DECEMBER 2020

THE ANGLO-ISRAEL ASSOCIATION C CONTENTS WHO WE ARE CONTENTS FOUNDER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CONTENTS THE LATE BRIGADIER CHAIRMAN GENERAL THE LORD BEW SIR WYNDHAM DEEDES, CMG, DSO VICE-CHAIRMAN MR. R. BOLCHOVER HON. PRESIDENT CONTENTS CONTENTS HE THE AMBASSADOR OF ISRAEL COMMITTEE MRS. J. ATKIN HON. VICE-PRESIDENTS: MISS. B. DINGLE MR. M. GREEN PROF. D. HOCHHAUSER MRS. L. HOCHHAUSER CBE MR. D. KESSLER MR. J. MARSHALL MRS. O. POLIZZI LADY SAINSBURY

MR. A. REEVE CONTENTS MRS. F. SAUNDERSON CONTENTS HON. TREASURER MR. B. STREATHER MRS. D. BETH MRS. E. TARLING

COUNCIL MR. T. VINCE CHAIRMAN LADY SAINSBURY DINNER COMMITTEE CONTENTS LADY ANDERSON MS. E. EMANUEL SIR ANDREW BURNS, KCMG MR. A. REEVE THE EARL OF BALFOUR MRS. F. SAUNDERSON DAME VIVIEN DUFFIELD, DBE MR. B. STREATHER MR. JM GREENWOOD MRS. E. TARLING 5 CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE THE MARQUESS OF READING MR. D. SUMBERG EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 6 ABU DHABI’S ETIHAD TO START DIRECT FLIGHTS TO ISRAEL NEXT YEAR THE RT HON. THE LORD WOOLF, PC MRS R SAUNDERS MR. A. YABLON 8 INSS DELEGATION VISITED ABI DHABI

9 HEBREW LANGUAGE AND ISRAELI CULTURE INSTITUTE OPENS IN UAE

10 ISRAEL-ARAB PEACE ACCORDS FUELS HOPE FOR SURGE IN SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATION

FOLLOW THE ANGLO-ISRAEL ASSOCIATION ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER AT: 14 SAPIR COLLEGE: THE CHALLENGE OF ACADEMIA IN THE WESTERN NEGEV

16 THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE

23 REMEMBERING ELIZABETH COROB... facebook.com/AngloIsraelAssoc/ @AngloIsraelAssn 24 THE CHANGING FACE OF ISRAEL

26 LIKE A PRAYER: THE POETRY OF YEHUDA AMICHAI ANGLO-ISRAEL ASSOCIATION 32 HOW TO TALK OF HOPE WHEN COVID REALITY BRINGS SO MUCH DESPAIR PO Box 47819, London NW11 7WD T: 020 8458 1284 F. 020 8458 3484 E: [email protected] 36 NERVOUS TIMES www.angloisraelassociation.com 42 CAMBRIDGE MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA FORUM Registered Charity No. 313523 44 INNOVATIONS FROM ISRAEL The articles in this magazine reflect the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the Anglo-Israel Association. If you have a comment on any of the articles or on the magazine in general, we would be pleased 66 ISRAEL PREPARES TO SEND ITS SECOND ASTRONAUT TO SPACE to hear from you. Letters or emails should be addressed to the Editor and sent to email: 68 MIDDLE EAST IN THE CORONAVIRUS ERA [email protected] or The AIA, PO Box 47819, London NW11 7WD 72 HIDDEN GEMS OF JERUSALEM Editorial Team: Ruth Saunders (Editor), Grace Reginiano 78 AIA EDUCATIONAL TRUSTS Design by WEARECAPRI.com

3 CHAIRMAN’S CHAIRMAN’S CHAIRMAN’S CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

Despite all the pandemic difficulties, this year has been a very significant year of development for the A.I.A. Covid has made it a difficult year for the A.I.A. as for so many organisations. It has not been possible to hold some of our traditional meetings in the old style. We have had to adapt like others and employ Zoom for our webinars. But this has permitted some important interventions.

We have forged a new relationship with the U.K.I.B. (U.K./Israel Business). The A.I.A. has always been interested in trade and business as well as politics but this will greatly strengthen our activity in this area. We believe the new relationship will be more than the sum of its parts and add a new vitality to NJD Charitable Trust our work. As we go to press, we have had one truly remarkable meeting: CHARITY NO. 1109146 For the first time ever the U.K. ambassadors of U.A.E., Bahrain and Israel held a joint meeting in London to celebrate the new relationship between the three states embodied in the Abraham Accords. The meeting was chaired superbly by Lord Daniel Finkelstein. All three ambassadors answered questions Is pleased to be supporting the both from Daniel and an A.I.A. audience as to the meaning of Anglo- Israel Association the new ‘paradigm shift’ in policy which had brought the three countries together. It was a heartening event. In particular, it was clear that this new relationship went beyond a sensible desire to enhance trade and business but also included a new level of mutual respect. Of particular interest was the comments of the three ambassadors on the incoming Biden presidency.

Of course not everything has changed. There are still bad actors in the region. Israeli politics still has its intense divisions. The most difficult question of all – Israeli/Palestinian relations – still remains as fraught as ever. But the assumption of sterility – that Israel’s relationship with Arab states could not change for the better – has been destroyed.

Lord Bew Chairman of the Executive Committee

5 FLIGHTS WILL START MARCH 28 2021.

“ETIHAD IS DELIGHTED” ABOUT THE “DIRECT LINK BETWEEN THESE IMPORTANT CITIES,” - Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operation Officer of Ethiad Aviation Group. ABU DHABI’S ETIHAD TO START DIRECT FLIGHTS TO ISRAEL NEXT YEAR

bu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways said it would announcement of scheduled flights “is a historic sized carrier focusing on carrying passengers El Al, Israir and Arkia will start Tel Aviv-Dubai start daily flights to Tel Aviv in March moment [for us] as an airline, and cements to and from Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital. services in December. after the United Arab Emirates and Ethiad’s commitment to growing opportunities AIsrael established formal ties this year. for trade and tourism, not just between the Abu Dhabi does not allow non-residents to Etihad, flydubai and El Al have operated charter two countries but also within the region and enter the emirate at its airport, and has not said services between the UAE and Israel in recent Flights will start March 28 and will be timed to beyond,” he added. when that coronavirus-related restriction would months. connect with Etihad services to and from China, be lifted. Thailand, India and Australia, the state-owned The announcement comes as the aviation carrier said in a statement.”Etihad is delighted” industry faces its worst-ever crisis because of Neighbouring Dubai allows foreign visitors about the “direct link between these important the coronavirus pandemic, which has wrecked to enter, however. State-owned flydubai will cities,” said Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief air travel demand. Etihad has slashed jobs and launch direct flights to Tel Aviv this month, while Operation Officer of Ethiad Aviation Group. This pushed forward with plans to shrink into a mid- Dubai’s airport operator has said that Israel’s

7 irst-of-its-kind school opening in 4 locations in Abu Dhabi and Dubai for businesspeople interested in Israeli Fconversation, culture and cuisine. Here’s an item you never would have read in the United Arab Emirates’ Khaleej Times until quite recently: “First Hebrew institute to open in UAE in January.”

Josh Samet, director of the forthcoming Educational Hebrew Institute, told Khaleej Times that the Abraham Accords signed by Israel and the UAE “have fueled curiosity for knowledge and education centered around INSS DELEGATION VISITED ABU DHABI the Hebrew language.” Indeed, as was reported recently, AND SIGNED A MOU WITH LEADING businesspeople and government officials from the UAE and Bahrain are signing up UAE THINK TANK to learn conversational Hebrew online with Israeli-based language schools. BY ABIGAIL KLEIN LEICHMAN But now, Emirati authorities have confirmed delegation from Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) that EHI, the first Hebrew language and traveled to UAE capital Abu Dhabi for a three-day visit at the invitation Israeli culture institute in the UAE, will open of the Emirates Policy Center (EPC) in order to advance cooperation HEBREW in January. between the institutions and between countries. The members of the A In-person classes taught by Israelis delegation included Executive Director of the INSS Maj. Gen. (ret.) Amos Yadlin, Vice Chairman of the INSS Board of Directors Prof. Itamar Rabinovich, Managing in Dubai and Abu Dhabi will acquaint Director of the INSS Brig. Gen. (ret.) Udi Dekel, Deputy Director of the INSS Brig. LANGUAGE local businesspeople with Israeli-style Gen. (ret.) Itai Brun, and several additional researchers. communication and cuisine in “a fun and interactive way.” The meetings between the two organizations focused on: the trends in the Middle AND ISRAELI East which undermine regional stability; the Iranian threat and how it ought to be EHI is offering a variety of formats — dealt with; potential implications of the U.S. elections; and the Palestinian issue. morning, afternoon and evening classes, The visit culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) private instruction and gender-segregated by INSS Director Amos Yadlin and President of the EPC Dr. Ebtesam Al Ketbi. CULTURE classes in English-Hebrew and English- The MOU directs cooperation between the institutes, which will include joint Arabic for beginner, intermediate and conferences, as well as strategic research on issues related to national security. advanced students at four locations or INSTITUTE onsite at corporate or government offices. In addition, the delegation met with UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs HE Anwar Gargash who spoke in great detail about the conditions which led to the normalization of relations between the two countries which was soon followed by additional Arab states. He expressed optimism that the relationship would OPENS capitalize on the opportunities that stand before it at the present time.

The visit to the UAE and the signing of the MOU were done in parallel to the IN UAE establishment of a tripartite strategic partnership, including INSS, EPC, and the U.S.-based Atlantic Council, as announced last month. That partnership is a direct result of the Abraham Accords, which were signed at the White House in September and is intended to serve as a hub for members of the global think tank community who seek to contribute to the U.S.-UAE relationship as well as regional peace and prosperity.

