean Union and G-8 countries must plan for comprehensive economic reconstructionin the Middle East. Excerpts from Prime Minister Berlusconi’s speech before the 58thUN General Assembly, September 23, 2003.“

1

rime Minister Sharon warmly thanked theItalian Presidency, and in particular Prime

Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Foreign MinisterFranco Frattini, for their efforts to furtherenhance the European Union’s contribution tothe Middle East Peace Process. Referring to Mr.Berlusconi’s visit to Israel last June, Mr. Sharonaffirmed that the deep ties of friendship linkingIsrael and Italy have facilitated a better

understanding with the EUduring the Italian Presidency.Mr. Sharon also expressedhis appreciation to Italy forits support of the EU decisiontaken on September 5 at Rivadel Garda to include Hamason i ts l is t of terroristorganizations.

Speaking on behalf of thePresidency, Amb. Giulio Terziemphasized that some 41% ofall Israeli imports come fromthe 15 members of the Union,roughly double the imports fromthe U.S. Despite the slowdownin the global economy, exportsfrom Israel to the

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(cont. p. 6)

Prime Minister Sharon Meets European Ambassadors

Ambassador Giulio Terzi greets Prime MinisterAriel Sharon at his Ramat Gan residence

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met with EU Ambassadors at a dinner hosted last September 17 by Ambassador Giulio Terzi at his Ramat Ganresidence. Similar meetings were held with Ministers Shalom, Mofaz, Lapid and Olmert.

NOTIZIE ITALIANENewsle t t er o f the Embassy o f I ta ly in I srae l No. 26 November 2003

n October 16, the60th anniversary

of the roundup anddeportation of 1259 ofRome’s Jews, ItalianPresident Carlo AzeglioCiampi conferred a goldmedal for c iv i l ianbravery on the city’sJewish community .

In a ceremony at Porticod'Ottavia, the ruins of anancient Roman templewhich has become thesymbol of the ghetto,Ciampi said that "them e m o r y o f t h eHolocaust must be keptalive because whenhistory isforgotten it

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President Ciampi greets young members of Rome’sJewish community

President Ciampi on the Holocaust: “Remember thehorrors of the past so they will not be repeated”

(cont. p. 6)

(cont. p. 4)

Enhancing ParliamentaryCooperation

he Presidento f t h e

Italian Chamberof Deputies, H.E.Pier FerdinandoCasini (photo),wil l arrive inIsrae l for anofficial visit onNovember 9-11,as a gues t ofKnesset Speaker H.E. Reuven Rivlin.Besides meeting the Members of theKnesset, President Casini will be receivedby all major Israeli authorities includingPresident Moshe Katzav and PrimeMinister Ariel Sharon. <>

h i g h l e v e ldelegation of

Italian entrepreneursand business leaderswill attend the GlobesI s r a e l B u s i n e s sConference 2003 tobe held on December6-8. The delegationwill be led by ItalianM i n i s t e r o fAgriculture H.E. Giovanni Alemanno(photo). Italian official business missionsvisiting Israel continue to outnumberdelegations from any other country. <>

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Official Italian BusinessDelegations Due in Israel

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Prime Minister BerlusconiHonored in U.S. forFighting Anti-Semitism

he Distinguished Statesman Award for2003 went to Berlusconi because of the

"courage andleadership hes h o w e d i nrooting out anti-Semitism andr a c i s m i nEurope," saidthe League’sd i r e c t o r ,A b r a h a mFoxman. "Aspremier andduty presidentof the European Union I have always had a totalcommitment to fighting anti-Semitism," Berlusconisaid. The award ceremony took place at New York'sPlaza Hotel in the presence of 400 guests, includingIsraeli diplomats in Washington, New York andRome, as well as Italian Foreign Minister FrancoFrattini, Minister of Productive Activities AntonioMarzano and the President of ConfindustriaAntonio D'Amato. The ADL praised the Italianpremier also for the support given to the UnitedStates in the battle against terrorism. "Terrorismis a crime against humanity and this is why, in theframework of the European Union, we worked toinclude Hamas in the EU's list of terroristorganizations," Berlusconi said. Berlusconi wasgiven a menorah, one of the seven-branchedcandelabra which is an emblem of the Jewishfaith.<>

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a’aretz newspaper is hosting a newwebsite ‘Discovering Jewish Italy’

dedicated to promoting knowledge of the ItalianJewish heritage. The website offers a mix ofcommercial, cultural and historical information,travel tips, an overview of kosher products fromItaly and much more.

The website is managed by Dell`AricciaConsulting, which provides support to Italiancompanies aiming to operate in the Israeli andinternational Jewish-interest markets, andsupported with the collaboration of ‘Italy Italy’magazine.www.haaretz.com/adsupplement/Italy<>

HDiscovering Jewish Italy

NOTIZIE ITALIANE November 2003

On September 23 the Anti-DefamationLeague honored Italian Premier SilvioBerlusconi with an award for his effortsagainst anti-Semitism

