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Debate for Peace celebrates another year of remarkable achievements with a moving online celebration
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- Written by Silvia G. Golan
Debate for Peace celebrated another year of remarkable achievements with a moving celebration, held via Zoom of course, with participants joining from dozens of cities. Ten students and one teacher offered powerful reflections on their experiences.
The annual Debate for Peace end of year celebration marks the transition from one academic year to the next, and provides a platform for students to share their unique experiences. This year’s program, held on Thursday August 27, included representatives from the delegations to Sweden, Oxford, Yale and Johns Hopkins, as well as the members of the Empathy Storytelling project.
The program opened with a welcome from Carolina Frimer, on behalf of the Interfaith Encounter Association. Joe Wierichs, the Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv, offered introductory remarks. Mr. Wierichs spoke from his experience as a diplomat in more than half a dozen countries, and encouraged students to keep trying to learn different perspectives.
Debate for Peace Director Steven Aiello provided an overview of the programming over the last year, including more than an event a week, from in person meetings to Zoom debates and discussions. The five international delegations included meeting with the foreign ministries of Sweden and the Netherlands, the Embassies of Ecuador and Kosovo in the UK, the US embassy in Sweden, the US, EU, and Cypriot missions to the UN, UNICEF, UN Alliance of Civilizations, the Swiss embassy, US state department and the US Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, along with over a dozen different Jewish and Muslim communities. Debate for Peace presented in synagogues, mosques, and at the UN itself, through the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY.
Yara Katish spoke as a representative of one of those delegations. Yara talked about experiencing shabbat as a Druze student, together with her Jewish, Muslim and Christian friends. Shahav Navon explained how much he had gained from a meeting with an imam in Oxford, where they discussed feminism and acceptance from a Muslim perspective. Hassan Hassan, a teacher and MUN coordinator originally from the Golan, joined the delegation to Yale this year, and he spoke about that experience. As an educator, he said that he was very impressed to see the students competing against top MUN delegates from all around the world. Maayan Dahan shared how much she learned from the delegation to Johns Hopkins MUN, not just from the MUN conference and the meetings, but especially from traveling with peers from different cities and communities.
Shady Mansour and Oren Jian provided a musical interlude, playing Mawtini and haTiqva respectively. Then the Empathy Storytelling project participants shared their stories. The Empathy Storytelling project, supported by a US Embassy grant, pairs Jewish and Arab students, who then learn one another’s stories, and share them with different audiences. Along the way they also study and discuss empathy, and different aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and peacebuilding. The storytellers shared their powerful stories one after another, each with its own rich details.
After the storytellers, Sarah Shalabi played a classical Arabic song on keyboard, and Luna Abu Yunus then performed The Star Spangled Banner on violin.
To conclude the afternoon, Ambassador Adel Atieh, Deputy Head of the Palestinian Mission to the European Union, offered his reflections. Ambassador Atieh noted that in challenging times when top-level diplomatic avenues are struggling to advance peace, we must put extra effort into building understanding and reconciliation via education and grassroots efforts, and congratulated the students and Debate for Peace for taking on this important mission.
Finally, the Young Diplomat of the Year award was presented to Luna Abu Yunus from Sakhnin, for her efforts to build bridges, learn, and inspire, over the last year.
Congratulations to Luna and all of the participants, and to Debate for Peace! The full ceremony can be seen on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Photo credit: Debate for Peace
Steven Aiello
Founder--DebateforPeace
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- Written by Prime Minister's Media Adviser
.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Tuesday, 1 September 2020):
"I welcome the first understandings that have been signed in Abu Dhabi. These understandings will assist us in advancing mutual investments and widespread cooperation. We will soon announce additional agreements in aviation, tourism, trade and others."
Earlier today, Prime Minister's Office Acting Director General Ronen Peretz and United Arab Emirates Central Bank Governor Abdulhamid Saeed signed the first protocol in banking and finances.
The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, the Finance Ministry and the relevant financial regulators in Israel have reached the following understandings:
A joint Israel-UAE committee will be established to advance cooperation in finances and investments. To this end, the sides will discuss advancing cooperation in financial services and lowering financial impediments to making investments between the countries and promoting joint investments in the capital markets.
The sides will also discuss advancing cooperation in banking services and payments regulations.
The sides will establish special working groups in order to create the conditions for joint investments that meet international standards including in the struggle against money laundering and financing terrorism.
Photo : PMO Acting Director General Ronen Peretz (seated, left) and United Arab Emirates Central Bank Governor Abdulhamid Saeed (seated, right) at the signing ceremony.
Copyright: GPO/Amos Ben Gershom
Copyright: GPO/Amos Ben Gershom
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- Written by Silvia
The Israeli delegation, led by the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), in the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMoD), will conduct a series of tests to determine the effectiveness of a number of rapid diagnostic solutions.