9 ISRAEL–ARAB PEACE ACCORD FUELS HOPE FOR SURGE IN SCIENTIFIC

COLLABORATION By Elizabeth Gibney

SPACE, WATER, FOOD SECURITY AND ARCHAEOLOGY PRESENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOINT RESEARCH AS UNITED ARAB EMIRATES AND BAHRAIN END BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL.

hree men in suits applauding on a balcony, rather than a risk,” says Mohammed Baharoon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left), United Arab Emirates foreign minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (middle) and Bahrain foreign minister Abdullatif Al Zayani (right) at the signing of the Abraham Accords.Credit: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Tstanding in front of the flags of the United director-general of b’huth, an independent States, Bahrain, Israel and the UAE.A peace public-policy research centre in Dubai, UAE. But accord between Israel and the United Arab change will not happen overnight, he cautions. Emirates (UAE) is expected to lead to a in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. Until now, Israeli Before the accord, the UAE was in talks to join the surge in scientific collaboration between the Shai-Lee Spigelman, director-general of the citizens had generally been barred from entering region’s first joint science facility, Synchrotron- countries — with the promise of joint research Israeli Ministry of Science and Technology, was the UAE, and although Israel had no law banning light for Experimental Science and Applications in space exploration, water and food security, part of a US–Israeli delegation to the UAE on UAE citizens, entry required explicit permission in the Middle East, known as SESAME, says Rolf- along with exploration of the region’s shared 31 August, which included a working group on from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dieter Heuer, president of SESAME’s governing archaeological heritage. space and science. “The meetings were really council. Israel is already a member, as are impressive and interesting and open. It really But a new generation of Gulf leaders, backed by Pakistan, Iran and the Palestinian Authority. For the first time since the UAE’s founding in felt like both sides want to cooperate, want to the administration of US President Donald Trump, 1971, Emiratis will be able to work and travel find mutual ways to work together,” she says. is challenging that narrative. Between the UAE A UAE-based researcher who studies ancient in Israel, and Israelis the same in the UAE. and Israel, scientific cooperation is a high priority, civilization in the Middle East, and who asked Previously, this was possible only in exceptional Two universities have already signed an says Spigelman. not to be named because of the sensitivities circumstances. Researchers, moreover, will agreement to work together, the first of its surrounding the accords, says archaeology should be free to exchange materials, including kind between the countries. The Mohamed The 31 August meeting included early discussions also benefit. The UAE’s boycott of Israel meant biological samples and scientific equipment. bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence about potential cooperation on satellites and that exchanging artefacts and samples had until The agreement to normalize diplomatic in Abu Dhabi and the Weizmann Institute of experiments in low Earth orbit, as well as now been a problem, she says. “There were some relations, called the Abraham Accords, which Science in Rehovot, Israel, plan to create a joint coordinating astronaut visits to the International civilizations that lived in the Gulf region and also also includes the Gulf state of Bahrain, was virtual institute for artificial intelligence. They Space Station, she says. “They didn’t sound moved into the territories of Israel today, so I don’t signed at the White House in Washington DC on also intend to instigate student and researcher like they were new in this neighbourhood, even really know how those civilizations are currently 15 September. exchanges, hold conferences and share though they are. So it was very impressive,” she studied.” computing resources. adds. Israeli firm SpaceIL in Tel Aviv launched Experts told Nature that Emirati scientists could a government-backed mission to the Moon in RUNNING START 2019, although the lander crashed. The UAE has benefit from Israel’s well-established research THE SCIENCE GENERATION base and collaborations with its technology a human space-flight programme and was one of Collaboration will not start from scratch. three nations to launch a Mars mission in July. firms, and Israeli scientists could gain from Since Israel was founded in 1948, nations in the Researchers from the UAE and Israel co-authored tapping into the UAE’s growing investment in Arab League have been opposed to the Jewish 248 papers between 2017 and 2019, according to research, diverse population and technological Future collaborations are also likely to focus on the Scopus database (including co-authorship as state over the issue of Palestinian independence. artificial intelligence and quantum science, as well infrastructure in areas such as computing. Most have refused to deal with the country ever part of mega collaborations, such as experiments as agriculture, desert studies and water security, at Europe’s particle-physics laboratory, CERN). since: Bahrain and the UAE are only the third says Spigelman. Both countries are also carrying “What excites me, personally, is the UAE and fourth Arab countries to establish formal This compares with 183 papers co-authored by beginning to look at Israel as a potential friend, out extensive research in cybersecurity, energy scientists in Israel and Egypt during the same diplomatic relations with Israel, following Egypt and desalination technology.

11 period, and 98 between Israel and Jordan. UAE Jerusalem. But Nusseibeh is confident that the universities awarded their first PhDs only in agreement will boost Palestinian involvement 2010, and many senior academics there come in research collaboration. from other countries, which do have diplomatic ties to Israel. “Can the UAE use its new partner to help Palestinians? I am sure it can,” says Nusseibeh. Moreover, technology businesses in the UAE “Given the Palestinian suffering under — as well as Qatar and Saudi Arabia — already occupation, the sky is the limit as to what it can have informal relationships with counterparts do. Let us hope it does.” in Israel to procure what are viewed as crucial technologies, such as those used in protecting At present, Palestinian scientists have oil and gas infrastructure, says Robert restrictions on where they can travel, and on Mogielnicki, a researcher in political economy the materials they can import, says particle at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington physicist Mario Martone of the advocacy group DC. Both countries already have extensive links Scientists for Palestine. with China, he adds. The Directors of Corob Group Baharoon says that Emirati researchers are But now, researchers are looking forward to unlikely to let politics influence their business are pleased to support forming more and deeper connections. Not or life decisions, and that that attitude bodes only can Israeli collaborators now visit, but well for future research collaborations. “From UAE institutions can begin student exchanges, a number of people I spoke to, I think there is The Anglo-Israel Association says Andrea Macciò, an Italian astrophysicist at an admiration of Israel as the start-up nation, New York University Abu Dhabi, who frequently and one that has done a lot when it comes to collaborates with Israeli colleagues. Israel is science and technology,” he says. “one of the closest countries in the area with a substantial research programme”, says Macciò, But Mogielnicki cautions that although who hopes the accord will lead to institutional- governments are excited about the prospects level collaborations, as well as research calls for research and development, relationships for joint programmes and regional scientific between individual Israeli and Emirati summits. academics will be key to success. “How will researchers in both countries navigate Spigelman says that the countries could indeed potentially awkward relations with colleagues, sign a bilateral scientific agreement under that are a bit more conservative and do not feel which they release joint funding calls. as optimistic about this normalization? That’s a big question that remains to be seen,” he says. CRITICISMS AND CONCERNS Nonetheless, Baharoon hopes the Israel–UAE Researchers are also talking up the benefits accord will prove to be a ‘proof of concept’ of cultural links between the neighbours. One for other Gulf countries. Bahrain’s publicized Israeli physicist, who asked not to be named, intention to normalize relations with Israel came is exploring taking his family for a sabbatical just weeks after the UAE’s own announcement, in the UAE. “The day it [the peace accord] was and there is speculation that others will follow. Thank you announced, we thought, why not try it?” he says. “We joked that other than the Moon, this seems Spigelman also hopes that the accord will inspire like the next step for something really new.” similar deals between Israel and other nations. to our And unlike accords with Jordan and Egypt, this “There are other very advanced countries in the peace sounds genuinely “warm”, he says. Gulf with strong universities and resources in science and technology, and we would love to But sensitivities remain. Nature found it difficult cooperate with them,” she says. Anonymous to find Emirati scientists willing to speak about collaboration with Israel (people in the UAE Nature asked a representative of the UAE can be jailed for speaking against government Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Sponsor policy). Cooperation for comment, but the ministry did not respond by the time this article went to And Palestinian academics are angry about press. the accords, says philosopher Sari Nusseibeh, former president of Al-Quds University in East This article first appeared in the magazine Nature

13 among all Israeli colleges and third place nationally, development is very ambitious. Identifying SAPIR COLLEGE: only slightly below the Hebrew University and Tel upcoming trends in the rapidly changing Israeli Aviv University. This past summer, the College’s and global work environments, the college Film School held its annual Cinema South Film is embarking on a pedagogic revolution. Our THE CHALLENGE OF ACADEMIA Festival, under social distancing regulations, in a “New Sapir” is aimed to provide students with drive-in format on our largest parking lot. options for high-level cross-disciplinary studies, IN THE WESTERN NEGEV By Shai Feldman entrepreneurship and innovation experiences, Also worth mentioning is that Sapir’s faculty alongside practical and transferrable skills. continue engaging in high-level research. Among In August 2019, during the last pre-Coronavirus them are Prof. Orit Nuttman-Shwartz and Dr. Given the realities facing Israel, this vision, summer, my wife Valorie and I moved the center Since March 2020, the world has changed Gabriela Spector-Mersel, from Sapir’s School of may be seen as unrealistically ambitious. But, of our lives from the leafy green streets of Boston, dramatically. What more than two decades of Social Work who are researching the Coronavirus the State of Israel was founded, developed and Massachusetts to the town of Sderot in the Kassam rockets, terror tunnels and explosive impact on senior citizens in the south who are prospered against all odds, as did our College. western Negev, Israel’s southern periphery, where balloons failed to achieve, the Coronavirus did, coping with multiple sources of accumulated For these reasons, our ambitious goals for Sapir I became President of Sapir Academic College. emptying Sapir’s campus of students. Similar to trauma. Similarly, Dr. Ronen Arbel, Chair of Sapir’s accord perfectly with the Zionist idealism that other higher education institutions worldwide, Technological Marketing Department, recently characterized my parents’ and grandparents’ The College is named in honour of Pinchas Sapir, we transformed to online teaching practically received a grant from Israel’s National Institute generations. Indeed, it is the opportunity given who served as one of Israel’s first Minister of overnight. for Health Policy Research to create a “first ever” to me to join their historic journey by aiming to Trade & Industry and later as Minister of Finance. model measuring the cost effectiveness of various realize these ambitious goals in my capacity as Due to his unwavering efforts to foster economic As many Sapir students come from among methods implemented to curb the spread of the President of Sapir Academic College for which I development especially in the Negev during the Israel’s most disadvantaged populations, they virus. feel so grateful. country’s formative years, Sapir is often considered found it especially challenging to adjust to remote ‘the father’ of Israel’s economy. learning. Many among them – especially many of Looking beyond the immediate effects of Professor Shai Feldman is President of Sapir College, Sapir’s Arab Bedouin students – did not possess the Coronavirus crisis, our vision for Sapir’s Sderot, Israel My first impression arriving at Sapir was the laptops or other relevant equipment. Some also amazing dedication and commitment of its live in small towns or villages that lack reliable teaching and administrative staffs. After all, it is access to wireless communication. Many also not self-evident that hundreds of educated people come from large families living in dense quarters, would wake up in the morning in different locations making it especially difficult for them to focus on in Israel and travel to work and teach in a college remote learning. This required Sapir staff to travel located less than two miles from the Gaza border. to these locations to find creative solutions to Indeed, this is even less self-evident given that these complex challenges. for the past decades the area has been subject to Kassam rocket attacks, incendiary balloons and Equally challenging is that many of Sapir’s attack tunnels, all launched from across the Gaza students were especially vulnerable to the border. devastating economic dimensions of the COVID-19 crisis. Many have lost their part-time jobs and Known in Israel for its centers of excellence, many of their parents became unemployed. This Sapir is Israel’s largest public college with over has dictated our priority to obtaining the financial 8,000 students, a majority from the Negev, Israel’s resources required to provide these students with southern periphery. The very diverse student body scholarships and stipends that will help cover attracts people from all sectors of Israeli society, their tuition, rent and food so that they will not including many IDF veterans and students those have to abandon their dream of obtaining a college from immigrant families including Ethiopian education. Indeed, the ongoing coronavirus community and Arab Bedouins. Many are the first pandemic has created a growing demand for a in their families to pursue a college education. variety of financial aid platforms for our students. Luckily, thanks to our friends and supporters, we Over the past two decades, the resilience of Sapir’s have been able to provide many students with staff and students has been tested time and emergency funds. again by various security challenges. Especially acute were these challenges during the major Notwithstanding the magnitude of these confrontations between Israel and Hamas in challenges, we have some very good news. The 2008-09, 2012, and 2014. I received an early vivid number of students who began studying at Sapir demonstration of this challenge very soon after I this year is significantly higher than in previous rented an apartment in the border town of Sderot, years, up by more than 30 percent. Sapir Law which was subjected last November to some 50 School graduates have once again passed the Bar hours of relentless Kassam rocket attacks. Exam at a high level of achievement: ranking first

15 125 YEARS OF CULTURAL PRESERVATION AND OPEN THE NATIONAL ACCESS “In Jerusalem, a great house shall be built, high and lofty, in which shall be LIBRARY OF treasured the fruits of the Jewish People’s endeavor from the moment it became a nation… and to this great house shall ISRAEL AND stream our masters, sages and all the scholars of our nation, and everyone with THE JEWISH a heart which understands our literature, and whose spirit yearns and strives for the Torah and for wisdom and to know of PEOPLE the history of our people and the lives of our ancestors.”

