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Euroasian Jewish News
President of Israel Visits Biggest Synagogue in Astana
02.07.2009
The President of the State of Israel Shimon Peres arrived to the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, on an official visit, and took part on the work of the III Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions as an honored guest.
Over 80 spiritual and political leaders, 60 delegations from various religions of the world, representatives of major international organizations took part in the work of the Congress.
The delegation of Israeli spiritual leaders was headed by the main Ashkenazi rabbi Iona Metzger, and the head Sephardi rabbi Shlomo Amar. The rabbis of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress were represented by Eshaya Cohen, chairman of the Rabbi Council of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC).
At the invitation of the EAJC leader Alexander Mashkevich, the President of Israel and the people accompanying him visited the largest synagogue in Central Asia, Beit-Rachel. Leaders of the Jewish community of Kazakhstan, representatives of the diplomatic corpus and journalists were also present at this event.
During his speech in the synagogue, Shimon Peres stated that, in Astana, he saw for the first time how the position of the Iranian delegate, which left the meeting hall when the Israeli delegation arrived, was not supported by any of the other participants, including delegates from Arab countries. "Besides, I believe that it is a merit of the leadership of Kazakhstan that they did not give in to political pressure and allowed the Israeli delegation to participate in the Congress," the President of Israel stressed.
Alexander Mashkevich noted in his speech that Kazakhstan hosts a community of Iranian Jews, and of direct contacts with the Jewish community of Iran. "When the Iranian people select a new leader without an anti-Israeli bias, I and my colleagues will immediately organize investments into a large-scale project to create economic ties between Israel and Iran, and will bring the people of these countries closer together."
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