ADL Director Abraham Foxman (left)and Premier Silvio Berlusconi

he conference inRome was a further

step in the economiccooperat ion ini t iat ivebetween Italy and Israellaunched at the EuromedConference in Palermo lastJuly.D e p u t y M i n i s t e r f o rProduct ive Act ivi t ies(Foreign Trade) Adolfo Urso underlined that theItalian Government considers the flourishingeconomic and commercial relations with Israel,the development of joint ventures with Israelicompanies and the reciprocal transfer of know-how as a strategic priority. Bilateral industrialcooperation should be increased, added DeputyMinister Urso, especially in hi-tech sectors.Over 100 Italian and Israeli companiesparticipated in the event, which attracted animpressive array of leaders from business, financeand politics. Contributors to the seminar includedRiccardo Sessa , Director General forMediterranean and Middle East Countries at the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs,Stefano Parisi, DirectorGeneral of Confindustria(the Italian Manufacturers`Association), GiancarloElia Valori, President ofLazio and Rome Unions ofIndustrialists, AlessandroP r o f u m o , C E O o fUNICREDIT, Massimo

D’Aiuto, Director General of SIMEST andMenachem Navoth of Chenoz Technologies,Head of the Israeli Delegation.Enterprises took part from sectors such as BioTechnology, Healthcare and Pharmaceutical,Telecommunications, IT, Software, Safety andSecurity, Automotive industries and others.Confindustria, the Italian Employers’ Federation,hopes to initial an agreement with its Israelicounterpart. The Director General ofConfindustria Stefano Parisi, said that the newinitiative is aimed at encouraging increasedcooperation in research and in the developmentof new technologies.<>

Deputy Minister Urso and Deputy Premier OlmertCo-Chair Italian-Israeli Business Seminar

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Ehud Olmert led an important delegation of Israeli entrepreneurs and business leaders toRome on October 1-3 to attend a business matching seminar organized by Simest and the IsraelExport and International Cooperation Institute. Deputy Minister Adolfo Urso confirmed thata new meeting will take place in Israel on December 15 between Italian, Israeli and Palestinianenterprises: “it will send a signal - said Minister Urso - about Italy’s desire to invest in peace,both on an economic and on a political level. Italy has been working for many years to createconditions for incentives to advance the peace process”.

Deputy Premier Ehud Olmert and Deputy MinisterAdolfo Urso met in Rome

M y S e c o n dHomeland’, the

celebration dedicated tothe 25th anniversary ofthe election of PopeJohn Paul II, took placei n J e r u s a l e m o nOctober 22 at the ‘NotreD a m e ’ P o n t i f i c a lInstitute.

Celebrations in Israel forthe 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II,organized by the Italian Embassy in Tel Aviv incollaboration with the Consulate General inJerusalem, formed part of a series of eventsplanned by Italian Cultural Institutes worldwideand promoted by Hon. Mario Baccini.Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs andChairman of the National Committee for thePromotion of Italian Culture Abroad. In hisremarks Undersecretary Baccini illustrated themeaning and force of the initiative, andannounced an official acknowledgment by theNational Committee of the Pontiff’s central roleas an Ambassador of the Italian language and

culture worldwide. Baccinirecalled the moving appealby the Pope at the beginningof his reign (“Do not fear”),and underlined how thisbecame “one of the mostsorrowful and pregnantadmonitions formulated bythe Holy Father during histwenty five years.”A particularly significantmoment occurred when two

political figures, Knesset member ChaimRamon and Palestinian legislator Emil Jarjoui,recalled the uncertainties before the HolyFather’s visit in 2000, and the enormousenthusiasm that it generated. “Today we needthe message of peace and hope that the Pontiffbrought with him during his visit, especiallyduring times as difficult as the present,” saidRamon, who also wished the Pope good healthand strength to make a return visit to the HolyLand. In his remarks Ambassador Giulio Terzirecalled the significant moments, and especiallythe spirit, that have accompaniedthe Pope’s mission in favour of

Italy Celebrates 25 Years of Pope John Paul II‘

Pope John Paul II at the Western Wall

(cont. p. 6)

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

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

Berlusconi Speech at UN General AssemblyEnhancing Parliamentary CooperationItalian Business Delegations Due in IsraelPresident Ciampi on the HolocaustSharon Meets European Ambassadors25 Years of Pope John Paul IIOlmert & Urso Co-Chair Rome Business SeminarBerlusconi Receives ADL AwardDiscovering Jewish ItalyEU Commemorates Victims of Haifa Bombing'Marshall' Plan Discussed in DubaiKFOR Donates Weapons to MuseumHosting the E-Learning AgencyPeres: Step up Economic War on TerrorismIveco Presents Latest Models in IsraelMinister Stanca awards IST Prize to Israeli Co.Shimon Peres at 80Tribute to Herbert PaganiOpening of Parmiggiani ExhibitionOpening of 3rd Italian Language WeekWorkshop on Cognitive NeuroscienceFerrari & Schumacher Win Formula OneItalians Identify GeneItalian Trade Fair CalendarEvents in IsraelEvents in Italy

I think this is a special event today – notonly because it is the day before the

Weapons Amnesty, but also because it marks oneof the initiatives KFOR has been pushing for along time,” said Italian Lt. Gen. Fabio Mini,commander of KFOR. “This is to pass from theculture of weapons as a means of destruction andas a means of fighting to weapons as a meansof teaching history.”“Our soldiers collected these weapons and keptthem as training and teaching aids,” Lt. Gen Minisaid. “Now we pass these weapons to the museumin order that the people of Kosovo can learn fromthe history of the weapons.."