By Zack Rothbart, NATIONAL LIBRARY OF ISRAEL FORMATIVE National Library of Israel VISIONARY DR. JOSEPH CHAZANOWICZ, 1895

Simulated image of the new National Library of Israel, now under construction next to the 17 Knesset. © Herzog & de Meuron; Mann-Shinar Architects, Executive Architect 125 YEARS OF Following the Israeli War of Inde- es in innovative and meaningful characterized the importance of pendence, the Library was forced ways, while celebrating the cul- the new National Library as fol- CULTURAL to move among several tempo- tures of Israel, the Jewish peo- lows: PRESERVATION AND rary locations throughout Je- ple and the global community. rusalem, until its current home This next chapter of the National “For 2,000 years our treasured OPEN ACCESS was completed in 1960. For the Library story is currently taking books were scattered, with no next half century, what was then place alongside Israel’s rise as geographic centre of gravity. known as the Jewish National the start-up nation and will reach ounded in Jerusalem in Now at long last, these volumes and University Library (JNUL) new heights with completion of 1892 as the city’s first free as well as those yet to be writ- dutifully held on to the cultural the iconic new National Library public library, and a mod- ten, together with a wide range of F treasures of Israel and the Jew- campus, adjacent to the Knes- est yet ambitious center for the other collected materials, are to ish world, offering access to se- set, scheduled to open its doors preservation of Jewish books, have a permanent home and one lect students and scholars, while in 2022. the long and rich history of the where it should be—in the heart largely remaining anonymous as National Library of Israel (NLI) of Jerusalem... The Library will far as the broader local and inter- is inextricably intertwined with A NEW HOME have the responsibility of nothing national publics were concerned. that of the modern Zionist move- less than preserving and illumi- Designed by renowned Swiss firm ment and the State of Israel and nating the history of Jewish civil- As the Library approached its Herzog & de Meuron, the new its people. Theodor Herzl himself th isation.” 120 year, an historic transfor- 45,000 sq. m. home of NLI will sent a donation and letter of sup- mation commenced. In many feature a range of venues for cul- port before the turn of the last ways spearheaded by the Roth- tural and educational programs, COLLECTIONS: century. With the 1925 founding schild family and Yad Hanadiv, the awe-inspiring exhibition spac- of the Hebrew University of Jeru- National Library separated from es and cutting edge facilities for THE CULTURAL salem, the Library expanded its Hebrew University, becoming an scholars, and will be surrounded TREASURES OF This exquisite handwritten Megillat Esther was holdings and quickly became the independent institution mandat- created in the Azores in the 19th century. It came to ISRAEL AND THE the National Library as part of London-based collector Jack Lunzer’s legendary Valmadonna Trust Library. JEWISH WORLD Since its humble beginnings at the end of the 19th century, an Library, forging links between thousands of Hebrew-letter ambitious and ever-evolving vi- and among the Jewish people, Is- manuscripts, as well as digital sion has driven the National Li- raeli society, and the world. They and microfilm copies of some brary’s work, yet its essence has reflect the diversity of Israeli so- 80,000 such manuscripts from always lain in its treasures. To- ciety and the Jewish world, and collections across the globe; day, the National Library has four we work to not only preserve some of the earliest Talmudic core collections – Israel, Judaica, the great works of the past, but manuscripts and fragments; the Islam and Middle East, and the also to open global access via world’s largest collections of Humanities – which tell the his- the technological innovation of ketubot and haggadot; Hebrew torical, cultural and intellectual the future.” books dating to the advent of the story of the Jewish people, the printing press; archival collec- State of Israel, and the Land of The Library’s Haim and Hanna tions of leading rabbinic figures; Israel and its region throughout Salomon Judaica Collection is the and the Gershom Scholem Li- Simulated image of the Reading Room at the New National largest collection of written and Library of Israel, now under construction. © Herzog & de Meuron; the ages. brary – the world’s foremost re- Mann-Shinar Architects, Executive Architect printed Judaica ever amassed, source for the study of Kabbalah, According to Dr. Raquel Ukeles, including the vast majority of He- Jewish mysticism and Hasidism. brew and Jewish books, journals region’s leading research library, ed by Israeli law to “collect, pre- NLI Head of Collections, “Our by beautifully appointed gardens and magazines ever published; A few years ago, NLI acquired the which it remains to this day. serve, develop and endow collec- collections are the heart of the and plazas. It will quickly be- majority of the famed Valmadon- tions of knowledge, heritage and Around that time, British par- come an international landmark na Trust Library, the world’s fin- culture in general and those of liamentarian and ardent Zionist and a beacon of pride for Israel, est private collection of Hebrew the Jewish people, the State and Colonel Josiah Wedgwood wrote the Jewish people and the glob- prints, posters and manuscripts. the Land of Israel, in particular”. that the Library “… should re- al community. Partners in the The Valmadonna was assembled building renewal project are led place in future ages the library Over the past decade, this trans- over a period of more than six by the Government of Israel, the in Alexandria and placed where formative renewal has seen a decades by visionary British Jew- Rothschild Family through the it is amid the devoted Children of world-class yet closed academ- ish collector Jack Lunzer, com- auspices of Yad Hanadiv, and the Israel it can never be destroyed.” ic institution leap into the 21st prising more than 10,000 works David S. and Ruth L. Gottesman His handwritten words comprise century, opening access to its that chart the spread of Hebrew Family of New York. just one of millions of archival treasures as never before, with printing and the global dissemi- items and manuscripts safe- particular emphasis on harness- Lord Rothschild, who has been nation of Jewish culture. Among guarded until today among the ing technological advances, and intimately involved in the renewal This ninth century North African Qur’an is one of some 2,000 rare Islamic and the highlights of the collection National Library treasures. serving new and diverse audienc- program since its earliest days, Persian manuscripts in the National Library’s Islam and Middle East Collection. are an early printing of the Pen-

19 much more. Just a few collec- Prior to the coronavirus crisis, sive digital collection and cut- State of Israel was founded, tion highlights include significant thousands of visitors would come ting edge tools for scholars and Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion handwritten works by luminar- to the National Library each the general public have become made collecting and preserving ies such as Maimonides and Sir month – from Arab elementary more important and relevant the treasures of Jewish heritage Isaac Newton, exquisite Islamic school students participating in than ever. a top priority, writing a letter to manuscripts dating back to the enriching educational activities his minister of finance requesting ninth century, stunning illuminat- to ultra-Orthodox scholars prob- Millions of items including books, that a large sum of money be allo- ed Medieval Christian devotional ing the depths of Jewish wisdom photographs, periodicals, maps, cated to establish a center in Je- texts, and the personal papers to local and international visitors music and more are available for rusalem where all of the world’s of Martin Buber, Franz Kafka, Sir of all ages and backgrounds at- free online to the global public Hebrew manuscripts would be Moses Montefiore, Alice Shalvi, tending concerts and lectures, and, for years already, the NLI preserved. He explained the need Natan Sharansky, Naomi Shemer researching family histories, ap- has shepherded digital initiatives as follows: and countless other prominent preciating the beauty of ancient and collaborations with lead- cultural figures. maps, and everything in between. ing institutions and collections “…Our first duty is to save Hebrew around the globe to open access literature. There are thousands of Fortunately, much activity in the to the intellectual and culture Hebrew manuscripts lying idle in OPENING UP, IN digital realm was already un- treasures of Israel and the Jew- various libraries ... Many of them PERSON AND ONLINE derway as the pandemic hit, and ish people regardless of their have vanished in the darkness of throughout this difficult period physical locations. the past or have been destroyed As the vibrant institution of na- NLI has worked not only to ad- by the wrath of oppressors ... It is tional memory for the Jewish dress the inherent challenges, the duty of the State of Israel to people worldwide and Israelis of but to maximize potential op- DIGITAL acquire and gather those exiles all backgrounds and faiths, NLI portunities in continuing to ful- REVOLUTION FROM of the spirit of Israel dispersed in strives to be a leading global cen- fill its mission. With the number the Diaspora.” ter promoting creativity, scholar- of in-person patrons drastically BEN-GURION TO ship and the democratization of limited due to public health reg- COVID-19 In fulfillment of this prescient knowledge. In addition to collect- ulations, the National Library’s vision, in the decades that fol- ing and preserving the cultural online reference services, mas- Less than two years after the lowed, scholars worked diligently and intellectual treasures of Is- rael and the Jewish people, NLI works to open access to those treasures in a variety of ways so that diverse audiences in Israel and around the world can use, The National Library of Israel is home to some 8,000 handwritten pages from Sir enjoy and be inspired by them. Isaac Newton, including the world’s largest holdings of his theological writings. This item, ‘The Hyeroglyphicall figures of Nicholas Flammel explained, anno “Gesher L’Europa”, the NLI’s 1399’ is from the 1680s. leading international outreach initiative, works to cultivate tateuch, produced in Lisbon in The National Library’s Music De- meaningful connections between 1491; one of only two surviving partment and National Sound Ar- the National Library and people, copies of a Passover Haggadah chive preserve and open access communities and institutions printed in Prague in 1556; an to the world’s largest collections in Europe and beyond. In recent Ashkenazi siddur printed in Ven- of Jewish and Israeli liturgical, years, this has included the de- ice on parchment in 1549; The commercial and folk music, as velopment of impactful Jewish Plantin Polyglot or “King’s Bi- well as ethnographic recordings educational materials for use in ble,” printed in Antwerp between dating back to the beginning of the UK and France; training pro- 1568 and 1573; and more than the 20th century. In many cas- grams for archivists and librari- 550 broadsheets dating from the es, these recordings are the only ans across the continent to en- 16th to the 20th centuries. The audial record of some long-van- able them to better preserve and printed works in the collection ished communities. The Nation- open access to treasures of Jew- are in superb condition, and the al Library is also home to the ish heritage; collection of archi- acquisition enabled NLI to gain at world’s leading collection of an- val materials reflecting contem- once what would have taken de- cient maps of Jerusalem and the porary Jewish life in numerous cades to collect. The acquisition Land of Israel. countries and communities; cre- was made jointly with archaeolo- ation of exhibitions displayed in gy, books, and Judaica collectors Treasures from the Library’s various languages and dozens of Dr. David and Jemima Jeselsohn, collections cover a range of me- cities as part of AEPJ’s European and was made possible with gen- diums, including books, man- Days of Jewish Culture; annual erous support from the Haim and uscripts, maps, newspapers, partnership in London’s Jewish Map of Jerusalem by Romeyn de Hooghe, ca. 1670. From the National Library’s Eran Laor Cartographic Collection, the leading collection of its kind. Hanna Salomon Fund. photographs, communal and Book Week; and much more. personal archival materials, and

