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Myanmar residents in South Korea shouting slogans during a rally against Myanmar's military rulers on Sunday. (Reuters)
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Israel urges Myanmar gov't to refrain from harming protesters
By Barak Ravid and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents and News Agencies

Israel is concerned by the situation in Myanmar, and urges the government to demonstrate restraint and refrain from harming demonstrators, the Foreign Ministry said Saturday in its first official statement on the unfolding crisis in the South East Asian country.

The ministry summoned Myanmar's ambassador to Israel last week to clarify reports that at least 13 anti-government protesters had been killed in his country.

The officials who met with the ambassador of Myanmar, also known as Burma, delivered a curt message stating that Israel is hoping that calm is renewed and that security forces do not employ violence against demonstrators.

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Israel "has no form of leverage to apply on Burma," a ministry official told Haaretz. Whereas some diplomats favor condemning Myanmar's treatment of demonstrators, others believe there is no reason for Israel to become involved.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who is currently at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, has so far refrained from commenting on the subject.

"We're following the events and are trying to find out what's happening there," a senior Foreign Ministry official told Haaretz.

In 1994, a former Israeli ambassador to Myanmar, Uri Noi, told the Foreign Ministry that the embassy there should be shuttered. "There's no point carrying on with this sort of regime," Noi said.

Israel's relationship with Burma has deteriorated gradually over the past four decades, but the two countries enjoyed warmer ties after Burma gained independence in 1948 - the same year as Israel - up until the 1970s. Both countries achieved independence from the United Kingdom.

The main reason for not severing ties with Myanmar, Foreign Ministry officials say, is nostalgia. Burma was the first South Asian country to recognize Israel and establish diplomatic relations with Jerusalem. In 1961, Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, visited Burma and even spent some time at a Buddhist monastery.

Democratic rule ended with a military coup in 1962. Since then, Burma has been led by a military junta, which renamed the country Myanmar in 1989.

According to former officials in the Israel Defense Forces, by 1967 the two countries had weapons deals and military connections. Israel sold Burma 30 Spitfire airplanes and trained Burmese technicians. The Israel Defense Forces even sent a military attache to the capital, Rangoon, which was later renamed Yangon.

But the Six-Day War in 1967 changed the nature of the Israeli-Burmese relationship. Burma, as a member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), demanded Israel withdraw from Gaza, the West Bank and the Golan Heights.