This event iss t r o n g l yconnected with the “Weapons Amnesty” program, which startedon September 1, 2003 and finished on the 30th of the samemonth. During the amnesty period anyone in Kosovo who hadweapons without valid authorization had do surrender theweapons to law enforcement authorities. People that are foundin possession of illegal weapons after the amnesty deadlinewill face prosecution and heavy fines. UNDP estimates thatthere are between 330,000 and 460,000 small arms in Kosovo.The “Weapons Amnesty” program is another step forward forensuring a safe and secure environment in Kosovo. <>

KFOR Donates Weapons to Museum

“

KFOR handed over 60 different types of deactivated weapons and ammunition to the KosovoMuseum in Pristina for display

Lt. Gen. Fabio Mini, commander of KFOR, looks on asArder Hadri, Pristina Museum director, places ademilitarized weapon in a glass case for display

A selection of the 60 different types ofdeactivated weapons and ammunitiondonated to the Kosovo Museum inPristina for display

NOTIZIE ITALIANE November 2003

EU Presidency Lays Wreath for Victims of Haifa BombingAccompanied by colleagues from the EU Troika, the Charge` d`Affaires of the ItalianEmbassy, Couns. Luca Franchetti Pardo, visited the scene of the suicide bombing in Haifaon October 5

mbassador GiancarloChevallard, Head of

the Delegation of theEuropean Commission,Couns. Philip Grant of theIrish Embassy and Couns.Luca Franchetti Pardo laida wreath at the destroyedremnants of Maxim'srestaurant, location of thelatest atrocity by a Palestinianterrorist on October 5.“The European Presidency”,declared Franchetti Pardo, “wanted to come herein person to express its solidarity with thefamilies of the victims and with the city of Haifa,and once more to repeat, on behalf of the EU

and Italy, our unequivocalcondemnation of this morallyreprehensible and unjustifiedact of terrorism.” Terrorismmust not affect the spirit oftolerance and dialoguebetween Jews and Arabs thathas always characterized thecity: “the Troika recognizesthat Haifa is known as asymbol of coexistence,dialogue and tolerance,which are values treasured

by Europeans,” continued the Italian diplomat,who also stated that “Israel has the right to defendits citizens.”<>

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(from left) Couns. Franchetti Pardo, Couns. PhilipGrant and Ambassador Giancarlo Chevallard

European E-Learning Agency was one ofthe ideas put forward by the first European

conference on technology in education, whichtook place near Rome on September 26.Italy wishes to host the agency. The conference,at Monte Porzio Catone near Rome, broughttogether 300 experts from more than 30

European countries. The conference was splitinto seminars dedicated to ten areas in E-learning, from the development of technologyin schools to the use of the Internet for learning,and private-public cooperation on further trainingin Europe. www.elearningeuropa.info <>

ATeaching: Italy Wants To Host European E-Learning Agency

n a statement issued inDubai on Sept 20, and as

promised at the Evian Summit,t h e G 7 c o n f i r m e d i t scommitment to work together

with the Palestinian Authority and all involvedinstitutions to contribute to the design of acomprehensive plan for the revitalization andreconstruction of the Palestinian economy, andto implement it in the context of the peaceprocess along the Road Map."We are concerned about the currenthumanitarian situation and fully support thepeace process," continued the statement, whichalso applauded Palestinian Finance MinisterSalam Fayyad's "reform efforts to improvetransparency in the budget" of the PalestinianAuthority. "We have agreed to review theprospects for increased financial assistance tothe Palestinian Authority in the short term," saidthe G7 statement "and will advocate that theWorld Bank replenish the Trust Fund for theWe s t B a n k a n d G a z a t h i s f a l l . ”www.g8.utoronto.ca <>

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‘Marshall Plan’Discussed in DubaiG7 Ministers urged the international communityto increase aid to the Palestinian economy. Theyalso instructed deputies to examine the feasibilityof implementing the so-called ‘Marshall Plan’,first proposed by Premier Silvio Berlusconi, andto report by next Spring.

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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h e t h r e ewinners , in

alphabetical order, are: CEDES and CSEM(Switzerland) for ESPROS/TOF; InSightec(Israel) for ExAblate 2000; and PicselTechnologies (UK) for ePAGE. Each of thewinning companies received 200,000 euros.

Insightec’s ExAblate2000T M burns offtumors in the bodymore effectively than

existing laser techniques. The treatment deliversfocused ultrasound energy to a precise pointwithin the human body, destroying diseasedtissue in a matter of seconds. The proceduremoves medical treatment into the out-patientsetting, cutting out hospitalization and reducinglengthy recovery times. InSightec was

established at the beginning of 1999 as a jointventure between Elbit Medical Imaging andGeneral Electric Medical Systems, and currentlyemploys some 70 people in Israel and the UnitedStates. The winners were presented with theGrand IST Trophy at the EISTP AwardCeremony by Erkki Liikanen, EuropeanCommissioner for the Information Society, Dr.Lucio Stanca, Italian Minister for Innovationand Technologies, and Pasquale Pistorio,President and CEO of ST Microelectronics andChairman of the IST Prize executive jury.IST 2003 is organized within the framework ofthe Italian EU Presidency by the Commission'sDirectorate-General for the Information Society,the Italian Ministry of Innovation andTechnologies, and the Lombardy region.www.ist-prize.org <>

Minister for Innovation and Technology Dr. Lucio Stanca announced the winners of the EuropeanIST Grand Prize on October 2 at a ceremony at “IST 2003: The Opportunities Ahead”, in Milan

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Minister Stanca Awards Israeli Company

