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150 Israeli and Palestinian University and High School Students Negotiate Peace in Largest Ever Israeli-Palestinian Congress of Students in the Region
Organized by Leon Charney Resolution Center, in cooperation with the University of Haifa and Minds of Peace
Tzili Charney: “My initiative is basically to bring students to the table. I want them to realize their responsibilities, to be part of the discussion.”
The Leon Charney Resolution Center today (February 25) organized the largest ever Israeli-Palestinian congress of students to be held in the region - in a peace negotiations format. 100 Israeli and Palestinian university students and 50 Israeli and Palestinian high school students sat around tables to negotiate trust-building measures and solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Congress, held in cooperation with the University of Haifa and Minds of Peace at the Students House in the University of Haifa, was facilitated by Dr. Sapir Handelman, winner of the Peter Baker award in Peace and Conflict Studies, who leads Israeli-Palestinian public negotiating congress assemblies in the USA, as well as in Israel and the PA. According to Handleman, the Haifa Congress “is an important step towards the establishment of a major Israeli-Palestinian Public Negotiating Congress – a powerful peacemaking institution that will operate over a period of time. The Congress is designed to involve the people in the peacemaking efforts and motivate the leadership, on both sides, to conclude agreements.”
Tzili Charney, the founder of the Leon Charney Resolution Center which organized the congress, explained the importance of facilitating dialogue and discussion between Israeli and Palestinian students. “My initiative is basically to bring students to the table. I respect the young ones, I want them to know that we are for them and we consider them as partners. I want them to realize their responsibilities, to be part of the discussion.”
According to sociology student Alaa Amro from Hebron, 23, who participated in the negotiations and was visiting Haifa for the first time, the Israeli and Palestinian students agreed on the importance of finding a solution, but the issue is how. “If we expand our horizons and expand these types of conversations, we can find peace, because we are talking about the young generation. We are the leaders for the future, we can learn from past mistakes and we can create a better future for both sides. We have dreams and hopes for the future and being in such an environment helps us reach these dreams.”
The Israelis and Palestinian students, all from different fields of study and holding different political views, discussed, debated and negotiated trust-building measures and solutions to the conflict. The participants included 50 University of Haifa students and 50 students from West Bank cities, including Ramallah and Hebron, as well as 25 Israeli 11th graders from Ort Binyamina and 25 Palestinian 11th graders from several locations throughout the West Bank.
Their assignment was to conclude two agreements by the end of the day. The first agreement related to Trust Building Measures and the second related to a conclusive peace pact. Participants were given two ground rules for the negotiations: not to demean others and not to enter into a historical debate about the origin of the conflict and the past. The students were encouraged to focus upon improving the present situation, to visualize a peaceful future, to draft language that works for both parties, to think about creative ideas that can progress the negotiations and to make demands by peaceful means.
This Israeli-Palestinian congress of students came just days after the Leon Charney Resolution Center marathon “peace talks” at the Eastern Mediterranean International Boarding School (EMIS) at Kfar Hayarok (Feb 20/21), with the participation of 90 Israeli, Palestinian and 11th EMIS students from 21 countries (including, among others, Rwanda, Indonesia, Poland, USA, Guatemala, Brazil, China, Vietnam, Armenia, Italy, Spain, Russia, Ukraine, Afghanistan and Hungary). At the end of those negotiations, facilitated by Dr. Sapir Handleman and moderated by Professor Peter Jones, an expert in conflict resolution from the University of Ottawa and, and Brigadier General (ret) Israela Oron, former Commander of the IDF Women’s Corps, the 11th graders reached and signed a “peace agreement”.
Background
The Leon Charney Resolution Center is dedicated to the history and future of negotiations, peace and learning. The late Leon Charney (1938-2016), a prominent lawyer, author, broadcaster and former advisor to, among others, President Jimmy Carter, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and President Ezer Weizman, played an important role in the Camp David Peace Accords, which led to the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. Charney, who dedicated a major part of his life to back-channel diplomacy, understood that the road to peace and stability required peacemaking activities in multiple dimensions. Tzili Charney established the center in her husband’s honor in order to encourage, develop, and initiate peacemaking activities that can create the foundation for a better world.
