It may be another feather in the cap of the King David Hotel to have US President George W. Bush stay there again so soon after his last visit
By GREER FAY CASHMANBush smiles 298.88(photo credit: AP)
EIGHT THOUSAND police have been delegated to ensure that nothing goes amiss with the participants in the three-day Tomorrow Conference that opens today in Jerusalem. The police will be on high alert in the area encompassing the King David Hotel, Beit Hanassi and the prime minister's residence. Because of the large number of participants who have taken up almost every available hotel room in Jerusalem (but have left a few vacancies in the hostels), and the ongoing shuttle service between the Jerusalem International Congress Center (the site of the conference) and the hotels in which participants are staying, Jerusalemites can anticipate much more traffic congestion than usual.
President Shimon Peres, when asked whether he was excited that the conference has attracted so many high-ranking participants, including at least 20 heads of state and government leaders, as well as leading business people, academics and representatives of the arts, among others, replied: "I haven't got time to be excited, I'm working." Indeed, in addition to all the conference sessions in which he is participating and the working meetings that he is having with heads of state, prime ministers and foreign ministers, Peres is also hosting breakfasts, luncheons, dinners and cocktail receptions that are keeping him busy from early morning until past midnight. This includes pre-conference events that started on Sunday. If Peres sets the pace, retirement age will eventually go up to 90.
BRINKMANSHIP IS the name of the game among some of Jerusalem's major hotels. While it may be another feather in the cap of the King David Hotel to have US President George W. Bush stay there again so soon after his last visit, Inbal Hotel general manager Rodney Sanders can boast of a whole cavalcade of presidents and VIPs.
Sanders is hosting the presidents and prime ministers - past and present - of more than 20 countries, as well as numerous dignitaries such as former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger and former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, who changed the course of the Soviet Union and made it obsolete. Sanders on Monday welcomed Mongolian President Nambar Enkhbauar, who arrived with a retinue that included his foreign minister, his justice minister, a business delegation, advisors and a large group of journalists. The Inbal Hotel has upgraded its 26 suites and has added seven suites by unlocking doors in adjoining rooms. It has also recruited a large number of additional staff to ensure that all the guests receive the best possible service, Sanders said.
At a meeting with Peres, Enkhbauar said he was very excited to be in Israel and that he hoped Mongolia could benefit from Israel's know-how through various cooperative ventures. Peres said Israel would be happy to share its knowledge and expand cooperation in the fields of hi-tech, science, agriculture, medicine and homeland security.
Peres also met with Togo Vice President Barry Moussa Barque, who thanked him warmly for the invitation that had been extended to his country; Slovenian President Danilo Turk, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU; and Burkina Faso President Blaise Campaore.
KNESSET SPEAKER Dalia Itzik last week hosted a 900-member Israel Bonds delegation headed by former MK Yehoshua Matza in the Knesset's Chagall Hall. The delegation of Israel Bonds leaders, many of whom are also leaders in their local communities, presented citations to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Finance Minister Ronnie Bar-On and to Itzik. Olmert is a favorite speaker of Israel Bonds delegations, who admire his oratory and sharp wit. He did not disappoint, although it is not certain whether some of his remarks lost their impact in translation.
EVT, A provider of video management software, has collaborated with MATE Intelligent Video, the technology leader in intelligent video surveillance systems and video analytics, to provide video management and analytics capabilities for enterprise-class IP video surveillance installations. EVT and MATE are this week demonstrating the joint solution at the IFSEC 2008 conference in Birmingham, England.
EVT has a development center in Israel and worldwide sales offices and representatives that serve corporations and government facilities.
ROSH HA'AYIN-based Pointer Telocation Ltd., a leading AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) solutions provider for fleet management, car and driver safety, public safety, road-side assistance, vehicle security and asset management, has announced a partnership with Portugal Telecom Inovação SA, a leading developer of Intelligent Networks (IN), telecommunications solutions and systems, and provider of technological research and engineering to Portugal Telecom Group. Portugal Telecom is the largest telecommunications service provider in Portugal, and has a wide presence in Brazil, China, Morocco, Kenya and elsewhere in Africa.
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