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Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero shaking hands with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in Santiago on Thursday. (Reuters)
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Aide to Spanish PM: Spain wants to improve relations with Israel
By Adar Primor, Haaretz Correspondent
tags: Israel, diplomatic relations 

Spain seeks to improve its ties with Israel and end the crisis that has plagued bilateral relations since the election of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in 2004, Carles Casajuana, foreign and security policy adviser to the Spanish prime minister, told Haaretz on a visit to Israel that he also aimed to develop a personal relationship with his counterparts - Shalom Turjeman and Yoram Turbowicz.

Spain is examining ways to contribute to the Annapolis peace effort, Casajuana said in an interview this week.

"If Spain is asked to contribute troops to the region - as part of an Israeli-Palestinian agreement - undoubtedly it will respond positively," Casajuana said.
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Political sources in Jerusalem say that since Zapatero's election, relations between the two countries deteriorated as the socialist leader sought to restore Spain's traditionally strong ties with the Arab world.

The Spanish prime minister also avoided visiting Israel, even though the two countries commemorated 20 years of diplomatic ties last year.

During a meeting with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni six months ago, Zapatero referred to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a cancer that is metastasizing into all the other conflicts in the region.

During the Second Lebanon War, Zapatero participated in an anti-Israel rally organized by his party, appearing with a kaffiyeh wrapped around his neck. Casajuana, however, described this as a misunderstanding.

The senior aide to the Spanish prime minister said he admired the Israeli and Palestinian "courage, commitment and readiness to compromise in order to achieve concrete results in Annapolis." He added that if Zapatero wins the general elections in March, he will visit Israel and the region.

The full interview will be published next week.

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      1.   Zapatero means shoemaker... 08:01  |  Hastaroth 09/11/07
      2.   ATUCHA station terrorist bombing coming home to roost. 08:06  |  PETER S.M. 09/11/07
      3.   "If Spain is asked to contribute troops to the region . . . 08:09  |  Born In The USA 09/11/07
      4.   JEWISH PEOPLE`S STATUS IMPROVNG WORLDWIDE,MOSHIACH ON THE HORIZON 08:16  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 09/11/07
      5.   Can you smell it....? 09:05  |  Here it comes... 09/11/07
      6.   Say no to the Inquisition and Reconquista descendants 10:39  |  Genuine Tosefta 09/11/07
      7.   genuine tosefta 6 10:58  |  realism 09/11/07
      8.   NUMBER 3.. YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOU SPEAK ABOUT... 11:00  |  LITO 09/11/07
      9.   Has Spain appologized yet for what it has done to our people 12:00  |  Haim Gabay 09/11/07
      10.   LITO 12:18  |  * BEN JABO 09/11/07
      11.   Spain and Israel 13:10  |  Cyasher 09/11/07
      12.   The PEOPLE of Spain dont want ties with Israel 14:58  |  Dolores 09/11/07
      13.   condolences to dutch, indrajaya, durson and the rest 15:07  |  natan 09/11/07
      14.   deeds speak louder than words and spain has none 15:08  |  victor hardman 09/11/07
      15.   Spaniards 15:14  |  Michael 09/11/07
      16.   #8 Compañero Lito. (Funny name). 15:17  |  Stephen. 09/11/07
      17.   #12dolores dances the fandango but writes rubbish 15:52  |  victor hardman 09/11/07
      18.   Don`t poison yourselfs with hate 15:57  |  Álvaro de Luna 09/11/07
      19.   love/hate Spain 16:00  |  utagawa 09/11/07
      20.   spains change of heart 16:20  |  daniel yefet 09/11/07
      21.   Francisco Franco SAVED JEWS 16:21  |  Sebastian 09/11/07
      22.   hey haim 16:21  |  edgar 09/11/07
      23.   VISITING ISRAEL 16:26  |  JEHIEL CHALEFF 09/11/07
      24.   8. LITO 16:35  |  KUTW 09/11/07
      25.   10. BEN JABO 16:41  |  KUTW 09/11/07
      26.   9. Haim Gabay 16:46  |  KUTW 09/11/07
      27.   12. Dolores: The PEOPLE of Spain want ties with Israel 16:50  |  KUTW 09/11/07
      28.   14.Michael 16:51  |  KUTW 09/11/07
      29.   Spanish troops reconquered an island from Morocco a few years ago 17:06  |  Absolute Sweden 09/11/07
      30.   25.Absolute Sweden 17:20  |  KUTW 09/11/07
      31.   17. Sebastian 17:24  |  KUTW 09/11/07
      32.   KUTW, you are right about Portugal and specifically I would 17:27  |  Haim Gabay 09/11/07
      33.   # 12 Dolores. ....(Spanish for pain) 17:27  |  Stephen. 09/11/07
      34.   8. LITO 17:34  |  KUTW 09/11/07
      35.   KUTV 17:34  |  Stephen. 09/11/07
      36.   Misunderstanding 17:39  |  Garry 09/11/07
      37.   35.Stephen 17:47  |  KUTW 09/11/07
      38.   Dolores does not 17:47  |  Daniel 09/11/07
      39.   32.Haim Gabay 17:50  |  KUTW 09/11/07
      40.   33Stephen 17:54  |  KUTW 09/11/07
      41.   Why? what does Spain want from Israel? 18:13  |  Steve from Raleigh 09/11/07
      42.   #21 Sebastian". Viva la revolucion" 18:53  |  Stephen. 09/11/07
      43.   Spain, the moon... 19:10  |  anat 09/11/07
      44.   Spain colonies ???? 20:44  |  Rodrigo 09/11/07
      45.   35.Stephen 21:28  |  KUTW 09/11/07
      46.   32.Haim Gabay 21:31  |  KUTW 09/11/07
      47.   haim gabay 9 22:23  |  realism 09/11/07
      48.   To Stephen #36 01:52  |  Sebastian 10/11/07
      49.   #25 KUTW 02:05  |  * BEN JABO 10/11/07
      50.   BEN JABO 08:00  |  KUTW 10/11/07
      51.   49BEN JABO 08:17  |  KUTW 10/11/07
      52.   49BEN JABO 09:06  |  KUTW 10/11/07
      53.   49. BEN JABO 09:09  |  KUTW 10/11/07
      54.   41. Steve from Raleigh 09:17  |  KUTW 10/11/07
      55.   #50 KUTW 18:45  |  * BEN JABO 10/11/07
      56.   #53 KUTW 18:48  |  * BEN JABO 10/11/07
      57.   BEN JABO 20:44  |  KUTW 10/11/07
      58.   BEN JABO 22:30  |  KUTW 10/11/07
      59.   #57 KUTW 23:22  |  * BEN JABO 10/11/07
      60.   #58 KUTW 23:25  |  * BEN JABO 10/11/07
      61.   BEN JABO 00:10  |  KUTW 11/11/07
      62.   #61 KUTW 02:43  |  * BEN JABO 11/11/07
      63.   #61 KUTW 02:44  |  * BEN JABO 11/11/07
      64.   #62 * BEN JABO 08:56  |  KUTW 11/11/07
      65.   #62 * BEN JABO 10:21  |  KUTW 11/11/07
      66.   As Sephard 20:41  |  Rivka 11/11/07
      67.   Rivka 00:20  |  KUTW 12/11/07
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