DIE WELT (Germany), TIMES OF ISRAEL (Israel)
BERLIN – What does a German tourist do in Bali when his wallet gets stolen? He goes right away for help to the German consulate in Denpasar, the capital of the Indonesian island. But an Israeli in the same bind has a problem: Indonesia does not recognize Israel as a state, so there is no Israeli embassy in the capital of Jakarta, and no consulate in Denpasar.
But soon, with an agreement set to be signed between the Israeli and German governments, an Israeli citizen in such a predicament in Indonesia — and perhaps dozens of other countries that don’t recognize Israel — will be able go to the German consulate, reports Die Welt.
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Israeli passport – soaproot
The German Ministry for Foreign Affairs confirmed to Die Welt that final negotations are taking place in Jeruslaem to seal an agreement to provide consular assistance to Israelis in countries where Israel is not a recognized state. “Details and modalities still have to be worked out,” the source added.
The agreement would take effect in 2015, to mark 50 years since the establishment of German-Israeli bilateral relations, the Times of Israel reported.
German diplomats have helped Israelis out in emergencies before, for example in a deadly ferry accident in Tanzania in the summer of 2012. Future help could range from helping very sick people get home, to emergency services for tourists whose identity documents, money or cell phones have been stolen. Further areas of cooperation could include services relating to prisoners or the deceased.
There is no doubt that the Israelis need such consular help: more than 30 countries don’t accept Israeli passports, including most Arab countries, and several in Africa and Asia.