Dr. Sapir Handelman, who will be facilitating the negotiations, taught at Tel Aviv University, was a postdoctoral fellow and an associate at Harvard University. He is a former Lentz Fellow in Peace and Conflict Resolution Research at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Wayne State University, where he was a visiting professor at the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies. He developed and leads the Minds of Peace Experiment – an Israeli-Palestinian public negotiating congress – in major universities throughout the US, Canada, and in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Minds of Peace is an NGO registered in the USA and Israel. Dr. Sapir Handelman founded the organization based on his concepts of conflict resolution in intractable conflicts. The purpose of Minds of Peace is to bring about peace between Israelis and Palestinians by using a method called “Popular Negotiations”. Under this method, a negotiating session is held between Israelis and Palestinians who come from all walks of life. The negotiations are held in open space, to allow the ordinary public to witness the entire process. In the process, the negotiators formulate the kind of agreement they wish to see for an end to the conflict.
The agreement reached serves a dual purpose. When presented to public opinion, it serves to demonstrate that ordinary individuals can reach an agreement where politicians have failed. When presented to politicians on both sides, it serves to pressure them into reaching an agreement.
Photos credit Gil Nechustan
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This will make Israel independent vis-à-vis energy. This gas gives us diplomatic, economic and – of course – energy strength. This is very great news for the Israeli economy and the State of Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Energy Minister Dr. Yuval Steinitz, this afternoon (Thursday, 31 January 2019), at sea, dedicated the arrival of the foundation for the Leviathan gas platform.
Following a tour, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Energy Minister Steinitz stood on the command bridge, near the drilling site, where they were briefed on the building process for the platform.
Prime Minister Netanyahu:
"Completion of the Leviathan gas platform and the pumping of gas from this field later in the year is a critical component of the strategic, energy, economic and diplomatic strength of the State of Israel.
A gas pipeline will run from here and will link us to the gas economy of Europe. It will reach our Arab neighbors. First and foremost, it will supply clean gas to the citizens of Israel. Two-thirds of every shekel's worth of gas extracted from the sea here will go straight into the state treasury. This is hundreds of billions of shekels that will serve us in education, social welfare and the other vital needs of the State of Israel and the citizens of Israel.
This is a great revolution – we are turning the State of Israel into an energy power. An independent Israel will not depend on anyone for its energy needs. This is very good news and I am proud that it is happening now, this year, for all of you."
Prime Minister Netanyahu added:
"We will supply all of the energy needs of the State of Israel with clean energy that does not kill like coal does. Two-thirds of the money extracted from the sea will go directly to the state treasury for the needs of the citizens of Israel.
This will make Israel independent vis-à-vis energy and gives us great strength with the pipelines that we will build from here to the neighborhood in which we live and also to Europe. This gas gives us diplomatic, economic and – of course – energy strength. This is very great news for the Israeli economy and the State of Israel."
Energy Minister Dr. Steinitz:
"This is a holiday for the energy economy and for all citizens of Israel. The process that began approximately three years ago with the formulation of the gas outline has led to the development of the Leviathan gas field which will change the Israeli economy for decades to come, bring billions in revenue to the state and its citizens and – most importantly – will allow the State of Israel to stop using coal that pollutes and to close the power stations in Hadera and Ashkelon.
The development of the Leviathan reservoir is also important diplomatically. When gas production starts later this year Israel will begin to export surplus gas to Jordan and Egypt, and – in the future – to European countries as well. The Leviathan gas field is the greatest natural treasure that has been discovered in Israel and the arrival of the platform foundation symbolizes our entry into the final stage of its development.
The first part of the Leviathan platform reached Israel after a voyage of several weeks. The legs of the platform are approximately 98 meters high, weigh around 15,000 tons and are placed at a depth of about 86 meters.
The operational section of the platform will arrive in the second half of 2019 and will be placed on the foundation that was dedicated today. Natural gas from the Leviathan field is expected to flow by the end of 2019, as per the timetable set in the gas outline."
PM Netanyahu and Energy Minister Steinitz at the Leviathan gas platform. Photo: GPO/Amos Ben-Gershom.
