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Youths from Israel and Palestine Pay a Courtesy Call on Prime Minister Thursday, August 18, 2005 JAPANESE Click photographs to enlarge Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi received a courtesy call at the Prime Minister's Official Residence from ten Israeli and Palestinian youths who are visiting Japan for the "The Middle East Peace Project in Tokushima." The "The Middle East Peace Project in Tokushima" was started in the summer of 2003 by Ayabe City in Kyoto Prefecture based on the philosophy of the World Federalist Movement (WFM), "The people around the world shall cooperate with one another across borders as citizens of the world in order to create a world of everlasting peace." The objective of this project is for the youths from Israel, Palestine and Japan to learn through exchanges the significance of peace and the importance of building mutual understanding. The courtesy call was paid by five youths from Israel and Palestine respectively, who are between the ages of 15 and 20 and have been in Japan since August 17. In addition, Mr. Hideki Hara, the Mayor of Tokushima City, Mr. Yasuo Shikata, the Mayor of Ayabe City in Kyoto Prefecture, Mr. Eli Cohen, the Ambassador of the State of Israel, Mr. Waleed Siam, the Head of the Permanent General Mission of Palestine in Japan, and other relevant officials were also in attendance. This was the first occasion for the Ambassador of the State of Israel and Head of the Permanent General Mission of Palestine in Japan to meet Prime Minister Koizumi together. Prime Minister Koizumi remarked, "I wish that both Israel and Palestine will shift from a history of conflict to a history of peace with the heart for reconciliation. I have high expectations for the efforts to be put forth by the youths who gathered here today. I intend for Japan to work for the establishment of peace between Israel and Palestine."