NOTIZIE ITALIANE November 2003

wo new series of the latest models ofcommercial trucks produced by Italian

company IVECO were introduced to Israelat a presentation organized by importers N.Feldman & Sons, Ltd. in Tel Aviv onSeptember 9. The event was attended byAmbassador Giulio Terzi and a high-levelmanagement delegation from IVECO, led byVice President for Commercial Operations,Dr. Franco Fenoglio.IVECO formspart of theFiat Group,and draws ont e c h n i c a lexpertise fromFerrari andC e n t r oR i c e r c h eFiat, the latteralso as a resultof collaborative projects developed this yearwith Haifa’s Technion. Among the vehiclespresented was the Stralis range, which recentlyreceived the Truck of the Year 2003 award,and which includes some innovative featuressuch as automatic transmission, a rare optionin vehicles of this kind. The latest models arerich with innovative and competitivetechnologies, and are characterized by threetypically Italian qualities - style, safety, andmaximum attention to environmental concerns.IVECO, with a workforce of almost 40,000and the manufacture of 147,000 vehicles in2002, is hoping to significantly increase itspenetration of the Israeli market. In his remarksAmbassador Terzi underlined the importancegiven by Italy to commercial ties with Israel,especially in innovative products such as thoseintroduced by IVECO, and highlighted variousinternational initiatives aimed at reducing roadaccidents.<>

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IVECO Presents itsLatest Models in Israel

to international peace and security. After havingrecently agreed to an Action Plan, we are nowbusy with its implementation. World peace andsecurity are indivisible.The European Union expresses its growingconcern over the development of the Iraniannuclear program and the risks of proliferationthat it involves. We reiterate our expectation thatIran will demonstrate accelerated cooperationand full transparency with the InternationalAtomic Energy Agency by acceding to itsrequests. Urgent and unconditional acceptance,signature and implementation of an IAEAsafeguards additional protocol is of the utmostimportance. The international community wouldconsider it a sign of Iran’s commitment to thenon-proliferation framework and a step towardthe desired reforms. Conflict prevention andcrisis management are essential components ofthe EU’s contribution to the safeguarding of

international peace and security. More than40,000 men and women of the European Unionare currently deployed on UN-led or authorizedpeace operations in the world.Democracy is the only government system thatcan fully guarantee respect for human rightswhile fostering development, prosperity andpeace. The EU aims to increase its cooperationwith Countries that share the values of freedomand democracy. In a spirit of openness towardthe entire international community, the EU statesits willingness to give support to all those Statesthat intend to comply with these principles.In the Middle East, the European Union is deeplyconcerned by the deterioration of relationsbetween the State of Israel and the PalestinianAuthority and reiterates its strong support forthe road map, the only hope for a lasting peacein the area and for opening the gate to the stabilityand development of the region. The EU will

lend its efforts to this end within the Quartet.To implement the road to peace, it is alsoimportant that there be a concrete and generouscommitment on the part of the European Unionand the G-8 countries to a plan for thecomprehensive economic reconstruction of thearea. Both Israel and the Palestinian Authoritiesmust act urgently to implement the commitmentsprovided for in the road map.In Iraq, the European Union has welcomed theend of Saddam Hussein regime, whose powerwas built on fear and violation of human rights.The formation of the Iraqi Governing Councilwas the first major step toward a representativegovernment of the Iraqi people. The EuropeanUnion underlines the importance of therestoration of Iraqi sovereignty and theestablishment of a fully representative Iraqigovernment through democratic elections. TheUnited Nations has a vital role in this process.”<>

(cont. from p. 1)Prime Minister Berlusconi at UN

peaking on thes idel ines of an

e c o n o m i c f o r u morganized last September5 by the AmbrosettiFoundation on LakeComo in Northern Italy,Israeli Labor party leaderShimon Peres said that

Europe can play an important role in the waragainst terrorism if it steps up financial controlson suspicious organizations. Peres stressed thatthe "economic option" was just as important asthe ground war against terrorism. Referring tothe Middle East, the former Israeli PM said he

discussed the latestdevelopments in thestalled peace processwi th Arab LeagueSecretary-General AmirMoussa, who also

attended the Cernobbio meeting. Peres urgedPalestinian leaders to put their differences asideand unify the Palestinian police force. At themoment, Peres said 60% of the 40,000-strongforce was under Arafat's control. "I know thereare efforts underway to find an agreement onthis issue and if it can be reached, it will reallyhelp the peace process." <>

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Shimon Peres Urges Europe to Step UpEconomic War on Terrorism

(from left) Franco Fenoglio (VicePresident, Iveco), Amb. Giulio Terzi,Gideon Feldman (CEO, Feldman &Son).

n evening in memory of Herbert Pagani,the Italian artist of Libyan-Jewish origin

who died prematurely 15 years ago, was heldat the Or Yehuda Theatre on October 8 in thepresence of the artist’s mother, Mrs. GiuliaArbib Pagani. The event was organized by the

