An “innovative and flexible” instrument to implement “projects of excellence” in the sphere of culture and the arts. That is the new Italy-Israel Foundation, presented today at the Farnesina by Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi and the Israeli Ambassador to Rome, Naor Gilon.
Public and private sectors for “common goals”
The Foundation was set up in Jerusalem on 25 October 2012, during the inter-governmental summit. It will bring together the public and private sectors for “common goals”, such as attracting funding for events and cultural and arts programmes that “enhance the activities of the two ‘country systems’ in the framework of diplomacy for growth”, explained Terzi. The initiative is also significant in these “uncertain and tense” times in the Mediterranean: an “antidote” to fanaticism, said Minister Terzi as he underscored his priority commitment in the region.
“Culture is an instrument to bring peoples together”
“Culture is an instrument to bring peoples together”, underscored Ambassador Gilon, who hoped that the initiative “will reach thousands of people: students, academics, and lovers of the arts”. Noting that we are now in the festive season – of Christmas and the Jewish Hanukkah (Festival of Light) –, Gilon hoped that “the Foundation will be a beacon of light for both peoples”.