21 physically dispersed across were shared with the world, and the world. NLI launched “The Reading Room”, a virtual space to enjoy live and The other NLI flagship dig- previously-recorded lectures, con- REMEMBERING ital initiative is the Histor- versations and interviews in vari- ical Jewish Press Project ous languages and in partnership (JPress), the world’s lead- with institutions and organizations ELIZABETH ing venture for preserving across the globe. All events are and opening digital access free and open to the public. to Jewish newspapers and journals across centuries and continents, allowing us- LOOKING AHEAD: COROB... ers to search and browse MAKING VISION INTO nearly 3,000,000 pages from REALITY t was with great sadness that the AIA heard the news about over 400 titles in a range of Elizabeth Corob who passed away peacefully on Saturday languages from the late 18th As the pandemic hopefully recedes 21 November after a long illness. through the 20th centuries. I quickly into history and completion JPress is a project of the Na- of the new National Library of Isra- Elizabeth was a wonderful supporter of Israel and of the AIA. tional Library of Israel and el in Jerusalem approaches, tire- The Corob family’s contribution to education, community Tel Aviv University, in coop- less work continues to fulfill the support and interfaith relations has spanned many years. eration with institutions and words of Chazanowicz, Wedgwood, collections around the globe. Ben-Gurion, Rothschild and count- Elizabeth was a devoted wife, mother and business partner Jrayed, another NLI historic less other visionaries across the for nearly 60 years. As her husband Sidney’s business press initiative, presents the generations. All of them empha- partner, she played a pivotal role and took an active part in world’s largest digital col- sized the importance of the People all key decisions. Elizabeth and Sidney became significant lection of Ottoman and Man- of the Book finally having a nation- philanthropists, they were generous, thoughtful and proactive date-era Palestinian Arabic al library to safeguard and open in the causes they were involved in including residential homes newspapers. It serves as a access to the cultural treasures for the elderly, they became instrumental in the formation of digital cultural and scholarly created and cultivated across the the International Centre for the Enhancement of Learning Potential with the visionary educator Reuven Feuerstein. General Allenby’s triumphant entrance bridge, allowing researchers centuries. to Jerusalem, 1917. From The Pritzker from countries across the Establishing both a centre in Jerusalem and London. They also In the words of Rabbi Lord Jona- Family National Photography Collection Middle East and the world became deeply involved with Israeli universities, namely Ben than Sacks: at the National Library of Israel to benefit from peerless NLI Gurion University, where they endowed a floor of the medical centre, and the Haifa Technion, who awarded Elizabeth an resources safeguarded in “To build this Home of the Book honorary doctorate in recognition of her contribution. to ultimately ensure that NLI be- Jerusalem and other Israeli dedicated to People of that Book is collections. a project that could bring blessing came home to originals or copies Elizabeth was also passionate about theatre and opera. not just to Israel, and not just to of an estimated 90% of all Hebrew The digital revolution underway at the Jewish people worldwide, but manuscripts in existence. This vi- NLI, accelerated by the pandemic, In latter years Elizabeth became the rock that supported her to the entire world.” sion is now in the digital age thanks is certainly not only for scholars, husband Sidney as he became ill. They celebrated 50 years to “Ktiv: The International Collec- though. In recent months, in order of marriage together with a huge party. She thought of every tion of Digitized Hebrew Manu- to better reach students, educators detail and despite Sidney’s memory already showing signs of scripts”, which aims to provide a and communities in decline, she sculpted a perfect double act that cherished him. single user-friendly portal to all of Israel and around the world’s Hebrew manuscripts. the world, a wide Elizabeth had a profoundly felt social conscience and was Ktiv is a partnership between the range of educational driven all her life to help and protect others. She had a National Library of Israel and the materials, activities complex character with many internal contradictions and Friedberg Jewish Manuscript Soci- and resources based hidden facets, which meant she could surprise, and often ety, with the support of the Israeli on National Library did. Family was important to Elizabeth. She leaves behind Ministry of Jerusalem and Heri- treasures have been three daughters, Tricia, Laura and Alison, of whom she was tage’s Landmarks project. further developed, immensely proud. She loved her six grandchildren and she was able to meet her great grandson, William, only a few days The British Library was one of expanded and pro- before she passed away. NLI’s first partner institutions for moted in English, this project some 70 years ago and Hebrew, Arabic and Elizabeth fought with courage and tenacity to hold on to her more recently was one of the first French. independence. Right to the end she was in charge and her of nearly 600 global partner collec- In the cultural realm, inner force could be felt even when words failed. tions to date collaborating as part exhibits showcasing This page of Maimonides’ ‘Commentary of the of the Ktiv initiative, which provides Mishna’ manuscript, features corrections in the NLI treasures, devel- She was her own person to the end – a proud and sensitive access to over 9 million total im- legendary scholar’s own handwriting. It was oped as part of Goo- written in 12th century Egypt. soul driven by a deep appreciation of beauty and harmony. ages of nearly 80,000 manuscripts gle Arts & Culture,

23 THE CHANGING FACE OF ISRAEL accepted in the Arab world. Iran’s nuclear someone like Putin”. For these immigrants, the If the Israeli center-left wishes to present a threats have not disappeared, yet the Islamic 1967 Green Line doesn’t mean anything, and credible alternative to the current right-wing After three inconclusive elections and turbulent Republic is nowadays more vulnerable and the social democratic institutions of Israel’s hegemony, it will have to appeal to many more and sometime byzantine coalition negotiations, isolated. Yet most Israelis are still not convinced labor movement (kibbutzim, the Histadrut Russian-speakers and Mizrahim: until now the twin-headed national coalition led by Likud’s that the Palestinians are truly reconciled to the trade unions etc.) remind them of Soviet-style it has not been very successful in doing this. Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White Benny existence of the Jewish state, and while the communism. These legacies of Soviet political Democracy is not under threat in Israel, despite Gantz has finally collapsed and the country current stalemate on negotiations between culture made it difficult for Israel’s Left to some attacks on the rule of law coming from is headed for another election in March. This Israel and the Palestinian Authority certainly make significant inroads into the Russian- Likud quarters, but the shifts in its politics do was not wholly surprising given the basic lack owes much to Netanyahu’s positions, the speaking community and led many of them reflect real changes in it social structures and of trust between the two partners, which led Palestinians’ ambivalence about terrorism to support the Israeli right-wing – something demographic composition. over the last months to a total deadlock which and their continued militant rhetoric equating which expresses itself also in their support There is of course also a generational shift in was only exacerbated by a confused set of Zionism with colonialism are a major ingredient for privatization and a free market economy. the background of the political socialization decisions regarding the medical and economic in the Israelis’ reluctance to trust their ultimate These attitudes do change over the years, but of the country’s leaders. Zionist leaders like challenges caused by the corona pandemic. intentions. All this is not conducive to a climate by and large Russian-speakers vote more for Chaim Weizmann, David Ben Gurion. Golda in which Israel will have to make far-reaching right-wing parties than the average of Israel’s Both major coalition partners are facing the Meir and Abba Eban have brought to the Israeli concessions, be ready to take serious risks Jewish population. elections greatly weakened. Netanyahu did political culture the legacies of European and be willing to evacuate at least some of the succeed in gaining significant support due to his In a parallel though different way, many liberal and social democratic traditions and settlements. achievement in normalizing relations with four among the Mizrahi communities, which visions, which they skillfully integrated into the Arab states, but this was eclipsed when many, Yet internal developments and shifts in the make up almost half of the Israeli Jewish Zionist goals of statehood and independence. even in his own party, became convinced that composition of Israel’s Jewish population are electorate, also tend to be receptive to right- The current political leaders of the country his political behavior is dictated more and more to a large extent responsible for the fact that wing ideas. Many of the immigrants from Arab lack this experience. Consequently, they mostly by consideration stemming from his attempts the Likud’s right-wing politics continue to countries and their descendants bring with have a scant exposure to other cultures and to undermine the justice system in order to appear dominant in elections and diminish them memories of having been discriminated their command of foreign languages is usually avoid his trial for bribery and other charges. the chances of the center-left to replace the and sometimes persecuted by Muslim Arab not impressive. In most cases, their upbringing This led to some prominent people in the politics represented by Netanyahu’s hard-line. majorities in their countries of origin: this does has been almost exclusively formed by their Likud, like Gideon Saar and Zeev Elkin to leave Netanyahu is not the cause of this shift to the not make them especially supportive of the immersion in the decades’-long conflict with the party and set up a new movement – “New right but its expression. These processes are claims of the Palestinians, whom they identify the Palestinians. The only current political Hope” - which will challenge Netanyahu and rarely discussed or recognized outside of Israel. with their historical oppressors. They also tend leader who has been exposed to meaningful may draw many of his right-wing supporters to be traditionally oriented in the religious outside politics and ideas is Netanyahu, and from the Likud. The one million immigrants who arrived in sense: though most Mizrahi religiosity is his exposure has been almost exclusively to the last decades from the former Soviet Union moderate (extreme ultra-Orthodoxy is usually the ideas of the right wing of the American Gantz, on the other hand, lost much of his have immensely enriched Israel in numerous Eastern European Ashkenazi), but this still Republican Party, including its market credibility when he joined the Netanyahu ways: their contribution to its science, hi-tech tends to underpin ethno-centric views. Mizrahi fundamentalism. Neither Gantz nor Amir Peretz coalition despite promising his voters never industry, cultural and musical life as well as to traditionalism also looked askance at ideas of of Labor can match this with any alternative to serve under him, and after joining the sports, is immeasurable. Yet their impact on generational and gender equality practiced, for coherent legacy. It is equally significant that the government proved to be a feeble counter its politics is more complex. Highly urbanized, example, by kibbutzim and therefore very few most serious challenges to Netanyahu come force to Netanyahu. Gantz’s party may virtually very few of them live in settlements in the of them were drawn to the kibbutz movement from other politicians and parties on the right – disappear in the next elections, which could West Bank, but their political outlook has been which was viewed in many cases as aiming Saar’s new party or Bennet’s Yemina- not from provide another inconclusive outcome, but with shaped by Soviet geopolitical thinking: always at breaking up traditional family allegiances. the center-left. a different set of contenders. project power and strength, avoid making Historically the Labor Party found it difficult to concessions, never give up territory. As Nathan Headline news usually don’t cover long- Yet the voluminous reporting of Israeli politics, counter these cultural, pre-political attitudes Sharansky once said, if powerful Russia refuses range processes, but they are crucial to the both inside and outside the country, misses and their political repercussions. to give up a few small islands it captured from understanding of the tectonic changes Israeli a crucial point by focusing almost exclusively Japan after World War II, why should Israel give Like all sociological generalizations these society is undergoing. They, much more than on the personalities involved. Some deeper up Judea and Samaria which are obviously of comments on the Russian and Mizrahi political Netanyahu’s personal fate, important as it processes are at work and they involve both strategic importance? orientations have to be nuanced and relativized, may be, will determine the country’s future Israel’s stance vis-a-vis the Palestinians as but they obviously changed the map of Israeli trajectory. well as internal social changes in the country Decades of Soviet atheistic indoctrination have society and politics. Just as demographic and itself. left most of these Russian immigrants secular, ethnic changes in the US and UK created new and mixed marriages with non-Jews are SHLOMO AVINERI, professor of political Strategically, Israel is now in a better situation political realities in these countries, so current common: few express religious attachments science at the Hebrew University and than ever before. The Arab countries are in Israel, with more than 8 million inhabitants, to historical sites in the West Bank. But member of the Israel Academy of Sciences turmoil and their support for the Palestinian is a different country from the small Israel they believe in a strong state and in strong and Humanities, served as director- cause has weakened. The peace treaties of the 1950’s. It is militarily and economically leadership. As one of them once told me in a general of the Foreign Ministry under with Egypt and Jordan have held despite all stronger, and culturally much more diverse: revealing statement: “I don’t want to live under prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. vicissitudes, and the recent Abraham Accords but it is different. Putin, but I would like to have as my leader have certainly added to Israel feeling more