Embassy of Italy together with the Italian Cultural Institute andthe World Organization of Libyan Jews, which has its headquartersin Or Yehuda.In his opening remarks Ambassador Giulio Terzi underlined theversatility of this exceptional artist and sculptor, whose works are ondisplay in several major private and public collections, and whosemusic marked an era, especially in Italy and France, during the Sixtiesand Seventies. Amb. Terzi also dwelt on Pagani's commitment to civiland social issues, which was so influential in the Libyan Jewish community. During the first halfof the evening, tributes to Pagani were paid by the Mayor of Or Yehuda, Itzhak Buhobza, by thePresident of the World Association of Libyan Jews, Rami Cahalon, and by the Director of theItalian Cultural Institute, Lucio Izzo. These were followed by the screening of a video presentationof the artist by the celebrated critic Arturo Schwartz. The second half featured a concert by theMilanese singer Anna Jencek, accompanied by Dario Toffolon, and a contribution by Alex Anskyand Gila Almagor, two of Israel's most celebrated theatrical personalities.<>

he opening of the 3rd Italian LanguageWeek in Israel on October 20, featured

an enthusiastically received concert by theUniversità della Canzone Napoletana, Theduo, composed of guitarist Espedito DeMarino and tenor Vincenzo Acanfora, bothstudents of the late Roberto Murolo, presenteda fascinating selection of classical and modernNeapolitan music before an animated andoverflowing audience at the Givatayim Theatre.In his opening remarks, Ambassador GiulioTerzi itemized the ongoing series of initiativesundertaken by the Italian Cultural Institute (ICI),directed by Lucio Izzo, in celebration of Italian

Language Week. Following the concert, onOctober 22, the ICI presented a screening ofthe film ''Cinque domande a...'' , a series of30 interviews on Italian identity and valuesdirected by Maria Sardu. This was followedby a conference on ''Song, culture, and theItalian language in the second half of the 19th

century”, presented by Prof. Stefano Pivato,from the faculty of language and foreignliterature at the University of Urbino.On Thursday October 23, on the occasion ofthe presentation of the new edition of LuigiBarzini’s “Voyage to the Holyland”, the ICIhosted a round table with journalists Eric

Salerno, Ugo Tramballi and Bernardo Vallion the theme “How the work of the specialcorrespondent to the Middle East has changedover the past 100 years”.The 3rd Italian Language Week in Israelconcluded with a presentation of the book “''Io,notaio Nicola De Martoni. Il pellegrinaggio aiLuoghi Santi da Carinola a Gerusalemme 1394- 1395'', which was presented by Father MichelePiccirillo, Professor of History and BiblicalGeography, and Director of the museum at theStudium Biblicum Franciscanum inJerusalem.<>

ATribute to Herbert Pagani

n September 23 Amb. Giulio Terziinaugurated the opening of an exhibition

of works by Claudio Parmiggiani, one ofthe most celebrated of contemporary Italianartists.Over 500 guests from the world of politicsand business attended the opening togetherwith Israeli and American artists at Tel AvivMuseum. Claudio Parmiggiani, friend andpupil of Giorgio Morandi, and one of themost eloquent exponents of conceptual art,also attended the opening ceremony, anddedicated the works on show to the memoryof the past and to the hope for peace in thefu ture . www. tamuseum.com <>

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Opening ofParmiggiani Exhibition

T‘Università della Canzone Napoletana’ Opens 3rd Italian Language Week

n a festive atmosphere characterized by the presence of distinguishedforeign guests and a battalion of media representatives, Nobel

Laureate and Labor Party leader Shimon Peres celebrated his 80th birthdaylast September 21 and 22.

On Sunday, September 21 a cornerstone laying ceremony was held for theultra-modern Peres Center for Peace, designed by the Italian architectMassimiliano Fuksas. The Italian delegation attending the Peres celebrationsincluded the Mayor of Rome, Hon. Walter Veltroni, the President of Rome’sand Lazio’s industrial union Prof. Giancarlo Elia Valori, and the Senatorand Nobel prize winner for Medicine Prof. Rita Levi Montalcini.Prof. Levi Montalcini, warmly received by those present, also took part ina study day at Tel Aviv University dedicated to Peres, in which she dwelton the importance of education and humanitarian efforts aimed at aidingthe weakest elements in society, and referred to the activities of the Foundationshe heads, which is dedicated to the welfare of women and children inAfrica.<>

IItalian Delegation Joins Celebrations for Shimon Peres at 80

(photo) Model of Peres Center for Peace, designed by world-renowned Italianarchitect Massimiliano Fuksas

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NOTIZIE ITALIANE November 2003

he neural basiso f m e n t a l

processes, attention, ofc o n s c i e n c e a n dlanguage, were someof the topics at thecenter of 'CognitiveNeuroscience', anI t a l i a n - I s r a e l iWorkshop held onOctober 19-21 atBeersheva 's BenGurion University(BGU)The Workshop wasorganized within theframework of theI t a l i a n - I s r a e l iA g r e e m e n t o nS c i e n t i f i c ,Technological andIndustrial R&D Cooperation. Openingstatements were given by President of BGUProf. Avishay Braverman, Ambassador GiulioTerzi, and Prof. Carlo Umilta' of theUniversity of Padua. The event attracted anumber of highly qualified specialists from

both countries: eighte m i n e n t I t a l i a nScientists attended theMeeting, from theUniversity of Padua,Rome's La SapienzaUniversity, Milano-Bicocca University,Vi t a - S a l u t e S a nRaffaele University ofM i l a n , a n d t h eUniversities of Trentoand Urbino.Prof. Umiltà stated: "Inthis workshop wefocused on the neuralb a s i s o f m e n t a lprocesses, particularlyissues concerningattention, conscience

and language. We arealso studying research carried out on patientswith cerebral lesions, as well as simple studieson the effects of image projection on normalpatients." Actually, Cognitive Neuroscienceseeks to localize the areas of the brainresponsible for mental processes. <>

6

n Italian research team has identified agene mutation responsible for a disorder

that stunts growth and causes pancreas problemsin young children. Shwachmann-DiamondSyndrome (SDS) is the second most commoncause of pancreatic deficiency after cysticfibrosis. The gene responsible for SDS wasdiscovered in Toronto in February, paving theway for the recent breakthrough at Verona’s

