The Nepalese have us licked. And I’m not even upset about it.
Nepal and Israel have jointly launched a commemorative stamp featuring the highest point on earth, Mount Everest, and the lowest, the Dead Sea, to celebrate bilateral ties.
The stamps were released in simultaneous functions in Kathmandu and Jerusalem. The idea of bringing together the two extremes was conceived in Israel.
“We were thinking about the subject of the stamp and because I had been to Nepal and seen the mountains, I decided we should have Mount Everest, the highest place on earth and the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth on it,” said Yaron Razon, director of Israel’s Philatelic Services.
The governments hailed it as a marker of their longstanding relationship.
“Nepal was one of first Asian countries to recognize the state of Israel when it came into existence 64 years ago,” said Hanan Goder Goldberger, the Israeli ambassador to Nepal.
“And we have never forgotten that friendship.” Israel has launched joint stamps with 15 other countries including France, Canada, Austria, China and The Vatican. For Nepal, it is the first such venture.
The stamps are priced at thirty-five Nepali rupees and five shekels in Israel.
According to the BBC, “more than 10,000 Nepalis work in Israel – mostly as carers – while an estimated 5,000 Israeli tourists visit Nepal each year.”