25 Amichai’s prevailing tone is direct, open, simple, hospitable, sensuous, witty. Illustration by Riccardo Vecchio; Source: ULF LIKE A PRAYER Andersen / Getty The poetry of Yehuda Amichai. By James Wood

hen we encounter a natural style, Pascal says, the only city in the world / where the right to vote is Wwe are surprised and delighted, because we granted even to the dead.” Jerusalem—“a port city expected to find an author and instead found a man. on the shore of eternity.” “The Venice of God.” “An Yehuda Amichai, who died in 2000, at the age of operation that was left open.” These are all from one seventy-six, and is still Israel’s most celebrated poet, long poem, called “Jerusalem, 1967.” Elsewhere, possesses that natural style: a human being speaks, the city is imagined as a place “full of used Jews”— in frequencies audible to all, and the discovery Jews “used by history / Secondhand Jews, with is a spreading delight, a shelter and a steady small flaws, bargains.” It is a city—this is from yet accompaniment to our own lives. Yes, style is always another poem—where the summons to prayer is the a performance, and Pascal’s adage doesn’t preclude wail of the fire engine and the ambulance. A place the awareness that an author might be performing at where, from time to time, “a new shipment of history being a man, or that the surprising man might still, arrives.” after everything, be a surprising author. But knowing this only sharpens the pleasure we take in those This talent for quick, memorable phrase-making fortunate writers who, like Yehuda Amichai, are free is an art of the popular, and one that many poets, enough to perform most naturally. strangely enough, lack. It is an element of Amichai’s ordinary vitality, the current that connects him to Or maybe we should be more brutal about the whole contemporary songwriters and antique balladeers. matter? Some writers are likable, and quite a few are (In Israel, his poems have been used by musicians, not. Amichai is intensely likable. To read “The Poetry and also by advertisers.) Occasionally, he abuses of Yehuda Amichai” (Farrar, Straus & Giroux), an this facility: one can tire of the easy way in which he ample new selection edited by Robert Alter, is to leaf likens God to a tour guide (twice), or to a mechanic through the calendar of a sensibility: in this bright endlessly fixing the world; or Jacob to a “window book of life, he writes about war and love, about washer to the VIPs,” carrying a ladder on his back. his mother and father, about his children and his But the talent for likening God to a tour guide is neighbors, about loving the Jews and despairing of related to the talent that comes up with this: “The the Jews, about shopping for groceries in Jerusalem war broke out in the fall, at the empty border / and the politics of Jerusalem, about sex and about between grapes and citrus fruit.” And: “every day God. There is anger and lament, and at times a high, of our life together / Ecclesiastes cancels a line of stark, psalmlike rhetoric. There is much allusion his book.” Or this: “You had a laughter of grapes: / (often to the Bible or to Jewish liturgy). But the many round green laughs.” Or this: “And who will prevailing tone—more than a tone, it is a way of being remember the rememberers?” This line about in the world—is direct, open, simple, hospitable, remembering the rememberers could be a slogan sensuous, witty. He is often ironic, but his irony is on a political or commercial poster, while the image as generous as sincerity: he is always adding, not of Jerusalem being full of “used Jews” might have subtracting. “I don’t live like a poet,” he once said, come from an indie-rock song. The beautiful line “nor do I look like one, and I have the child in me. about war breaking out on the border between . . . My escape route to childhood is always open.” grapes and citrus fruit may seem more considered In Amichai’s work, there are many such “escape or more original (or just more lyrical and, hence, routes”: he has rapid access to all the senses. more “poetic”), but it belongs to the same voice, the same mouth, as a laugh is related to a yawn. How not to love a writer who spoke often about making his poetry “useful,” who insisted that each of his Amichai’s art is as appealing in its depths as in its books of verse in Hebrew should be published in the shallows. His metaphors are more active than those same handy format (ten by eighteen centimetres), so of most poets. First of all, they are colossally various. that they could easily be carried in a reader’s pocket? He has a psalmlike register, in which laughter is And how not to love a poet who has Amichai’s talent like grapes, eyes are like figs, and the poet recalls for hummable phrasing? Listen to these athletic his father thus: “the rivers of his hands / poured into descriptions of Jerusalem, a city that provokes him his good deeds,” and his mother like this: “I want to to tournaments of redefinition, in much the same walk through / the deep ravines between her sobs.” way that God provoked the medieval mystics to their More often, he makes joyous and strange analogies, rising arrow showers of description: “Jerusalem, stretching his similes into twisted lengths of elastic

27 reference to Jacob and Esau, a story that begins with suddenly this figure of the hyphen takes on palpable Photograph by a father’s blessing. life, for it is this little temporal bridge which the poet, Hana Amichai oldish but renewed by his late marriage, now fiercely But plenty of writers can conjure exciting similitudes. cherishes: Amichai’s genius lies in how—to borrow from his own language—he makes metaphor “useful.” He thinks I hold onto that hyphen with all my might metaphorically, and in so doing he makes stories of them, treating his likenesses as if they were not like a lifeline, I live on it, metaphorical but animated literalisms. That’s why, I suspect, his metaphors have not merely poetic and on my lips the vow not to be alone, power but practical vitality, in the way that a horse is not only alive but usefully alive. In “Jerusalem, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of 1967” (translated in this volume by Stephen the bride, Mitchell), there is a verse in which Amichai begins by describing the city as “short and crouched among the sound of the children laughing its hills,” unlike, say, tall New York. Then he makes and shouting an animated metaphorical fiction of his original metaphor (or personification): “Two thousand years in the streets of Jerusalem ago she crouched / in the marvelous starting-line position.” All the other cities ran ahead, did “laps in and in the cities of Yehuda. the arena of time,” had their victories or defeats. But “Jerusalem remained in the starting crouch: / all the Although I have quoted freely, so as to voice the victories are clenched inside her, / hidden inside her. melody of Amichai, I should not give the impression All the defeats.” Amichai glides quickly between his that he was only a lyric singer of the self and not own poetic suggestions, and this supple navigation also a religious and political debater; or that the credits his inventions with the otherness of their allusive and colloquial Hebrew of the poems can be existence: he proceeds as if his own metaphors had carried over into English without leakage. I have a the naturalness of found things, not the artifice of sense of how that melody sounds in English, but how made things. In “Leah Goldberg Died,” a tribute to does it sound in Hebrew? Robert Alter’s scrupulous a poet of an earlier generation who championed his introduction, and the presence, in “The Poetry of work, the hollow of an eye socket easily becomes the Yehuda Amichai,” of no fewer than fourteen different hollow of a grave: translators (with many new versions by Alter), reminds us that translation is arduous, necessary, Her sad eyes are the only ones and unfinished. Many of Amichai’s references, puns, jokes, buried meanings—the creases of a culture, its that could compete with my father’s eyes age lines—are inevitably smoothed out of existence wit. In “Songs of Zion the Beautiful,” a long poem in poem, a blessing. Amichai begs to kiss his son once in translation. which he quarrels and plays with the city in which more, “while you still love it,” while the boy is still in the ancient Jewish game he spent most of his life, he anatomizes its “Wailing a soft-skinned Jacob and before he becomes “a The reader without Hebrew fumbles among cleaned Wall, towers, rusty halos, / all the prophecies that— hairy Esau of open fields.” He writes that “I’m on my of heavy eyes sliding into remnants; makes do with hand-me-downs. There like old men—couldn’t hold it in.” way from believing in God / and you’re on your way are beautiful poemlike forms in this book (Alter, Leon toward it,” and that this is a meeting point between hollows beneath. Wieseltier, Mitchell, Chana Bloch, and Chana Kronfeld In a tender poem about his parents, he remembers father and son. In the final verse, he offers his formal earn one’s particular admiration as interpreters), but them, from the distance of his middle age, as blessing: evening falls, and the land is cooling, and (Now they are both there.) I cannot judge them as translations. The line breaks resembling the “simple toys of my childhood,” turning “clouds that have never lain with a woman / pass sometimes appear, by the standards of English in circles, humming softly, raising a leg, moving overhead in the sky”; the desert is breathing, “and And see what he does with the lowly hyphen in “Late verse, almost arbitrary; so the reader shrugs and slowly from side to side with the same rhythm, “the all the generations / squeeze a bar mitzvah for you.” Marriage” (about his second marriage, to Hana converts, happily enough, those poems into pieces of spring in their belly and the key in their back. / Then Lucky son! So many of Amichai’s qualities gather Sokolov; this version is by Chana Bloch). Amichai broken prose. Alter is rightly celebrated both for his suddenly they stop moving and remain / forever in here: passionate tenderness and earnest warmth, starts in his usual modest, accessible way—he is translations from the Hebrew and for his scholarship. their last position.” In “My Parents’ Migration,” which sweet possessiveness—the eros of fatherhood—and sitting in a waiting room, with bridegrooms who are His ferociously annotated versions of the Pentateuch reflects on his family’s displacement from Germany that delicious, playful metaphorical reach, those much younger than the poet. The poet has “heavy and of the Psalms chaperone the Hebrew-less (where Amichai was born), houses are “always / Like clouds that have never lain with a woman. What steps” but “light thoughts,” as opposed to when reader through many dense cruxes. Alas, there is ships,” because nothing stays in place. would those clouds look like? The metaphor can’t he was a young man, and carried thoughts “heavy no such help in this volume; the fairly sparse notes be a visual similitude (although white, gauzy clouds with destiny / on light feet that almost danced at the back do little more than point to well-known One of my favorite of Amichai’s inventive likenesses could look somehow more virginal than heavy ones from so much future.” Then, in an extended act of landmarks, and the reader keen to resolve lexical occurs in a beautiful poem addressed to his young pregnant with rain). The metaphor—as similitude— figuration worthy of John Donne, Amichai reflects puzzles has to go elsewhere, to commentary by other son. It has no title and is simply numbered “69,” in almost “fails,” but it is blazingly successful in the that the pressure of his life has brought his date of scholars. a volume entitled “Time,” which appeared in 1977; context of the poem’s address to a young man who birth closer to the date of his death, “as in history it was translated by Amichai and his great friend has not yet “lain with a woman.” And, of course, books / where the pressure of history has brought Context is especially important in understanding and admirer the poet Ted Hughes. It’s a bar-mitzvah the diction gently picks up the Biblical thread of the / those two numbers together next to the name of a Yehuda Amichai’s work, because he draws so freely dead king / with only a hyphen between them.” And on the events of his life, and because his work is