Cystic Fibrosis Centre. The centre, headed byProfessor Barouk Maurice Assael, has been atthe vanguard of research into SDS, a disordersimilar to the more debilitating cystic fibrosis.It affects 60-80 out of every 1,000 children. Themajority of Italian cases of SDS are diagnosedat the Verona clinic, thanks to its expertise inusing duodenal probes on children.baroukh.assael@unimi.it <>

AItalians Identify Gene Linked To Children's Disease

liberty and equality among nations, and hiscommitment to dialogue which, during his visitto the Holy Land, took on a luminosity of itsown. Amb. Terzi dwelt on two aspects of thePope’s teachings: the correlation betweenfreedom and peace; and the continuation of theinter-religious dialogue, especially with Judaism,established by his predecessors, in particularPope John XXIII.The ceremony concluded with the presentationof a gift by Dr. Lucio Izzo, Director of the ItalianCultural Institute, to the Apostolic Nuncio Mons.Pietro Sambi. Commemorative medals were

presented by a group from the City Council ofRome, headed by its chairman, Hon. GiuseppeMannino.Musical content provided one of the high pointsof the evening, with contributions from AmedeoMinghi, Angelica Sepe, and Stelvio Cipriani.The celebrations attracted considerable mediaattention, both local and international. Israeliand Arab television as well as several Italiannetworks covered the event, which was attendedby representatives of all three religions. Theconference was chaired by Dr. Piero Schiavazzi,general curator of the cycle of events.<>

Italy Celebrates 25 Years of Pope John Paul II(cont. from p. 2)

NOTIZIE ITALIANE November 2003

TItalian-Israeli Workshop on Cognitive Neuroscience

i c h a e lSchumacher

became the mostsuccessful Formula

One champion inhistory after winning

an unprecedented sixthworld title on October 13

at the Japanese Grand Prix, and helping hisFerrari team take its fifth consecutiveconstructors' championship at the last raceof the 2003 season. <>

Ferrari and SchumacherWin in Formula One

M

Continuing its activities under theIndustrial, Scientific and TechnologicalR e s e a rc h a n d D e v e l o p m e n tCooperation Agreement signed betweenItaly and Israel in June 2000, the ItalianEmbassy is co-promoting four moreworkshops in Israel between Italianand Israeli companies and researchinstitutions on the following themes:A d v a n c e d M a t e r i a l s ( 1 5 - 1 8November), Cellular and MolecularBiology in the Life Sciences (25-28November), Digital Access to theScientific and Cultural Heritage (9-12 December), and Application ofAlgebraic Geometry to Computations:A r t i f i c i a l Vi s i o n , R o b o t i c s ,N e u r o s c i e n c e , P h y s i c s a n dCryptography (dates to be confirmed).For more information: 03-5161744

EU rose by 12.6% during thefirst semester of this year, accounting for morethan 30% of overall Israeli exports. Moreoverit is expected that the proposed enlargement ofthe Union will further improve these figures.This growth is yet another reason that the EUCommission has proposed the inclusion of Israelin the “Wider Europe” initiative.Moreover, as underlined by Amb. Terzi, Europeis morally and effectively engaged in thestruggle against anti-Semitism. AmbassadorTerzi recalled that in 2004 Italy will take overthe Presidency of the International Task Forceon Holocaust Education, Remembrance andResearch (ITF). The appointed head of theItalian Delegation to the ITF, Amb. GiorgioFranchetti Pardo, recently visited Israel.<>

P.M. Sharon Meets European Ambassadors(cont. from p. 1)

is then repeated. This is thetrue meaning of the Day of Remembrance:remember the horrors of the past so they willnot be repeated.” The President of the RomeJewish community, Leone Paserman, thankedCiampi for the gold medal which he said wasalso "in recognition of our community's over-2000-year history here and we are deeplygrateful."<>

President Ciampi on the Holocaust(cont. from p. 1)

7

Italian Trade Fair Calendar November 2003 – January 2004

01.11 - 09.11MilanLA MIA CASAFurniture and ModernLivingwww.assoexpo.com

05.11 - 06.11MilanFILO - Yarns, Fibres,Woven and Knitted Fabricswww.filo.com

06.11 - 09.11VeronaFIERACAVALLI Equestrian Activities andEquipmentwww.veronafiere.it

07.11 - 10.11BolzanoAGRIALPFair of the Alpine Chainwww.messebozen.it

09.11 - 13.11MilanMIFED - Cinema and TVMultimedia Marketwww.fmi.it/mifed

13.11 - 18.11MilanEXPO DEI SAPORI

International Food andBeveragewww.expodeisapori.it

14.11 - 18.11MilanEXPOTOURHOTELPROJECTEquipment, Supplies,Technologies & TourismServiceswww.expocts.it

14.11 - 17.11MilanFRANCHISING& PARTNERSHIPInnovation in the BusinessWorld & Service Industrywww.expocts.it

