'It's the culture that makes life interesting': Israeli envoy Sagi Karni relishes life in Hong Kong
Being a diplomat isa life-long learning process for Sagi Karni, and Hong Kong has intriguing parallels with his home country
"Those who don't know the past, have no future," proclaims Israeli consul-general Sagi Karni, which is why he spends so much time getting to know the background and culture of each new posting.
"You're being exposed really to different cultures - it's most fascinating," he says. "In the diplomatic field, we try to understand the culture, the people and to learn about the history of the place, more than just the business. It makes life interesting."
The learning process has become a routine as his family moves every few years because of his work. In fact, Karni explains, this exposure to world cultures is one of the reasons he joined the diplomatic service.
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"It was a good opportunity to see the world, experience living in different places. Not as a tourist coming for a few days, but living at a place, acquiring local friends, really trying to know the place and the culture."
Karni sees many similarities between Hong Kong and Israel. Both have immigrant populations and both have been able to build up a unique economic edge, culture and language.