29 closely associated with the emergence of modern away their edges. She argues, for instance, that with such rich mixtures of feeling, such brazen enjoined to survive as Jews, lest the people of Israel Israel. He was born in 1924, in Würzburg, a Bavarian “I Want to Die in My Bed” has too often been read anguish and play. Like Jerusalem (but more so), perish; commanded to remember the Holocaust, lest town with a large and important Jewish community. as a piece of liberal quietism—the private citizen God provokes Amichai to describe and re-describe, that memory perish; and “forbidden, thirdly, to deny The household that he grew up in was Orthodox and who simply prefers to retire from extended military shatters his language into splintered approximations. or despair of God . . . lest Judaism perish.” Amichai Zionist, an inheritance he honored throughout his engagements. She notes how the poem, with its is sympathetically alert to Fackenheim’s tragic writing, even as he abandoned its formal religious mock-heroic abuse of Samson and Joshua, and lines When Amichai is angry, he reaches for savage anxiety. But, cheerfully and despondently, comically beliefs and practices as a young man. He once like “Your light / Sees fit to shine for war makers inversions: as we once hid from God in the Garden and tragically, reverently and heretically, he breaks— said that his work, rich in theological struggle and who murder all night,” refuses and resists “the new, of Eden, now God hides from us (“And That Is Your because he must be free to break—Fackenheim’s plaint, merely continued a discussion he had with muscular image of Jewish masculinity.” Indeed, Glory”). The age of sacrificing animals to God has fearful commandment. his father: “We loved each other very much, but we Amichai’s verse often sets itself against nationalistic passed, and instead it is we who sacrifice ourselves had this problem—big problem—so we go on, I go narratives. The poet always has, as he puts it, “the to God (“Those Were Days of Grace”). God may be It is the cheerfulness that lingers here behind on discussing it with him. . . . When I was a child, face of the conquered painted in the colors of the “full of mercy” (liturgical words from the prayer the lines, like a happy schoolboy, as world history like every child, I thought my father was really a god, conqueror.” In “Songs of Zion the Beautiful,” a long for the dead), but he hogs all the available mercy continues its stolid death march. Amichai has many and when I rebelled against him, he still was God. celebration of Jerusalem continually curdles into for himself, and “Were God not full of mercy / there modes, but a faithful and fortifying humanism is But then I found out, of course, that he was a human defiance, lament, elegy. The poet finds himself would be mercy in the world, and not just in Him” his commonest and his most delightful. He ends a being. I think it’s the same with God.” yearning for the old, divided city. United, Jerusalem (“God Full of Mercy”). If, Amichai says, I believed in poem in this volume with characteristic pleasure: has returned to “her fat legitimate life. / But I don’t God, I wouldn’t tell him about the wars I have fought employing the presence of God only to displace him, The Pfeuffers, as they were then named, left for love her. / I sometimes remember the quiet one.” In in, “as one doesn’t tell a child about the grown-ups’ he puns humanely on “His” and “his.” In Rome, the Palestine in the mid-nineteen-thirties—children, “Jews in the Land of Israel,” he asks, “What are we horrors” (“What I Learned in the Wars”). God is like poet says, he once saw a woman waiting at a corner. parents, and many aunts and uncles—a happy doing / in this dark land with its / yellow shadows that a rich, spoiled “only God,” akin to an only child (a He adds that he doesn’t know how long the woman example of a large extended family surviving intact. pierce the eyes?” He concludes that “spilled blood fabulously ironic identity for the God who invented stood there, or whether the person she was waiting Amichai served in the Jewish Brigade of the British is not the root of trees / but it’s the closest thing to monotheism). for turned up. But, he continues, “after her death” God Army during the Second World War, alert to the irony roots / we have.” will “gently pry open her head, as He always does,” that his enemy was now the German Army, in which These fruitful negations are the fated language of a to seek “the name of the one she truly loved.” And? his father had served during the First World War. He Those last lines are characteristic of Amichai’s man for whom God, like time, is always present and “And it won’t be His name, it won’t be His.” Amichai fought in the 1948-49 Israeli War of Independence, probing, ambidextrous politics, and suggest how always gone. And these gestures and quarrels are is a man who, as he once playfully put it, rebelled at the Negev front, where combat was intense, different political camps might claim for themselves more than the merely familiar struggle of the atheist only a little, because he did, after all, observe the and again in 1956. In such poems as “Not Like a the same liberalism. On the one hand, Amichai who constantly invokes a God he does not believe in. laws and the Commandments—the laws, he quickly Cypress” and “I Want to Die in My Bed,” both from describes nothing more than anguished historical Amichai does not believe in God, and does not want adds, of gravity and equilibrium, and the horror of a collection published in 1958, Amichai declined the fact: Israel as a country founded on spilled European him back—but what has belief got to do with it, if (in the vacuum. Which is to say, he belongs not only to role of military victor or glamorous hero. He would blood and transferred pain. But another transferred the Feuerbachian sense) we invented him anyway? Israel and to the Hebrew language but to all of us. not, he announced, stand tall like a cypress tree, pain lurks in the lines, the spilled blood of those How to uninvent him? How to purge him from our but preferred to be like the grass, “in thousands of displaced by the establishment of Israel, and to grammar? Gods change, but prayers are here to stay, This article first appeared in the New-Yorker cautious green exits.” He would not be Joshua, or announce that one’s country is pooled in blood might as the title of one of Amichai’s poems slyly has it. Saul, or Samson; he just wanted to die in his bed. be thought to hack bloodily at its legitimacy. Yet again, and against that pessimistic reading, there is Besides, the God of the Jews—the “only God” of His work, like his life, is closely bound up with merely stoic accommodation in Amichai’s words: this an only people—is a national possession, not just contemporary Israeli life. His poems have been is what we have, and we will have to make do with it. a theological one. If God disappears, do the Jews called the nation’s “secular prayers.” He is quoted disappear? Perhaps the threat also exists the at funerals and weddings, in political speeches and Some will find this politics, though compassionate other way round? In several poems, Amichai gives ceremonies, in rabbinical sermons and in a Jewish and deeply liberal, too muted. Amichai tends to expression to a fear that the Jews and their God American prayer book. The Israeli journalist Eilat see Palestinians (insofar as they make any distinct might go down together, united in oblivion. Perhaps Negev tells the story of how Amichai was once appearance in his work) as, precisely, Other. In he will “forget not his own,” but perhaps it’s too late: watching a soldier’s funeral on TV only to discover his weaker writing, there creeps into the verse a “the Jewish people is gone.” What does a father do, that the woman standing over the grave was reading slightly reflexive, choric fatalism, a sacralizing of the Amichai asks, in “Gods Change, Prayers Are Here to from his poem “God Full of Mercy,” his fiercely land’s conflicts, in which Israel is evoked as a place Stay,” when “his children are orphans and he / is still ironic version of the “El Malei Rachamim,” the haplessly soaked in thousands of years of religious alive?” And what will a father do when his children memorial prayer recited at funerals and on certain strife: “In my land, called holy, / they won’t let eternity are all dead and he becomes “a bereaved father for holidays. There is no counterpart to this popularity in be: / they’ve divided it into little religions, / zoned it all eternity?” American letters, though perhaps Robert Frost once for God-zones.” But who, in these words, is “they”? approached it. “Jewish history and world history / grind me between In the same magnificent poem, Amichai despairingly them,” he writes, as if the soldier-poet, who helped proposes a new, post-Auschwitz theology, in which In her new book, “The Full Severity of Compassion: found his nation, lacked all political agency. God’s dead people, those who died in the Shoah, now The Poetry of Yehuda Amichai” (Stanford), the scholar resemble their dead God, the deity ideally described and translator Chana Kronfeld writes acutely of how The lines about the Holy Land being zoned for by Maimonides as having “no likeness of a body and . Israeli (and Jewish American) appropriations of religion (by mysterious agents) ring slightly false, in . . no body.” God is at once the designer (or, at best, a Amichai’s work have often robbed it of its complicated part because Amichai’s personal religious zone—a voyeur) of the Holocaust and its most famous victim, theological allusiveness and its political radicalism. veritable switchboard of complaint—is so lit up with destined to disappear in smoke, like his murdered In a series of crystalline readings, she restores to his own blasphemous electricity. No contemporary people. The philosopher Emil Fackenheim once his poetry its cultural dangerousness. When poems writer known to me has written as searchingly and proposed, after Auschwitz, what he called a “614th become secular prayers, reverence tends to rub complicatedly about God and the ghost of God, and commandment,” in which the Jewish people are

31 DAVID GROSSMAN:

Illustration by Eran Wolkowski.

