BRATISLAVA, Slovakia, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- In the wake of Israel's May 31 assault on the Gaza flotilla, Israel has increased its search for new international partners.
The assault, which led to international condemnation, resulted in the deaths of eight Turks and an American citizen.
Israel's latest diplomatic initiative is Slovakia.
Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic has received Israel's new Ambassador Alexander Ben-Zvi and declared, "With Israel's representatives we don't talk much about mutual relations, as they are very good, we focus more on international policy and the Mideast peace process," Tlacova Agentura Slovenskej Republiky reported Thursday.
Gasparovic added that Slovakia supports Israeli seeking to have peaceful and friendly relations with its neighbors.
Ben-Zvi noted, "We agreed on direct talks with the Palestinians. The problem is that the Palestinians have set certain conditions in advance." According to Ben-Zvi, Israel is interested in talks without pre-conditions. As regards the Gaza Strip, Ben-Zvi observed that in an area where Hamas won an electoral victory in January 2005, taking roughly two-thirds of the seats it contested in an election monitored by international observers, the situation is different and no talks are currently planned.
Alluding to the country's Communist past, Gasparovic stated that the former Communist Czechoslovakia Socialist Peoples Republic was one of the world's first countries that recognized Israel after its establishment in 1948.
The socialist government of Czechoslovakia recognized Israeli independence five days after its declaration on May 19, 1948. Czechoslovakia also provided armaments to Israel. The Czech Republic Embassy is in Tel Aviv and the Central European state maintains four honorary consulates in Eilat, Haifa, Jerusalem and Ramat Gan, while Israel has an embassy in Prague.
In December 2008 the Czech air force wanted to train in desert conditions for its upcoming International Security Assistance Force deployment to Afghanistan but received support only from Israel, which saw it as an opportunity to thank the Czechs for training Israeli pilots when Israel was established in 1948.
Since May 31 the Czech Republic has supported Israel over the May 31 confrontation with the Gaza flotilla in international waters, stating that the flotilla was a planned provocation designed to ensnare Israel. Czech Republic Senate Parliamentary President Dr. Premysl Sobotka visited Israel June 2 and told the Knesset, "As a doctor, I certainly regret any loss of life, but there is no doubt that this was a planned provocation designed to drag Israel into a trap. Many in the European community feel as I do."
