Free Republic

ALMATY, Kazakhstan Ending months of delay, Kazakhstan's president used the occasion of a visit by Jewish representatives from the United States and Israel to announce that he had appointed a new ambassador to Israel who would be named and dispatched shortly. Meeting with delegates from the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, President Nursultan Nazarbaev rejected assertions that the seven-month absence of an ambassador was the result of Saudi pressure on this emerging Muslim state in Central Asia. The Conference of Presidents was in this storied crossroads of the ancient Silk Road on the Tibetan border to attend...

The Foreign Ministry confirmed today that Eli Shaked has been named as Israel's new ambassador to Egypt. Shaked replaces Gideon Ben-Ami, who is retiring, after serving in Egypt for two years. Shaked once worked at the Cairo embassy and also served as head of the Israeli consulate in Istanbul. In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab country to sign a peace agreement with Israel. However, relations have remained cool. In November 2000, Egypt withdrew its ambassador to Israel, in protest against Israel's crackdown on Palestinian violence in the territories.

The "Gaza and Bethlehem First" gradual cease-fire plan screeched to a halt this weekend, amid accusations and counter-accusations by Israel and the Palestinian Authority about unfulfilled promises. Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer isn't disappointed about the delays. He intends to continue with the initiative, and also with his meetings with Mohammed Dahlan and other PA figures. Ben-Eliezer believes that the plan's implementation needs more time. In contrast, some diplomatic sources believe that serious hopes should not be fastened upon the Gaza and Bethlehem First plan, so long as the PA avoids conflict with Hamas and Islamic Jihad. "Either they [PA officials]...

<p>WASHINGTON — Former President Clinton was in office when East Timor claimed its independence from Indonesia in 1999 and now President Bush is sending him as a delegate to the country's May 20 Independence Day celebrations.</p> <p>The White House plans to announce Clinton's inclusion in the delegation once the entire group is selected over the next couple days, according to an administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity. The decision won't be final until the entire delegation is formed.</p>