Joint Issue Israel – Malta

January 28, 2014

From Israel Post:

The year 2014 marks 50 years of diplomatic relations between Israel and Malta. Israel, which was still a young country when relations were established in 1964, shared the knowledge and experience it accrued during its 16 years of independence with Malta.

The relationship between these two peoples is ancient and special: friendly and cooperative relations between the Jewish people and the Phoenicians, the ancient inhabitants of Malta, were mentioned in the Bible – the Book of Books, which is extremely significant to both peoples.

There was apparently already a Jewish community in Malta before the Christian era and during the Middle Ages it is estimated that Jews made up approximately one third of the population of Mdina, which was the island’s capital at that time.

The heroic efforts by Malta’s residents in resisting the Nazi enemy and their proud stance in face of heavy bombings and siege were warmly appreciated by the Jewish Yishuv in Eretz Israel, many of whom took part in the fight against the Nazis who annihilated one third of the Jewish people during the Holocaust.

The two countries share a commitment to democracy and democratic values, as well as the same parliamentary system and they are also similar culturally, geographically and linguistically.

Relations between the two countries and their peoples continue to flourish in the areas of trade, technology, science, energy, culture and tourism.

The Order of the Knights Hospitallers, also known as the Order of the Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, developed in Jerusalem in the early 12th century around the church hospital building located south of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Members of the Order swore to dedicate their lives to helping Christian pilgrims who came to Jerusalem during the Crusader period, to provide them with medical care and to protect them from bandits and attackers along their route. In 1187, following the Crusader defeat in the Battle of Hattin, the Hospitallers were forced to leave Jerusalem and moved to Acre.

The city of Acre served as the capital of the Crusader kingdom from 1191-1291. The city was divided into quarters which were inhabited by the military Orders (the Hospitallers, the Templers and the Teutonics) and the Italian commercial communes. Each of these groups built grand buildings within its own area, reflecting Acre’s status as one of the most important cities in the world at the time. The Knights’ Halls built by the Hospitallers in Acre were unearthed in archeological excavations and have become a popular tourist site.

The most impressive building in the complex is the Order of the Knights Hospitallers’ dining room (the refectory). Its domes and arches intersect in the gothic style that developed in France and Italy in the 12th century and also appeared in Acre during that period.

In 1291, Acre was conquered by the Mamluks, led by Kalavun, and completely destroyed. The Hospitallers resided in Cyprus for some 20 years until they conquered the island of Rhodes from pirates in 1310, and there established their center. They fortified the island, defending it against Muslim attacks, and lived there for some 200 years until they were forced out by the Turks.

In 1530 the Hospitallers were granted control of the island of Malta by Roman Emperor Charles V and founded a sovereign state. The members of the Order, led by Jean Parisot de Valette, were widely praised when they successfully prevented Malta from being conquered and withstood the lengthy siege the Turks imposed upon the island.

After driving out the Turks, the Hospitallers founded a new city called Valletta, in honor of their leader, where they constructed a series of magnificent buildings. On the edge of the city, overlooking the Port of Valletta, they built a sophisticated hospital where dedicated members of the order treated hundreds of wounded and ill. Today the building serves as the Mediterranean Conference Centre, which can accommodate 1400 visitors in modern halls that preserve a sense of the past.

Description of the Stamp and the First Day Cover:
The stamp: on the right – the Hospitallers’ refectory in Acre (photograph: www.goisrael.com); on the left – one of the halls in the Hospitallers Hospital in Valletta. The first day cover: on the right – a section of the sea wall in Acre (photograph: Shutterstock); on the left: a section of the port fortifications in Valletta.

“The first joint issue of the year takes us back in time and conjures up dreams of Knights in shinning armor! This joint issue with Malta depicts the Halls of the Knights Hospitallers found both in Acre and Valetta.” — Mrs. Yael Koskas, International Marketing Manager, Israel Post

February 11, 2014

From Israel Post:

During the struggle against the British authorities prior to the establishment of the State of Israel, each of the three Jewish resistance movements, Haganah, Etzel and Lehi, operated clandestine shortwave radio stations meant to circumvent broadcasts by Kol Jerusalem, the radio station run by the British Mandate in Eretz Israel.

This station, which began broadcasting in 1936 in three languages (English, Hebrew and Arabic) was subject to British censorship and could not utilize its Hebrew programs to broadcast national and political messages. The resistance radio stations took it upon themselves to bring listeners vital and uncensored information, accompanied by material related to the unique activities of each movement.

Etzel, Kol Zion Halochemet (Voice of Fighting Zion)

The first resistance radio station to begin broadcasting was Etzel’s Kol Zion Halochemet (1939). The station broadcasted on and off until after the establishment of the State of Israel. In March 1944 the station was captured by the British secret police, but resumed its broadcasts in June 1946.