Israel denies selling weapons to Burma or Myanmar.
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  1.   "Israel denies selling weapons to Burma or Myanmar." 01:00  |  Andreas 30/09/07
  2.   Look who is talking 01:13  |  Neutral peacemaker 30/09/07
  3.   Is this a Joke: Israel urging to refrain from harming protestors 01:20  |  jim 30/09/07
  4.   What a cheeck 01:21  |  AM 30/09/07
  5.   Look who is giving advise to Myanmar! 01:35  |  Moise 30/09/07
  6.   how ironic 01:59  |  Aboud 30/09/07
  7.   What a bloody nerve!! 03:43  |  Silvienne 30/09/07
  8.   Israel sells weapons to Burma 03:49  |  ted 30/09/07
  9.   This is CHUTZPAH 03:53  |  El-birawi 30/09/07
  10.   the pot calling the kettle black? 03:55  |  samos 30/09/07
  11.   6 TALKBACKS ON A ISRAELI WEB SITE, EVERYONE ANTI ISRAELI 03:55  |  HAL TRIPP 30/09/07
  12.   And I thought Norman Finkelstein had identified 03:58  |  Labhras 30/09/07
  13.   Pot calling the kettle black 04:13  |  Harold 30/09/07
  14.   Havae Israeli weapons found their way to Burma... 04:54  |  Maureen Ann 30/09/07
  15.   if palestinians behave themselves..... 05:14  |  maria 30/09/07
  16.   USE CLUSTER BOMBS, PLEASE 05:22  |  indrajaya 30/09/07
  17.   Little Sir Echo 05:37  |  Natallie Durson 30/09/07
  18.   Israel urging Myanmar 05:58  |  r.m. 30/09/07
  19.   #13 "Pot calling the kettle black" Are u sure? 06:06  |  keith 30/09/07
  20.   Who is terorist 06:13  |  Habib 30/09/07
  21.   Israel urges Myanmar... 06:57  |  Roni 30/09/07
  22.   #7 Silvienne. `Israeli Military Aid to Burmese Regime.` 07:19  |  Maureen Ann 30/09/07
  23.   Maria 07:31  |  Palestinian Brits 30/09/07
  24.   As amusing as Myanmar would urge Israel not to harm protesters 07:31  |  Petteri 30/09/07
  25.   #15 how about if israelis behave themselves? 07:57  |  hala 30/09/07
  26.   #20 Just because Iran is a monster Satan... 08:00  |  hala 30/09/07
  27.   Israeli statements for local consumption only 08:13  |  Maki 30/09/07
  28.   Everyone who hates Israel 08:25  |  Rafterman 30/09/07
  29.   Is this the ultimate hypocrisy from Israel? 09:25  |  Clickfool 30/09/07
  30.   To El-birawi...terror sympathizer 09:28  |  SLAVO 30/09/07
  31.   Israel is right to condemn Myanmar dictatorship 09:41  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/09/07
  32.   Harold 09:48  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 30/09/07
  33.   Neutral peacemaker 09:55  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 30/09/07
  34.   Another 13 dead on Oct 2000 10:11  |  Demo 30/09/07
  35.   Israel harms protesters of Its policies 10:30  |  sam 30/09/07
  36.   Israel`s Disgraceful Hypocrisy 10:52  |  The End Is Nigh 30/09/07
  37.   #39 natalie d says ISRAEL BASHERS here are LIARS 10:52  |  CK Tan 30/09/07
  38.   For Rafterman # 25 10:53  |  Clickfool 30/09/07
  39.   No Kidding!!! 10:55  |  MiddleStanian 30/09/07
  40.   Cipora Julianna Kohn 10:56  |  Hubal 30/09/07
  41.   HHEHEHEHEHEH IT IS FUNNY 11:08  |  Mark Turner 30/09/07
  42.   mirror 11:36  |  hh 30/09/07
  43.   predjusticed 11:53  |  alan 30/09/07
  44.   THE ANTI ISRAEL PIN HEADS ARE AT IT AGAIN 11:55  |  M 30/09/07
  45.   Rafterman. Are you confused? 12:24  |  Help Desk 30/09/07
  46.   world`s most notorious child-killer gives advice against 12:35  |  Indian 30/09/07
  47.   ISRAEL MUST FIX ITS OWN BRUTALITY FIRST 13:03  |  Markus 30/09/07
  48.   Indian-Hypocrisy? 13:57  |  notblackorwhite 30/09/07
  49.   Why is haaretz refusing to post my other replies??? 14:14  |  CK Tan 30/09/07
  50.   Israel Urges restraint??? 14:37  |  Joe 30/09/07
  51.   Indian 14:43  |  notblackorwhite 30/09/07
  52.   Heyenas 15:39  |  Dav 30/09/07
  53.   Nine injured in the weekly non violent protest at Bil`in 17:24  |  Dav 30/09/07
  54.   Israel allways taking the high-road 17:26  |  Pepe 30/09/07
  55.   Don`t be ignorant 18:30  |  David 30/09/07
  56.   #2 18:51  |  Moshe 30/09/07
  57.   For CKTan # 49 19:03  |  Clickfool 30/09/07
  58.   Talk about the kettle calling the pot black!!!! 19:17  |  Don Camillo 30/09/07
  59.   Israel Urges Myanmar..to Refrain from harming protes.. 19:19  |  Joe Kramer 30/09/07
  60.   #44 head firmly in the sand 19:31  |  alan 30/09/07
  61.   #31Cipriana Juliana Kohn 19:42  |  alan 30/09/07
  62.   Justifiable criticism is acceptable. 20:13  |  Moshe 30/09/07
  63.   #11, Hal Tripp 20:19  |  Hannah 30/09/07
  64.   #29, Clickfool 20:24  |  Hannah 30/09/07
  65.   #31, Ms Kohn 20:27  |  Hannah 30/09/07
  66.   #61 20:35  |  Moshe 30/09/07
  67.   #25 21:05  |  Moshe 30/09/07
  68.   #22, Maureen Ann 04:53  |  Silvienne 01/10/07
  69.   #57, Clickfool to CKTan 04:56  |  Silvienne 01/10/07
  70.   #63, Thanks, Hannah... 04:58  |  Silvienne 01/10/07
  71.   #66, Moshe... 05:00  |  Silvienne 01/10/07
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