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- Written by Silvia G Golan & Stella Szpira
Coming this Month: Israel's Largest Agricultural Produce Marketing Event - Fresh AgroMashov
The event will take place this year for the 28th time, and bring farmers and growers of fresh produce together with buyers, wholesalers, exporters and importers of fresh produce, as well as local and international marketers. Thousands of participants are expected to attend the summit and exhibition this year
June 26th and 27th 2018, Pavilion 1, Tel Aviv Convention Center
The Fresh AgroMashov 2018 International Exhibition, initiated by the Mashov Group, will take place for the 28th consecutive time this year, on June 26th and 27th 2018 at Pavilion 1 at the Tel Aviv Convention Center. The exhibition and its conferences will take place along with the CleanTech conferences and exhibition, also organized by Mashov.
Fresh AgroMashov is Israel's largest event for the marketing of agricultural produce, focusing on marketing opportunities and profits for farmers, and branding agricultural produce to increase brand image and profitability.
The exhibition will deal with important issues of food safety, public health, the general public's ability to discern between good and bad in fresh produce, as well as remnants of pesticides in food. It is a major arena in the industry and exclusive in Israel, where growers of fresh produce meet buyers, wholesalers, exporters, and importers of fresh produce as well as local and international marketers. Many thousands of participants are expected from a wide array of fields and sectors in the industry.
Among the companies that will present groundbreaking innovations at AgroMashov 2018: Adama Agan will present its ’moth ropes’ – the efficient and environmental alternative to chemical pesticides in orchards and vineyards; SupPlant will present a successful solution based on IoT (Internet of Things), allowing growers to know everything about their crops in real time; Yuval Tomatoes from Shekef Village will present a tomato containing up to three times the amount of lycopene a regular tomato provides; seed companies will present new strains and developments, Kidma from Idan Village at the Arava will present, and many more.
Simultaneously with the exhibition, there will also be two professional conferences – one in the sector of field crops – comprising 80% of the agricultural growth areas in Israel, and the second in the area of dates and their marketing – which is greatly successful in Israel and around the world. Both conferences will take place on June 26th. Participation by advance registration.
Participation in the Exhibition and Conference is for a fee. For details and registration, please visit:
About the Mashov Group
The Mashov Group has been active for over 30 years, with experience in the organization of international exhibitions and conferences, and a local and international reputation. Every year, the Group organizes the international agricultural exhibition Fresh AgroMashov as well as the International Conference for Clean Technologies, CleanTech.
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The Tourism Ministry allocates NIS 25 million for new directive
Jerusalem, January 30, 2019 - About 200 entrepreneurs today (Wednesday) attended the first conference of its kind, held by the Ministry of Tourism in cooperation with the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality in Tel Aviv, dedicated to a new government directive that offers grants of 10% of the total investment to entrepreneurs converting office buildings in Tel Aviv to hotels. The ministry will allocate NIS 25 million for the directive.
There has been a very significant increase in the number of rooms being converted into hotel rooms: 2015 - 163; 2016 – 198; 2017 – 524 and 2018 – 1088.
Tourism Minister Yariv Levin: “The record levels in incoming tourism provide a business opportunity for entrepreneurs to enter the hotel industry. In recent years, we have spearheaded a series of steps at the Ministry of Tourism in order to simplify planning and building procedures and to increase economic viability. We are seeing a real momentum in hotel construction and I call on other entrepreneurs to join the industry.”
Tourism Ministry Director-General Amir Halevi, who opened the conference, said: “Every year, we break new records in the number of incoming tourists to Israel. This unprecedented success is the direct result of long-term procedures initiated by the ministry and renewed thinking and strategy, specifically suited to the challenges of Israel as a tourism destination. 2018 finished with an all-time record of more than 4.1 million tourists. Apart from the economic benefits to the state and Israel’s positioning as an attractive tourism destination, it is important to understand that we are talking about a new era that brings new challenges. We are ready and prepared to deal with these new challenges.