Sometimes putting words together in a new way can create a spark, an expansion of thought. Has this weakened COVID-19’s momentum? Of course not, but we’ve strengthened our immune system a little. David Grossman’s speech at the opening freedom, in the souls of those who have hope, they of this month’s Frankfurt Book Fair Hope, I thought over and over again, trying to know what the reality of freedom looks like. They awaken it inside me. I called to it, out loud, in Hebrew also know how crucial it is to fight for it. – perhaps it speaks Hebrew – tikva, tikva. I thought ometimes, in the about Israel’s national anthem, which is called ••• middle of my workday, I look up from I imagine a sort of “Hatikva” – “the hope” – and speaks of the hope the keyboard and think about a writer invisible web, thin yet strong, being woven by held by Jews for 2,000 years in exile, the hope of At the opening of the Frankfurt Book Fair, we – or two whom I know, writers who are thousands of people – writers and poets – who live one day being able to live in their own country. It authors and poets, translators, editors, publishers, friends of mine, and others with whom in every corner of the world. Some of them have was a hope that often kept them alive. agents and, no less important, readers – are sadly SI feel an affinity because of their books. published many books, others are now writing their comparing today’s circumstances with those of first story. Most do not even know of the others’ One could look at hope as a sort of “anchor,” cast previous years, and asking ourselves where we I think of how – like me – they are sitting now at existence, but together they are performing a vital from a stifled, desperate existence, toward a better, stand in this coronavirus reality. Can we offer a computer screen, searching for one single, act: a small repair of the overall dissonance, of the freer future. Toward a reality that does not yet exist, a unique contribution to ease the burden? Can elusive word. Or for a certain personality trait in great disruption of reality. They are making art. which is made up mostly of wishes. Of imagination. we create some sort of “antibody” or “spiritual a character they have yet to decipher. I imagine immunity” to the virus? Do we have anything – one them drumming their fingers on the desk, making I am speaking to you from my home outside When the anchor is cast, it takes hold of the future, significant thing – that we might hold up against another cup of coffee, or pacing their room in Jerusalem. When I was asked to speak about and human beings – sometimes an entire society – the sense of restriction and erasure brought about distress because they sense that what they have hope, I thought: At present, Israel has the highest begin to pull themselves toward it. by the pandemic? just written sings a note that is not quite the right number of per-capita virus cases in the world. one. How can I talk of hope when the reality I’m living It is an act of optimism: When we cast this I believe that this “something” is our power in brings so much despair? imaginary anchor beyond our concrete, arbitrary of observation. The way we look at the world. I imagine my writer friends, in their homes in New circumstances, when we dare to hope, we are Observation is the core of our art. It is what makes York or Shanghai, in Prague or Tehran, Munich or And then I thought: Being asked to talk about hope proving that there is still one place in our soul us writers, and it is perhaps what makes us the Gaza. The pandemic rages in their city, perhaps is a good thing. Perhaps this is how I may find the where we are free. A place that no one has been people we are. knocks at their own door, but they are entirely strength to act against the gravity of anguish and able to suppress. focused on tuning themselves – as one tunes an sadness, which I have felt since COVID-19 entered We may not have many other talents. Most instrument – to achieve precision. my life. And thanks to this enclave of fearlessness, of writers and poets I know – including myself – are

33 embarrassingly clumsy should try to take back what the coronavirus has when it comes to engaging confiscated. This is something we have the power Before I finish, I would like to share with you a story with reality. But we do to do. told by Abraham Sutzkever, one of the greatest know how to observe it. Yiddish poets. He was born in 1913, in Belarus. You can’t take that away Writing – even when it does not engage directly with During the Holocaust, he lived in the Vilna Ghetto. from us. the pandemic – is our means of resistance. It is how we withstand clichés, empty slogans, indiscriminate And this is what Sutzkever told of his escape from And there is much to statements and generalizations, which pave the the ghetto: “I learned the great power of a poem observe, much to put into way for incitement, prejudice and racism. in March of 1944, in the Partisans’ forests, when words. In almost every I had to cross a field of land mines. No one knew realm of life, changes A few days ago I heard on the radio that the number where the mines were buried. I saw people torn to happen and will continue of deaths worldwide had “crossed the one-million shreds. I saw a foolish bird that got too close. Every to happen. Economic, mark.” I remembered the chilling comment direction I turned, every place I set my foot, one political, social and attributed to Stalin: “A single death is a tragedy; a single movement could mean death.” cultural systems will million deaths are a statistic.” These words allude collapse or be reshaped, to what we do in our work: We, authors and poets, “… and I held inside me a melody,” Sutzkever will take on different people of literature, struggle to extricate the drama continues, and by “melody” he means poetry, or forms. A woman walks among the Spanish flags placed in memory of coronavirus (COVID-19) of the individual, the uniqueness and singularity of even a particular poem, “and I walked through the victims in Madrid, Spain, Sept. 27, 2020. Credit: Manu Fernandez,AP the individual, from dead statistics. minefield to the rhythm of that melody for a whole Millions have lost – or kilometer, and I crossed it.” are yet to lose – their perhaps once in a century. As fate would have it, How fortunate we are! In a world increasingly shut livelihoods. In many countries, the middle class this one happened on our watch. It is devastating, off in separate “capsules,” a world that is driven by And then Sutzkever says the following surprising will become poor, and the poor will become and most of us feel helpless. To look straight at fear to reduce its contact with the outside – in this line: “But perhaps you could remind me what the destitute. Deprivation and perhaps starvation will it, and at its repercussions, is almost like looking world we may find a place of richness, of creation. melody was? I do not remember…” propel yet more waves of migration. straight at the sun. But many of us have frequently looked into one sun or another, and told of what we Sometimes putting words together in a new way I can picture him smiling slightly, as if to tell us Changes will probably also occur in relationships saw. That is the nature of our strange profession. can create a spark in our mind: as if two words that this melody is always forgotten – that this is between people, in families, in the bonds of We want to look into suns. Into people and that have never been combined, which no one its essence. And that we must keep reinventing it, friendship and love. In new decisions. New processes, relationships and wounds. before thought to combine, have suddenly found each of us in our own words and our own tune, each opinions. through our own struggle. So that for We want to look into this era and remember how we one moment, even in the middle of Perhaps our proximity to the foundations of were in it. How we withstood it, or did not. Where a minefield, we will not be helpless. existence, our proximity to death, will make people our fault lines were revealed – as individuals, as We will not be defeated. We will still see their lives in a different light once the pandemic societies. In which moments did we find ourselves have hope. is over. Perhaps it will make them insist on the weaker than we’d thought, and when were we lives they want to live. Refuse to compromise any stronger than we’d believed? longer. And perhaps there will be women and men who will discover how meaningful and relevant We will be witnesses: active, curious witnesses. This Article first appeared their relationships are. Trenchant witnesses. in Ha’aretz, translated by Jessica Cohen But until then, the coronavirus continues The power of artists to face the huge challenge of its rampage. And as happens whenever the this pandemic – just as artists face every arbitrary foundations of society are shaken, whenever state – results not necessarily from the content personal and national security decrease, I am afraid of what they create, but from the act of creation. we may witness a surge of nationalism, of religious From the sense of human abundance and human depth that a writer feels every time he or she Customers seated in small glasshouses enjoy lunch at the Mediamatic restaurant in fundamentalism, of xenophobia and racism, of Amsterdam, Netherlands, June 1, 2020. Credit: Peter Dejong,AP severe damage to democracy and civil rights. describes a human situation. Abundance and depth, and complexity. And we shall observe, and we shall write and each other and created a surprising expansion of document. We shall sound warnings in every place Sometimes – and this is more rare – we also gain a thought and feeling. where our language is corrupted, where we are sense of flight, of inspiration. Of freedom. subjected to linguistic and cognitive manipulations. Has this act done anything to weaken the momentum Where our civil rights, and our human rights, are All these feelings might have faded a little in the of the coronavirus? Of course not. But we have threatened. I say this as a citizen of the world, but past months, in these days of fear and erasure. strengthened our immune system a little. We have also as an Israeli watching the developments in reminded ourselves of who we used to be before the my country with deep concern. In these conditions we should insist on nuances. pandemic. And we have reminded ourselves of how Revive more and more subtleties – of personality, much goodness, and light, the world might have An event like the COVID-19 pandemic comes of relationships, of situations. Of language. We after this nightmare ends.

35 NERVOUS AN ADDRESS GIVEN AT THE SAVOY HOTEL AT THE ANNUAL DINNER OF THE ANGLO ISRAEL ASSOCIATION ON 10TH NOVEMBER 1997 BY JOHN LE CARRÉ

o invitation I have received has given me from Tel Aviv to London, ate my salt, and confirmed more pleasure, none has obliged me to delve to his readers that I was the creep he’d always Nso deeply into my upbringing and prejudices, known I was. I could have told him as much on the and the origins of so much that I have written. telephone and spared him the journey.

These are nervous times. I don’t need to tell you All this to tell you, then, that the invitation to speak that. In the last year Israel has endured crisis upon tonight arrived on my desk at a moment when I was tragedy. particularly interested to examine the mystery of my Jewish conscience: to question it quite harshly Israel is probably the only country on earth – its sincerity, its origins, its authenticity – is it real TIMES where the erection of a traffic light can trigger or just a writer’s gimmick? – and to puzzle out how international uproar. it developed and changed its shape and spots as And on these escapades, we were accompanied by it reappeared in book after book throughout my a vibrant collection of courtiers – not a few of them These are nervous times. writing life. former fellow inmates from Their Majesties’ houses of correction. For me too. This summer, an Israeli television team And what it means to me now, in these nervous came to my house in deepest Cornwall to interview times. And among them there was always a me about my work. I had sworn to myself I would smattering of middle Europeans with quick stay away from politics. So of course within minutes I am not quite the conventional Englishman that I minds and rich accents that I loved to imitate. I heard myself discussing the issue of settlements am told I appear. Like most of us, I’m a cocktail. My father played poker with them, robbed on the West Bank. And incautiously I drew a them and I hope devoutly was robbed by them distinction between legal and illegal. Though I was born of solid non-conformist English in return. stock, my mother – no doubt wisely – disappeared At once the young interviewer flung up a hand, when I was very young, and my father pursued And I, more watcher than player in these scenes, stopping the camera. ‘Excuse me,’ he said. ‘We dreams of unorthodox wealth which led him into borrowed their shirts, and their half- crowns, have no illegal settlements.’ some pretty murky paths. If you were to read A and their accents, and now and then – when Perfect Spy, you would find a portrait of a gentleman they wryly opened the dark door on their own We found something else to talk about. not unlike him. backgrounds – their lives, related with a modest gallows humour that made them digestible to those These are nervous times. In the war he escaped conscription. In its with no experience of pain on such a scale. aftermath, he favoured the traditional sources of In America, when my last book came out, the New informal reward: shortages of every kind, whether And being of a romantic age, I fantasised about York Times published a bizarre review, claiming in property, laxatives, petrol or – one famous winter belonging to a homeless, polyglot, hounded clan of darkly that my leading character, whom I greatly – Christmas crackers that didn’t crack. heroic refugees called Jews, of whom otherwise I loved, was based on the figure of Judas Iscariot: knew nothing, except that at school they gave me I was hung up on the notion of Jew as traitor. Oh In school term-times, I was safely confined to one their sausages and were let off chapel. mother! or other gloomy English boarding school, learning to become a bogus gentleman. But in the holidays, And I would like to be able to tell you that when And I was gratified to discover how deeply I was I rode wherever my father’s rackety caravan took Jewish boys were teased I sprang nobly to their wounded by the accusation, and how greatly I him – now to Aberdeen, where we squidged black defence and got a bloody nose for my trouble. resented the restraints imposed upon me by my market figs into pellets and rolled them in sugar But I can’t. Knowing me, I’m sure that, at best, I well-meaning publishers when it came to drafting a for the greater regularity of the British constitution slipped away and hid. reply. Take me back to Israel, I thought, where I can – and later, at the war’s end, to Great Yarmouth, speak my mind without fear. helping him to fight and lose an election campaign I was far too anxious to belong. to enter Parliament, where he had heard that great Or can I? pickings were to be had f you played your cards Then at sixteen, I too, by choice and not right. necessity, became a refugee. To Switzerland – Soon afterwards a hotshot Israeli journalist flew where else? I fled there to escape both school

