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President Shimon Peres visiting the Western Wall tunnels in Jerusalem (GPO).
Peres to get hotel in Olympic village so he can keep the Sabbath
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Olympics, Jewish World 

The Chinese government has agreed as a goodwill gesture to house President Shimon Peres in a hotel within the Olympic complex so he will not desecrate the Sabbath when he attends the games' opening ceremony on Friday, August 8.

The Chinese government, which has invited Peres to the ceremony, said that in contrast to other heads of state, Peres will be staying in accommodations just 200 meters from the stadium.

The President's Residence on Wednesday informed the Chinese Olympic Committee that the President Shimon Peres would be attending the ceremony, which will also be attended by other world leaders.
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Staff members of the President's Residence, the Foreign Ministry and the Israeli Olympic Committee have been working with the Chinese Embassy on the details of Peres' visit to Beijing.

The Israeli Embassy in Beijing sent a communique to the President's Residence stating that the Chinese government views Peres' presence at the opening ceremony as very important "because he is the honorary president of the Israel-China Friendship Society and one of the architects of relations between the two countries."

Chinese President Hu Jintao has invited several world leaders to the opening ceremony and will reportedly be holding an international conference at the same time as the games.

Peres' presidential blog exclusively on Haaretz.com
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      1.   Peres observes Sabbath? Since when? 06:32  |  Terry 10/07/08
      2.   hotel 08:25  |  colinc 10/07/08
      3.   Very Nice!! Kol Hakavod! 08:50  |  Jewish State 10/07/08
      4.   Which chinese god is he bowing to? 09:30  |  LMV 10/07/08
      5.   Deleted by moderator 09:36  |  Human 10/07/08
      6.   Honoring the Sabbath -- you don`t have to be religious 09:46  |  Dr. Marty 10/07/08
      7.   to err is human #5 10:27  |  Ho hum 10/07/08
      8.   Terry, This isn`t the first time 10:51  |  Zev Davis 10/07/08
      9.   Deleted by moderator 11:43  |  Sean 10/07/08
      10.   give us a break 12:12  |  Jeff 10/07/08
      11.   SPIELBERG MUST CHANGE HIS MIND ABOUT CHINA 12:32  |  indrajaya 10/07/08
      12.   # 6 marty 12:48  |  Axel 10/07/08
      13.   Perez observe Shabbat--#1 13:37  |  Hilda 10/07/08
      14.   to #6 Dr. Marty 13:43  |  Hilda 10/07/08
      15.   Maybe he has turned frum in his latter years 14:03  |  Nicole 10/07/08
      16.   China`s Fine Example Of Respect For Nations... 14:07  |  C K Wong 10/07/08
      17.   Peres the chameleon 14:40  |  L A 10/07/08
      18.   Nice gesture from Chinese government 14:57  |  Benjamina 10/07/08
      19.   Kol hakavod 15:05  |  D.C. 10/07/08
      20.   Peres the hypocrite - he will e anything for koved 15:26  |  Axelrod 10/07/08
      21.   Thank you Gush Etzion poster 15:51  |  Tzvi 10/07/08
      22.   Kol Hakavod- Mr. President 15:57  |  FLUFFY 10/07/08
      23.   Peres staying in a hotel 16:02  |  Baruch Hashem 10/07/08
      24.   Re: #11 Indrajaya You`re Right 16:25  |  Yosemite 10/07/08
      25.   It`s nice 16:50  |  Ben 10/07/08
      26.   You cant win in this country 16:59  |  SD 10/07/08
      27.   #BARUCH HASHEM RSA 17:06  |  FLUFFY 10/07/08
      28.   The Olympics, Israel and Abbas 17:10  |  Jeremy 10/07/08
      29.   THANKS ZVI OF BOSTON 17:10  |  fluffy 10/07/08
      30.   # 24, YOSEMITE 17:35  |  indrajaya 10/07/08
      31.   Censorship 17:51  |  Sean 10/07/08
      32.   Peres and Chabbat 18:37  |  Ralph 10/07/08
      33.   Or he could stay at the Chabad house 19:31  |  MichaelF 10/07/08
      34.   Gentle Reminder 19:39  |  Shimon Cleopas 10/07/08
      35.   Questioning if Peres is Shomar Shabbos 20:23  |  Shlomo 10/07/08
      36.   Herr Axel keep your laughter to yourself 20:48  |  Jewboy. 10/07/08
      37.   #34 this is no place for protestant theology 21:00  |  A proud Jew 10/07/08
      38.   #35 we do Shimon we do 21:01  |  A thinking Jew 10/07/08
      39.   Good news for a change 21:29  |  Joe 10/07/08
      40.   Scheduled flight too! 21:32  |  Sherlock Holmes 10/07/08
      41.   To C K Wong 22:23  |  M 10/07/08
      42.   # 36 jewboy 23:40  |  Axel 10/07/08
      43.   Don`t worry about Axel, He`s Not from Germany, Not in Germany 23:59  |  Jack 10/07/08
      44.   Will Israeli athletes refuse to compete on Shabbath? 00:33  |  Axel 11/07/08
      45.   #30 Indrajaya 00:38  |  Yosemite 11/07/08
      46.   Mr.CK Wong Good luck with your Olympics 01:02  |  PETER SM 11/07/08
      47.   INDRAJAYA.When will Indonesia catch up with the rest of the world 01:06  |  PETER SM 11/07/08
      48.   Axel spins his wheels 01:11  |  Jewboy 11/07/08
      49.   yoemite -quit acting like a bear with a headache 01:46  |  A Bored Jew 11/07/08
      50.   Peres reminds me of 02:04  |  Connie 11/07/08
      51.   When he returns home to Israel Peres may wish... 02:32  |  Maureen Ann 11/07/08
      52.   Sorry, CK, but the Siege on Darfur Needs to End 02:44  |  Tex 11/07/08
      53.   Maureen From Down Under 05:25  |  Jane 11/07/08
      54.   #Jane - an unusual... 06:35  |  Maureen Ann 11/07/08
      55.   MAUREEN Why do your type of video not show preceding events 07:26  |  PETER SM 11/07/08
      56.   AXEL what will Israeli athletes do? try none of your business 08:34  |  PETER SM 11/07/08
      57.   Maureen From Down Under 09:26  |  Jane 11/07/08
      58.   AXEL isn`t everybody entitled to make their own choice 09:33  |  PETER SM 11/07/08
      59.   The Jew and the Sabbath 10:07  |  Shimon Cleopas 11/07/08
      60.   57 and totally off topic 11:09  |  A thinking Jew 11/07/08
      61.   to the missionary who posted a second time: 11:12  |  Jessica 11/07/08
      62.   petersm 13:25  |  Axel 11/07/08
      63.   AXEL spinning his wheel 17:01  |  A thinking Jew 11/07/08
      64.   to two shimons 01:17  |  just a Jew 13/07/08
      65.   seems it takes Axel hours 01:34  |  Duh 13/07/08
      66.   Shabbat will soon become History 13:28  |  Shimon Cleopas 13/07/08
      67.   #66 and interfering with a discussion that does not concern him 19:40  |  A thinking Jew 13/07/08
      68.   Senseless preaching of #66 19:44  |  Jessica 13/07/08
      69.   Another Way of Putting It 22:11  |  Shimon Cleopas 13/07/08
      70.   #69 stuck in kindergarten 10:33  |  A therapist. 14/07/08
      71.   Missionary proofs at their most inane 10:37  |  A thinking Jew 14/07/08
      72.   Kindergarten proof