Alternate Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Benny Gantz: "The entire Ministry of Defense has been mobilized to address the Corona crisis. We hope that the research and development led by the DDR&D together with our excellent industries and academic institutions, will lead to a breakthrough that will change the way we diagnose and fight the virus, while giving the boost necessary to 'restart' our economy."
Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi: "I see great importance in cooperating with India in the fight against Corona. This operation conveys a message of friendship and solidarity with India. It also provides a unique opportunity for scientific and technological cooperation that can assist Israel, India and the world in coping both with the pandemic and with the economic crisis that came with it."
In the coming weeks, the Ministries of Defense, Foreign Affairs and Health will lead an unprecedented operation in the fight against the Corona virus, in cooperation with the Indian Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser. A senior DDR&D delegation will travel to India to conduct the final stages of testing of advanced technologies for the rapid diagnosis of the Corona virus.
Israel's Ambassador to India, Dr. Ron Malka will board the flight, which will carry cutting-edge equipment donated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and members of the private sector. This delivery aims to assist India in dealing with the Corona crisis, and includes ventilators – exported to India following an exceptional approval.
Since the start of the pandemic, the DDR&D has tested dozens of diagnostic technologies. Some of them have matured and passed initial trials in Israel, however in order to complete testing and prove their effectiveness, these must be tested on a wide range of patients.
The cooperation between Israel and India will enable the delegation and its Indian counterparts, to collect tens of thousands of samples in just ten days, and analyze them using computer systems based on artificial intelligence. This massive sampling will shorten processes and advance the approval of effective technology. All tests will be validated using PCR tests.
In recent years, Israel-India relations have developed into a strategic partnership, and since the beginning of the Corona crisis, the two countries have agreed to provide mutual assistance and to cooperate in areas of research. For the purpose of this specific activity, the Government of India has designated a local team of around 100 professionals, as well as a team dedicated to the construction of testing sites that will be operated jointly by the Israeli and Indian delegations.
The four tech systems that will be tested are: voice test, breathalyzer test based on terra-hertz waves, isothermal test, and polyamino acids test. What they all have in common is the ability to detect the presence of the virus in the body quickly- usually within minutes. Developing diagnostic capabilities is a goal for the State of Israel and of many additional countries around the world. It is the most effective way to cut off 'chains of infection', prevent prolonged quarantine and enable the reopening of the global economy.
The Israeli delegation consists of 20 individuals (IMoD, IDF, Ministry of Health and representatives of relevant industries), and is led by Ambassador Ron Malka, and the Defense Attaché in India, Col. Assaf Meller. On the medical side, the delegation is led by Prof. Nati Keller, an infectious diseases specialist from Sheba Medical Center, and Itai Gordon, Head of the Innovation Department at the Ministry of Health. In addition to the DDR&D team, the delegation also includes engineers and other professionals from the companies involved in the development of the various diagnostic technologies.
Background Information: Technology to be Tested in India
Voice Test: This online voice test is based on artificial intelligence. The test analyzes the recording of a human voice and aims to identify changes in the patient's voice and/or deterioration in the condition of his/her respiratory system.
Breathalyzer test - detection based on terra-hertz waves: As part of an R&D program, officials developed a system of detecting the virus using THZ waves. The patient must breathe into a sterile sampling kit, after which his/her sample is analyzed using artificial intelligence.
Isothermal testing: This is a biochemical testing method that enables the detection of the virus in a saliva sample. An inexpensive sample kit has been developed, which detects the presence of the virus with the help of a chemical reaction that takes place once the content is heated at about 60 degrees Celsius. The kit is suitable for at-home use and produces a result within 30 minutes.
Testing using Polyamino acids This is a biochemical method that enables the detection of Corona virus proteins collected in a saliva sample. Using the appropriate instrumentation, a sample may be analyzed in several minutes.
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- Written by Prime Minister's Media Adviser
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Announcement on the Peace Treaty between Israel and the United Arab Emirates
PM Netanyahu: This is the greatest advancement toward peace between Israel and the Arab world in the last 26 years and it marks the third formal peace between Israel and an Arab nation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening (Thursday, 13 August 2020):
"Today we usher in a new era of peace between Israel and the Arab world.
I just came from an historic virtual conference between myself, President Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates. We announced the establishment of a full and formal peace between Israel and the UAE. It includes the mutual opening of embassies, direct flights and many, many other bilateral agreements.
This is the greatest advancement toward peace between Israel and the Arab world in the last 26 years and it marks the third formal peace between Israel and an Arab nation.
In 1979, Prime Minister Menachem Begin made peace with Egypt. In 1994, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signed a peace treaty with Jordan. And today, I am honored to announce a formal peace agreement with the United Arab Emirates. I believe that there is a good chance that we will soon see more Arab countries join this expanding circle of peace.
I want to thank President Trump for his critical help in brokering this historic accord. And I want to thank him for his revolutionary Vision for Peace, which is the most realistic and important formula for peace in the region. President Trump’s Middle East plan served as a basis for today’s historic peace announcement.
Israel and the UAE are two of the most advanced countries in the world.
