Friday, April 8, 2005
[Note: Be sure to read the update at the bottom.]
I wonder if their respective delegations gave them a hard time later? 'You have cooties!'
Still, an interesting development. I wonder what Katsav and Kahtami talked about.
Haaretz: Katsav greets Syrian, Iranian leaders at Pope's funeral
The two men were in close proximity to one another throughout the procession due to the fact that the Israel and Syrian delegations to the funeral were positioned next to one another.
At the conclusion of funeral services, the Iranian-born Katsav also shook hands with President Mohammad Khatami. The two spoke for almost an hour in Farsi.
Katsav also reportedly embraced Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
Also at the Vatican, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom met with his Moroccan counterpart Mohammed Ben-Issa.
Shalom's wife, Judy Shalom-Nir-Mozes, presented Britain's Prince Charles with a talisman from prominent spiritual leader Rabbi Kadouri on the occasion of his upcoming marriage to longtime girlfriend Camilla Parker-Bowles.
Unless that talisman were in the shape of a paper-bag, I doubt it will do much good. Ouch! I kid, I kid.
Update: Haaretz has changed the story at the link above. Now it reads [see extended entry]:
Katsav: Handshakes were a matter of being polite
Katsav, who was at the Vatican as part of Israel's delegation to the funeral of Pope John Paul II, twice shook hands with Assad on Friday.
The two men were in close proximity to one another throughout the procession due to the fact that the Israel and Syrian delegations to the funeral were positioned next to one another.
Katsav said that it was Assad who initiated the handshake, and that he obliged. Syrian television Friday denied the two had shaken hands.
At the conclusion of funeral services, the Iranian-born Katsav also shook hands with President Mohammed Khatami. Katsav said two spoke briefly in Farsi about the fact that they were born in the same part of Iran.
Katsav also shook hands with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika...
(Thanks to Mike for noticing)
Forget Assad, he's a tool anyway.
What the h were he and Khatami talking about for an hour? I was under the impression that Khatami is only 1 notch west of Khomeni and the 'hard liners'?
And that is Israel's mortal enemy...
makes me much more curious about what they spoke about... very curious.
Mike
At the conclusion of funeral services, the Iranian-born Katsav also shook hands with President Mohammed Khatami. Katsav said two spoke briefly in Farsi about the fact that they were born in the same part of Iran.
Ummmmmmm Solomon, that's a bit different than what you posted?
Where did you get 1 hour from?
Mike
Interesting. Haaretz changed the story.
I was wondering if they changed it or if you copied it wrong.. I figured the former but wasn't sure.
Wonder, why did they change it then?
A mistake
The Government protesting? (doubt that would work with them)
Haaretz does have an annoying but only occasional habit of changing their stories.
I have no idea why the correction. I tend to think that the 1 hour bit was just wrong. That's really a bit much. Maybe they just sat near each other for an hour or something...