The tremendous momentum requires us to adjust and to provide tourists with a wide range of accommodation options, which will in turn lead to lower prices. Therefore, together with the Tel Aviv municipality, we are creating a new reality and, for the first time, we are offering grants for entrepreneurs wishing to convert offices to hotels. This is nothing less than a revolutionary process that leverages potential by creating incentives. We at the Ministry of Tourism will continue to promote these changes, reducing regulation and removing barriers so that we can continue to break more records.”
Tel Aviv-Jaffa city engineer Oded Gvuli, said at the conference: “The all-time high in tourism has created a new reality that presents challenges. In a situation where demand outstrips supply, we are ready to act to change regulations and offer grants. As Tel Aviv city engineer, I consider with the utmost importance the issue of permits and conversion of buildings to hotels. These are processes that will have positive impact on the hotel industry and the tourism industry. I call on entrepreneurs to take advantage of the opportunity, submit applications and together we will increase the hotel supply.”
Senior Deputy Director-General, Infrastructure Development and Investments, Tourism Ministry Doron Aharon said at the conference: “Since 2010 through to today, the Tourism Ministry’s Investment Administration has approved grants to construct over 20,000 hotel rooms. Last year, we broke records with grants for 4,000 hotel rooms.
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When the Ministry of Tourism examines the developers' requests, they examine several parameters, including the business plan, the tourist experience, the location of the project and the seriousness of the entrepreneurs.
In today's tourism, we already know that the most important factor in the success of a hotel is the tourist experience. This refers to the community of guests, not to a single guest, and adapting the architectural environment to the needs of this community.
A month and a half ago, the Tourism Ministry held a ground-breaking conference on hotel investment attended by about 250 entrepreneurs and hotel industry professionals, of whom more than 100 were international entrepreneurs and organizations. The conference created a platform for cooperation between foreign investors and local property owners. The conference presented occupancy and price data in Tel Aviv from 2012 to 2016, with hotel prices never dropping below $175 per night and hotel occupancy never below 65%, even during Operation Protective Edge and times of crisis. The business environment in Tel Aviv is stable, able to withstand challenging events, overcome crises and move forward. In Tel Aviv, supply is still lower than demand, so prices are still high. "
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100 Years of Knowledge Hebrew University Celebrates its 100th Cornerstone Anniversary
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI) is proud to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding in 1918. The festivities coincide with HUJI’s 2018 Board of Governors meetings on June 8-13.
Not long after the end of World War I, the British Empire granted permission to create a Hebrew University in Jerusalem. On July 24, 1918, Lord Edmund Allenby, Zeev Jabotinsky, Chaim Weizmann, and James Rothschild, along with 6,000 other dignitaries—both Jewish and non-Jewish, from Israel and abroad—gathered atop Mount Scopus to lay the cornerstones for Hebrew University. They placed 12 stones, corresponding to the 12 Tribes of Israel, firmly in the ground and the rest, as they say, is 100 years of history, innovation, growth and vision.
Highlights:
v Cedar & Son at the Jerusalem Cinematheque
Saturday, June 9 at 9 pm
An inter-generational dialogue between HUJI prof. Haim Cedar and his award-winning filmmaker son, Joseph Cedar (Director: Norman, Footnote).
v HUJI Talks: To 100 and Beyond
Sunday, June 10 at 1015am (Dan Hotel- Mt Scopus)
Speakers include philosopher Yuval Noah Harari and medical marijuana expert Raphael Mechoulam, among others.
v President Reuven Rivlin Honors Israeli Excellence
Tuesday, June 12 at 10 am (President of Israel’s Residence)
A reception honoring HUJI Nobel, Fields and Israel Prize winners.
v Ceremony: Re-dedicating the Cornerstones
Tuesday, June 12 at 7 pm (Ferkauf Plaza, Mt. Scopus Campus)
HUJI friends from around the world, some in period dress, will enter a time capsule with blessings for the University’s next 100 years of vision and innovation. Current HUJI professors, including Sergio Della Pergola, whose grandparents attended the original 1925 cornerstone event will be in attendance, as will several families that have been studying at the Hebrew University for 3 generations—i.e., grandparents, parents and now, grandchildren.
A complete list of HUJI Anniversary events: http://hubog-2018.com/
Photo from the 1918 Cornerstone Ceremony: Credit: Hebrew University