Together, we will transform the region and forge an even better future for our people. This is a future of peace, a future of security and a future of prosperity.
I've always believed that we could establish peace with the Arab world and I have been working towards that lofty goal for decades. You may not know it, but I've been doing it all the time in meetings that are publicized and in many that are not. In Washington, in the Middle East, in daylight and in nighttime.
In recent years, Israel under my leadership has made advancements in ties with such countries as Sudan, Oman, Bahrain and other nations in the Gulf. I have reason to be very optimistic that today’s announcement with the UAE will be followed by more Arab nations joining our region's circle of peace.
And to the people of Abu Dhabi, and its leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, I say Salaam alaikum. Shalom Aleichem. Peace unto thee. Peace unto all of us.״
Photo credit: Koby Gideon (GPO)
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- Written by Ministry of Defense Spokesperson's
The Israel Ministry of Defense and Israel Aerospace Industries Have Successfully Launched the "Ofek 16" Satellite – Which Has Begun its Orbit in Space
Defense Minister, Benny Gantz: "This is another extraordinary achievement for the defense establishment, for the defense industries as a whole, and for Israel Aerospace Industries in particular."
The Space Administration in the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), of the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMoD), and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), have successfully launched the "Ofek 16" reconnaissance satellite into space, today (06.07.2020) at 4:00 AM. The launch was performed from a launch site based in central Israel, using a "Shavit" launcher.
The satellite began to orbit around earth and to transmit data, in accordance with original launch plans. IMoD and IAI engineers have started a series of pre-planned tests to determine the propriety and performance level of the satellite before it begins its full operational activities.
Defense Minister, Benny Gantz: "The successful launch of the 'Ofek 16' satellite overnight is yet another extraordinary achievement for the defense establishment, for the defense industries as a whole, and for Israel Aerospace Industries in particular. Technological superiority and intelligence capabilities are essential to the security of the State of Israel. The fact that Israel is one of the 13 countries in the world with satellite launching capabilities is not a given, and was made possible by the people who have been investing in these systems and advancing breakthrough capabilities over the years. We will continue to strengthen and maintain Israel's capabilities on every front, in every place."
"Ofek 16" is an electro-optical reconnaissance satellite with advanced capabilities. Its development was enabled by the great experience gained by the defense establishment in the production of earlier satellites in the Ofek series, which have been produced and launched since the year 1988. The satellite was launched into space using the "Shavit" launcher.
The Space Administration in IMoD has led the development and production of the satellite and its launcher. IAI is the prime contractor, having assigned the program to its Systems, Missiles and Space Group together with the MLM Division, which is responsible for the development of the launcher. Elbit Systems is responsible for the development and production of the satellite's advanced camera and payload. The launch engines were developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Tomer, a government-owned company. Additional companies have participated in the program, including Rokar and Cielo.
The Director of Security for the Defense Establishment oversaw the security arrangements of the program. Lastly, various IDF officials, primarily from the Intelligence Corps and Air Force have also been deeply involved in the satellite development process. Once the satellite is deemed fully operational, the Ministry of Defense will deliver responsibilities to the IDF's '9900' Intelligence Unit.
The Space Program of the Israel Ministry of Defense: Over 30 Years of "Defense in Space"
The Israel Ministry of Defense invests hundreds of millions of shekels every year in developing the space and satellite industries. The multi-year space program led by the Israel Ministry of Defense advances the strategic capabilities of the State of Israel, while strengthening Israeli high-tech and creating vast job opportunities.
The first Israeli satellite (Ofek 1), was launched in the year 1988. In the years following this success, the Ministry of Defense has allocated significant budgets in the field of satellite development.
The satellite program significantly enhances the intelligence capabilities of the State of Israel, due to the groundbreaking technology and capabilities developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), and additional partner industries.
The satellite industry in Israel and around the world, fuels the production of new, advanced technology. Investment in this field produces first and foremost, strategic defense systems, but also technological innovation and solutions that assist industries in coping with various technological obstacles. This is because technology in the field of satellites must constantly push boundaries – combining advanced programing, algorithms, engineering, and systems that must persevere in the challenging conditions that space launches and space operations include (issues surrounding durability, strength versus weight, and more).
The State of Israel was the seventh country in the world to achieve full space capabilities (launching satellites), and today, Israel is one of 13 countries in the world with such capabilities, alongside the United States, Italy, France, Japan, India, the U.K., Ukraine, China, Russia, Iran, North and South Korea.
The investment of the State of Israel in space technology is considered essential and strategic for intelligence purposes. This is a multi-year investment, which requires a multitude of resources, consistency, and professionalism. The goal is to ensure that the Israeli satellite program will remain at the forefront of technological capabilities and will continue to produce advanced satellites, which will maintain Israel's intelligence and technological superiority.
The investment of the Ministry of Defense in the field of space technology contributes to the advanced capabilities of the State of Israel. At the same time, it also contributes to the integration of advanced technology and capabilities in civilian industries and the high-tech sector.
