MEDIA STATEMENT

9 October 2010

Speaker’s Tour comes to an end in Israel with a positive balance

High level meetings and learning about business incubators and high-tech businesses have characterised the Speaker’s visit to Israel, the last leg on the Speaker’s tour. The delegation also had the opportunity to visit the West Bank.

Dr The Rt Hon Lockwood Smith was given an official ceremonial welcome to the Israeli Knesset by his counterpart, Mr Reuven Rivlin. At the bilateral meeting, discussion focused on developments in the relationship between New Zealand and Israel, the Middle East peace process and comparison of the two parliamentary systems. This was followed by a meeting with the Chairperson of the Israel-New Zealand Parliamentary Friendship Group, Mrs Ronit Tirosh, and other members of the Knesset.

The Speaker then met the Foreign Minister, Avigdor Liberman, who expressed an appreciation for New Zealand’s stance in the peace process and highlighted the recent re-opening of the Israeli Embassy in Wellington confirming the positive state of the relationship between both countries.

Dr Smith raised with the Minister New Zealand’s enthusiasm for the working holiday scheme between New Zealand and Israel to be brought into effect in 2011.

“Israel sees New Zealand as a good friend and the Foreign Minister shared New Zealand’s desire to see increased business and economic linkages”, Dr Smith said. The delegation also met with Shimon Peres, President of Israel.

The delegation also visited a refugee camp in the West Bank at Bethlehem accompanied by officials from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). This provided a valuable opportunity to see first hand the complexities of the Middle East peace process.

Prior to departing Jerusalem, the Speaker laid a wreath at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial.

Finally, Dr Smith and the MPs had an opportunity to see first hand how business incubators work in Israel and also visited Better Place, a company based in Tel Aviv that has developed the technology for network systems to facilitate the expansion of electric car use internationally.

The Speaker’s Delegation visit to Spain, Turkey and Israel has succeeded in achieving its goal of broadening the relationship with other parliaments and countries, expanding business awareness of New Zealand, and providing members with professional development opportunities.

ENDS

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