15.11 - 18.11BolognaEIMAAgricultural Machinerywww.eima.it

18.11 - 22.11VeronaBUS & BUS Businesswww.veronafiere.it

25.11 - 28.11MilanMAC - Chemistry,

Analysis, Research, TestEquipment andBiotechnologywww.assoexpo.com

27.11 - 30.11MilanIBTS - Audio, Video,Broadcasting & Telecomwww.assoexpo.com

28.11 - 02.12LongaroneMIGHand-Made Ice-creamwww.longaronefiere.it

29.11 - 08.12MilanL'ARTIGIANO INFIERA Crafts Exhibitionwww.fiera-artigianato.com

29.11 - 03.12RiminiSIAA - Hotel Equipmentwww.fierarimini.it

30.11 - 02.12MilanMODAPRIMAKnitwear and Clothinge-mail: info@efima.com

02.12 - 06.12MilanSIMEI - Enological andBottling Equipmentwww.simei.it

06.12 - 14.12BolognaMOTOR SHOWCars & Motorcycleswww.motorshow.it

06.12 - 14.12RomeNATALE OGGIWorld Christmas Exhibitionwww.nataleoggi.com

200408.01 - 11.01FlorencePITTI IMMAGINEUOMOMen's Fashion Fairwww.pittimmagine.com

11.01 - 18.01VicenzaVICENZAORO 1Gold, Jewellery, Silverwareand Watcheswww.vicenzafiera.it

16.01 - 18.01FlorencePITTI IMMAGINEBIMBO - Children'sFashionwww.pittimmagine.com

17.01 - 21.01RiminiSIGEP - Ice Cream, Pastry,Confectionary & Bakerywww.fierarimini.it

22.01 - 26.01BolognaARTE FIERAContemporary Artwww.bolognafiere.it

30.01 - 02.02MilanMACEFGifts and Housewarewww.macefprimavera.biz

30.01 - 02.02MilanINTERNATIONALTOY SHOWhttp://giocattolo.fmi.it

30.01 - 02.02MilanCARTStationery & Paperwww.fmi.it

30.01 - 02.02MilanCHIBIGift Articles & Fancy Goodswww.fmi.it

30.01 - 01.02FlorencePITTI IMMAGINECASA Household Linen,Textiles & Accessories forfurnishing and decorationwww.pittimmagine.com

31.01 - 04.02RiminiMIACatering and Food Showwww.fierarimini.it

31.01 - 03.02RiminiPIANETA BIRRABeer and Beverageswww.fierarimini.it

he diversity andr i c h n e s s o f

Europe’s cultural andscientific heritage isclearly one of its mostimportant assets, anddigitization of theseresources is a very important task .MINERVA is a network of EU Member States'Ministries to discuss, correlate and harmonizeactivities carried out in the digitization ofcultural and scientific content for creating anagreed European common platform,recommendations and guidelines aboutdigitization, metadata, long-term accessibilityand preservation.Minerva aims to co-ordinate nationalprogrammes, and establish contacts with otherEuropean countries, international organizations,associations, networks, international andnational projects involved in this sector, witha special focus on actions carried out in theDigiCult action of IST.Minerva will hold its European Conference inParma on 20-21 November 2003, under thepatronage of the President of Italy, promotedby the Ministry of Culture, and supported bythe European Commission and the ItalianMinistry for Innovation and Technologieswww.minervaeurope.org <>

Conference: DigitizingEuropean CultureParma, 20-21 November

T

atania conference examines MediterraneanNetwork for Advanced Studies and Research

Extending the European Higher Education Area toall Mediterranean countries is in keeping with theEU strategy aimed at: developing human resourcesand promoting understanding between cultures andexchanges between civil societies in the Euro-Mediterranean Region (Barcelona Declaration 1995);assisting countries in the reform of their highereducation and training systems; ensuring a structuredcooperation between the EU and the institutions ofThird Countries and fostering greater mobility in

order to promote the European Union as a worldcentre of excellence in the field of higher educationand scientific and technological research.This initiative aims at promoting the creation of aMediterranean network of Institutes for AdvancedStudies and Research, in areas considered a priorityby the various countries. The network will providefor close ties with European Centres of Excellencein Higher Education across Europe.Dr. Antonello Masia, Ministry of Educationantonello.masia@miur.it <>

CPromoting Advanced Studies, Catania, 7-8 November

AXIS (pilot action ofe x c e l l e n c e o n

innovative start-ups) isfunded under the Innovation section of the FifthFramework Programme (FP5) . The workshop willsee the presentation by PAXIS partners of their work,conclusions on best practice, and ideas. The workshopwill comprise three sections: the Turin region and its

ambitious plans for innovative development at locallevel; the status of all PAXIS areas and projects; andpre-seed financing. The EU's Enterprise andInformation Society Commissioner, Erkki Liikanen,will attend the event, along with representatives fromthe Italian Ministry for Economic Activities and theTurin region. <>www.cordis.lu/paxis/src/torinoworkshop.htm

P

Workshop: Zooming in on European ExcellenceTurin, 26 - 28 November

h e 1 3 t hIn te rna t iona l

A u d i o , V i d e o ,B r o a d c a s t i n g , M o t i o n P i c t u r e a n dTelecommunications Show (IBTS) comes to the FieraMilano. The trade fair is dedicated to the mostadvanced products and technologies for broadcastingand TV transmissions, professional audio and video,

motion pictures, multimedia communications,electronic press, computer animation and computergraphics, and takes place every two years. Over 200exhibitors, representing 438 of the most significantinternational companies, attended the last exhibition.Some 25,171 professionals attended in total, fromaround 62 foreign countries. <>www.ibts.info

TIBTS Audio and Video Fair, Milan, 27-30 November

NOTIZIE ITALIANE November 2003

8

E V E N T S I N I SRAEL

E V E N T S I N I TALY

I tal ian Week at Tel AvivUniversityNovember 9-16Tel Aviv University will focus for an entireweek on Italy through examinations ofItalian visual art, music, theatre, cinema,science and nature.Italian Cultural Institute, 03-5234544

Lecture: Yehuda AbravanelDecember 9Prof. Adriana Meloni will lecture in Italianon Yehuda Abravanel and his philosophicalvision of women in the ‘Dialoghi d’amore’.Italian Cultural Institute, 03-5234544

‘The Unknown Italian Cinema’November 11Dr. Fiorenza Cevidalli will give a lecture on'The Unknown Italian Cinema' (in Italian),followed by the projection of the film "Lucedei miei Occhi" (Light of my Eyes) by G.

