By Peter Lyukimson, Israel, especially for Vestnik Kavkaza
A two-day official visit to Israel by the Prime Minister of Georgia, Bidzina Ivanishvili, began today.
The visit takes place amid a strike of employees of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has paralyzed the work of this ministry, both in Israel and abroad. After Foreign Ministry officials refused to meet the Georgian leader, in accordance with protocol, the employees of the Georgian Embassy in Israel had to hire limousines for Ivanishvili and his entourage to take them from the airport to the hotel and then to the Presidential Palace for a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres.
At the palace they were met by dozens of MFA employees, who organized a protest and shouted insults at the "scabs", the security officials and the office of the Prime Minister of Israel, who took over the functions of protection and support of the Georgian guest.
However, the meeting of Bidzina Ivanishvili with Shimon Peres was held in an extremely warm and friendly atmosphere. During the two days of the visit, Ivanishvili also plans to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a number of members of the Israeli government, a group of business leaders and to visit a number of defense industry enterprises. In addition, Ivanishvili said that he intends to appoint ex-deputy of the Knesset Nino Abessadze an Honorary Consul of Georgia.
The main purpose of the visit, according to informed sources, is the resumption of Israeli arms supplies to Georgia (discontinued at the request of Russia) and the expansion of cooperation in the field of agriculture.
At the same time, Ivanishvili said that the strategic goal of the visit is to give a new boost to Israeli-Georgian relations in all areas, both in politics and in the economy, trade and culture.
Turning to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Ivanishili said that from his point of view, initially, in 1947, the partition of Palestine had been a mistake, but now there is no other way to resolve this conflict, but through the creation of a Palestinian state.
During a meeting with Israeli journalists Ivanishvili also strongly denied rumors about his Jewish roots. "The Jews in Georgia have always enjoyed a friendly attitude on the part of our people, they never had to hide their origins. And if I had Jewish roots, I would not hide them either. But I do not!" Ivanishvilli said.