The content of the station’s broadcasts was similar to the Etzel proclamations that were distributed and hung on walls throughout the country, calling for the expulsion of the British and the establishment of an independent Jewish state.

Shortly before the establishment of the State, the station changed its name to Kol Hacherut (Voice of Freedom).

Haganah, Kol Yisrael (Voice of Israel)

The Haganah’s radio station was called Kol Yisrael and it began broadcasting in the winter of 1940. After only three months, as Britain’s Middle Eastern battlefront positions deteriorated due to the fall of France and Italy’s entry into the war alongside the Germans, broadcasts were halted. They were renewed in the autumn of 1945, with the establishment of the Jewish Resistance Movement. On the eve of the establishment of the State, the Haganah operated a number of radio stations simultaneously: Kol Yisrael, Telem Shamir Boaz, Kol Hagalil, Kol Hamagen Ha’ivri (Jerusalem) and Kol Hahaganah (Haifa).

On Independence Day, the newly established state’s national radio adopted the name Kol Yisrael.

Lehi, Kol Hamachteret Ha’ivrit (Voice of the Hebrew Resistance)
The Lehi’s radio station was initially (1942) also called Kol Zion Halochemet. The name was later changed to Kol Hamachteret Ha’ivrit and during the last year of the struggle, its name was changed yet again to Kol Lochamei Herut Yisrael (Voice of Israel Freedom Fighters). In February 1946 the British discovered the station and arrested its operators, including broadcasters Geula Cohen and Natan Merfish. Geula Cohen managed to escape from prison and resumed broadcasting.

* **

All of the resistance radio broadcasts were conducted secretly and posed a great risk to their operators. Most of the transmitters were encoded inside suitcases that were moved from place to place. Broadcasts were generally short, lasting only 5-10 minutes, in order to prevent the British from pinpointing the stations’ locations.

In 1948 the resistance radio stations cleared the airwaves in favor of the national Israeli radio – Kol Yisrael.

Dr. Mordecai Naor

A “stamp telling the story of pre-state Israel is the Resistance Radio stamp. The resistance radio played a vital role in broadcasting uncensored information relating to the resistance movements.” — Mrs. Yael Koskas, International Marketing Manager, Israel Post

From Israel Post:

February 11, 2014

The Gerbera, or Transvaal Daisy, is an ornamental plant belonging to the sunflower family (Asteraceae). It was named in honor of German botanist Traugott Gerber and originates from the Transvaal region of South Africa.

Some 30 species of Gerbera grow in the wild and they are prevalent in South America, Africa and tropical Asia. The Gerbera is also known as the African Daisy.

The Gerbera has a large head with striking two- lipped ray florets in various colors. The flower heads can be as small as 2cm in diameter (mini) or up to 12cm (Gerbera ‘Golden Serena’). The Gerbera has a long stem and no leaves.

The Gerbera is extremely popular and is widely used as a decorative garden plant or as cut flowers, which last for a relatively long period of time. In recent years new Gerbera species have been cultivated which are designed to grow in flowerpots.

The cultivars are mostly crosses between different Gerbera species. There are some 1000 Gerbera cultivars, which vary greatly in shape and size. The range of colors includes hues of yellow, orange, red and pink as well as white. The center of the flower (the “eye”) may be red, green, brown or black.

The Gerbera also has commercial significance. It is the fifth most used cut flower in the world (after the rose, carnation, chrysanthemum and tulip). Israeli flower growers produce some 20 million Gerbera flowers each year. Worldwide demand for exported Israeli Gerberas is greatest during the period between October and April.

There are five discernible types of Gerbera flowers, based mainly on the rows of petals and they way in which these are arranged: single, double or duplex, crested doubles, full crested doubles and quilled crested doubles.

Single – single flowers with non-corresponding petals and in most cases, a green center. This is the most common type of Gerbera.

Double/Duplex – this flower has a double row of petals, with the inner row being red, black or green.

Crested doubles – this flower has two rows of petals, those in the inner row are shorter. The center in this case is also red, black or green.

Full crested doubles – these flowers have two rows of petals as well, with the inner row being shorter, however there is an additional row of small inner petals, which hide the center of the flower from view.

Quilled crested doubles (also known as “spider”) – similar to the full crested doubles, however the petals are slightly curled.

Haim Hadad, 
Secretary General
Israel Flower Growers Association

* This stamp is part of the Gerberas definitive stamp series. The first set of stamps in this series was issued in February 2013.

“We present you with another Gerbera flower – low in value but high in beauty!” — Mrs. Yael Koskas, International Marketing Manager, Israel Post