Piccioni, never before screened inIsraelItalian Cultural Institute, 03-5234544

Lecture on ‘Years of anger andhope 1938-1949’December 16Lecture by the author Dr. Corrado DeBenedetti who will present his new bookItalian Cultural Institute, 03-5234544

‘Amos Gitai, Cinema Forza diPace’November 18In the framework of the retrospective of thefilms of Amos Gitai, to be held at theCinemateques of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa,Sderot and Rosh Pina, the Italian writerDaniela Turco will introduce her book ‘AmosGitai, Cinema as a Force for Peace’, in thepresence of Mr. Gitai.Italian Cultural Institute, 03-5234544

Truffle Fair26 Oct. - 9 Nov., Acqualagna(weekends onl y)Enjoy "vegetariancaviar" in Acqualunga,the truffle capital of theworld. Learn how tofind them, meet the"truffle-dogs" and eatthem in more ways thanyou could ever thoughtpossible. You can alsoindulge in one of themany local truffle-based specialties (tagliatelle withwhite truffle sauce, for one) at one of the acclaimedlocal restaurants, like ‘Il Tartufo’www.acqualagna.info

La FugarenaNovember 16,Terra del SoleThis ancientpagan harvestfestival takesp lace in thefortress city ofTerra del Sole.The centerpieceof the celebration is a huge bonfire in the main square,lit in ancient times to give thanks to the gods for theharvest. These days the celebration includes eventslike cross-country running, children's art exhibitions,markets, traditional games and performances by localbands, while food stalls offer the visitor a chance tosavor local delicacies, as well as the new wines ofthe year. Tasty local specialties include bruschetta,sausages and polenta with ragu.www.terradelsole.org

Christmas Market29 Nov. - 23 Dec., BolzanoOne of Italy's largest Christmas markets takes placeacross the city of Bolzano every year. Around 80exhibitors display traditional goods from treedecorations to cakes and pastries, woodcraft andtextiles. The historical centre of the city lights up withincredible colors, chains of lanterns and Christmaschoirs, horse carriages and shop-window decorations.For a good mix of traditional and designer Christmasgoods, good skiing facilities and a uniquelyatmospheric setting, there's nowhere better than this.www.bolzano-bozen.it

Frida Kahlo8 Oct. - 8 Feb., MilanAn exhibition ofw o r k s b yMexican artistFrida Kahlo is ondisplay at theM u s e o d e l l aPermanente inMilan. She waspart of a Mexico-wide movementthat revived amoribund artisticculture at home,with a uniquetake to the art ofits time that hada huge international influence. Also famous for beingDiego Rivera's partner, Kahlo's disturbing, mesmericself-portraits are a particular strength of the museum'scollection - providing a fascinating insight into oneof the 20th century's most charismatic female artists.www.lapermanente-milano.it

La Fenice Opera House to Reopen14-21 December, VeniceLa Fenice operahouse of Venice,one of Italy's mostimportant venues,will finally reopenin December 2003for a ser ies ofconcerts. The opera house, razed by fire in 1996, wasfirst promised to be rebuilt by 1998. In 2000 thediscovery of Roman ruins and subsequent catalogingof them caused notable delays. Although opera won'tring through the rebuilt halls until fall of 2004, theweek of December 2003 will find music once againin the Fenice with maestro Riccardo Muti leading ahomecoming for the house orchestra and chorus.www.teatrolafenice.it

Looking into Life - Toulouse Lautrec11 Oct. - 8 Feb., RomeAround 150 worksby French artistHenri de ToulouseLautrec, includingo i l s , d rawings ,e n g r a v i n g s ,lithographs and theentire collection ofadvertisement posters, are on display at the Complessodel Vittoriano in Rome. Characters from the dance-halls, cafés and brothels of Montmartre, the famousMoulin Rouge, the circus and theatres are depictedwith caustic melancholy in the first vast retrospectiveexhibition in Rome dedicated to the great Frenchartist.Complesso del VittorianoVia San Pietro in Carcere (Fori Imperiali), RomaTel. 06/6780664

Week o f I ta l ian Gas t ronomyNovember 30- December 4

50th anniversary of the Academy ofItalian Cuisine.A series of conferences will be held by Prof.Giuseppe Dell’Osso, President of the Academyof Italian Cuisine and President of the WorldAcademy of Cuisine. In the framework of this

event the Italian CulturalInstitute of Tel Aviv hasinvited the well-known cheff rom Rome GiovanniTerracina, who will organizea master class for professionalchefs within the frameworkof the exhibition “50 years ofItal ian Gastronomy” .During the course of the

exhibition, the Academy will announce the official opening of theIsraeli branch of the Accademia della Cucina ItalianaItalian Cultural Institute, 03-5234544 www.accademiaitalianacucina.it

President Ciampi with Prof. GiuseppeDell'Osso (left)

NOTIZIE ITALIANE November 2003