37 and home, and to embrace – for reasons obscurely usual promised themselves in both directions- were social express.’ always seen my novels as opportunities for self- but deeply planted in me – the somewhat uncuddly performing, not well but not too badly either, the education. muse of German literature. And it seems now last rites of their impossible Mandate. My third novel, The Spy Who Came in from the inevitable that my tutors – particularly those who Cold, continued my absorption in the destiny of Investing my ignorance in my central character – a were practising privately – should have turned out to There is a sense in which England has always the Jews of the diaspora. A Marxist British Jewish leftist English actress – and making a virtue of her be almost exclusively refugees themselves – loyal, remained occupied territory to me – occupied by my librarian, Liz is inveigled into a wicked British plot naivety, I set off on a voyage of self-enlightenment, fascinated custodians of the culture that had so own kind. and dies. An East German Jewish intelligence living my character, leaning with each breeze, now horribly betrayed them. officer also perishes in the conspiracy. Both, in my towards Israel, now away from it, in a series of Perhaps I learned too early how the British can treat own perception, were eminently likable characters, schizophrenic visits to Amman, Damascus, Beirut So that it was only natural when, a decade later, I you if you are not quite one of them. Perhaps that but that wasn’t enough for one or two Jewish and South Lebanon and later Tunis. Then back came to equip George Smiley with a German past, lesson continued as I discovered how the English organisations in America, who starchily demanded to Israel, across the Allenby bridge or by way of I should have provided him too with a passion for punish their artists. to know whether I equated Jew with Communist. Cyprus. German literature – even if, a little sardonically, I fixed his interest on the second worst period of Or perhaps I am no different from any other artist I replied that I didn’t equate Jew with anything, but They really were nervous times. German history, the Thirty Years War. from anywhere who feels himself an outsider in his that in the war of ideas that was currently raging, own country and believes there’s another country Jews had better reasons than most to be attracted Israel rocked me to my boots. And at the end of 1947, with the ashes of the somewhere else where he will be happier and safer. to grand visions of human equality. Second World War still warm, I contrived to visit the I had arrived there expecting whatever European unbeautified camps of Bergen Belsen and Dachau. And certainly, in my perception of the Jewish identity It was the first time my Jewish sympathies had been sentimentalists expect. A re-creation of the better And to this day there is no museum and no film, – in my continuing dialogue with it, in private and questioned and I was rather shocked. quarters of Hampstead, perhaps. Or old Danzig, however fine, not even a book, that can compare in my novels – I have been aware from early of a or Vienna, or Berlin. The strains of Mendelssohn with the living impact of those places upon me only spiritual kinship that embraces what is creative in It is of course clear to me now that my perception of issuing from open windows of a summer’s evening. two years after the last inmates had been done to me, and forgives what is despicable, and shares Judaism at this stage was woolly and Anglo-centric. Happy kids in seaman’s hats clattering to school death, and the survivors rescued. with me the dignity and solitude and anger that are My Jewish archetype was the whipping-boy of our with violin cases in their hands. born of alienation. European disorder – of the seamless transition ISRAEL ROCKED ME TO MY BOOTS

A year later, I was back – this time in the uniform of Ever since I can remember, my ears have been from the Hot War to the Cold War – as witness my What I found in the early eighties was the most a British National Service Officer of Intelligence, not pricked up for the careless chamber music of character Leo Harting, the hero of A small Town in colourful carnival of human variety that I had in Germany but neighbouring Austria, trawling the English prejudice. And certainly, I pride myself on Germany, my fifth novel. ever set eyes on, a nation in the process of re- refugee cages of Styria and questioning refugees having as good an ear as anyone for the nuances of assembling itself from the shards of its past, washed up from all over Middle and Eastern Europe: that repulsive but mercifully dying art-form, British Leo is a locally employed filing clerk at the British now Oriental, now Western, now secular, now anti-Semitism in the chattering classes. Embassy in Bonn who stumbles on the Nazi record religious, but always anxiously moralising about ‘Who are you, where did you come from, what do of a leading rightist German politician. Something itself, criticising itself with Maoist ferocity, a nation you know, what did you see on your way, who do you I have been so keen to reproduce it in my books, snaps in him. The nostrums of the anti-Communist crackling with debate, re-discovering its past while know who is till there and might be willing to give us that sometimes the undiscerning have mistaken the crusade are replaced in his head by the singing it fought for its future. No nation on earth was more a helping hand? singer for the song. of the Horst-Wessellied and the marching of deserving of peace. Or more cruelly condemned to jackboots. And like the inconvenient memories he fight for it. Every day brought its own tales of human tragedy. These are nervous times. They were nervous from has revived, he has to be destroyed. He is fighting Every day, I was permitted to observe the aftermath the day I started writing, some forty years ago. the wrong war. They were always nervous times. of George Smiley’s Thirty Years War. Every day brought its reminders that whatever minor My first novel concerned a Jewish couple in the With that particular book, so far as I remember, I And in this company tonight, I scarcely need to wax inconveniences I had suffered in my own life, they British Foreign Office – a rare enough event in offended only the British government, the Foreign lyrical – though I would like to – about the warmth were a joke when set beside the real thing. those days. The husband appears to have killed Office, most of my former colleagues, and almost of my reception, or the freedom with which, in my himself. The wife is a former campnik who dreams uniformly the German press. Otherwise, I got off hosts’ offices and houses, I was able to bounce And every day brought is Jews. Broken families with of the Marxian ideal. George Smiley to the rescue scot-free. ideas, probe, ask the unaskable, without ever having broken suitcases. These people are my business, – assisted by a Jewish London policeman. It is to persuade anyone of my goodwill. I thought. There is something between their eyes a sheer fluke that Smiley himself is not a Jew. A few books later I felt ready to tackle a subject that and mine. Perhaps he is. had long been in my sights, even if it had always And when I told my hosts that I was about to walk scared the wits out of me: The Arab-Israel conflict. through the looking-glass and take my questions to Meanwhile in Palestine the battle for a Jewish ‘Smiley’, I wrote, on the first page, of my first novel, the Palestinians, they said, ‘good idea’ and wished homeland was raging, and the British – having as ‘travelled without labels in the guard’s van of the I knew nothing of the Middle East. But then I have me luck. And I believe they meant it – although

39 those too were nervous times. guarantor not only of Israel’s survival, but of the the rivers of human hatred from behind a screen of Palestinian survival also. silence and deception. ‘Mr David’, Arafat cried, when I was finally admitted to his presence in the small hours of the morning And if at first blush this sounds a bit trite – well, I’m I wanted to tell the New York Times that to publish – on the tenth floor of a riddled skyscraper in Beirut. afraid the truth is that, in fiction as in politics, the in New York – in America’s greatest newspaper – for ‘Why have you come to see me?’ extreme centre is a pretty dangerous place to be. some the greatest in the world – a smear of anti- It’s where you draw the fire from the fanatics of both Semitism on such arbitrary grounds was a serious ‘Mr. Chairman’, I announced, in the same theatrical sides, as I discovered when I published the product act of editorial irresponsibility. tone, ‘I have come to put my hand on the Palestinian of these experiences – called The Little Drummer heart.’ Girl – propagating the heretical thesis that there are But I got no further before a tumult of alarm broke rights and wrongs on both sides of the Arab-Israeli out among my well-wishers. Arafat seized my right hand and placed it with both conflict. of his against the left breast of his khaki shirt. ‘David, if you write that, your career in the United ‘Mr. David! It is here! It is here!’ Those were very nervous times indeed. States will be ruined’ Really? I wondered. Who by? ‘David, are you trying to tell us this city is full of In South Lebanon I enjoyed the hospitality of I remember Anwar Sadat’s widow once telling me Jews?’ No, I’m not – but if it is, I couldn’t be more Lieutenant Colonel Salah Ta’amari and his wife in Cairo that Egypt didn’t need leaders anymore, delighted. ‘David, are you suggesting that the New Princess Dina of Jordan and watched Palestinian just decent technicians, engineers, merchants and York Times is Jewish-controlled?’ Well, it isn’t Boy Scouts training for the day they would be old farmers. She had perceived, as I believe Yitzhak exactly the Palestinian house magazine either is it? enough for battle. I had witnessed comparable Rabin perceived, that peace in the Middle East scenes in Israel. would not come out of great oratory or the triumph And more of the same. of one side’s zealots – and certainly not through Salah was Commander of Palestinian forces in their assassination – but out of a chequerboard I regret very much that I listened to them. I should Sidon. Princess Dina was once the wife of the of pragmatic arrangements from which mutual have said to hell with correctspeak and to hell with King of Jordan. For me Dina and Salah stood for tolerance and respect will one day grow. the Thought Police. I should have said, I know all that was noble and gallant and sensible in the where my heart is, you don’t. I should have said Palestinian cause. They still do. And here in the diaspora – what lessons have I what I felt and believed and taken the flak. There learned? We sat head in hand in my American was a time when we writers used tell each other In the Palestinian refugee camps, I remembered editor’s office – the New York Times review of that was the right way to carry on. my days as a young British army officer in Austria, The Tailor of Panama before us, telling us that because by now my British guilt was weighing me consciously or not I had been listening to the I would also love a day to come when it is possible down. Blame us, I thought. Don’t blame the Jews. internal voices of my English anti-Semitism as I to criticise the State of Israel without being accused We got it wrong. Blame us Brits. wrote my novel. What should we do about me? of being an anti-Semite. The charge insults not only What could I possibly say in reply? It’s an old the supposed offender but also the country it seeks I had become the deliberate plaything of my own Jewish publishing house, a legacy of the European to protect. All countries, at one time or another, do emotions. My job was to join, not reject. To become intellectual exodus of the thirties. But as I listened daft things, mistaken things, wicked things. Decent the twice-promised character of my novel. to my publishers’ arguments, and sensed their nations are a family. Good men and women of every genuine concern for me, and their fear – their nation owe it to each other to rescue the truth from I stood in the sweltering streets of Sidon and palpable fear- I realised that we were dealing not its ever more skilful manipulators. I have a right watched Arafat take the salute at the last parade with off-beat accusations of anti-Semitism so to the criticism of my friends in Israel, even when it of Palestinian fighters while Israeli spotter planes much as the whole oppressive weight of political stings. They have a right to mine. I do not believe circled overhead. correctness, a kind of Macarthyite movement in that any great cause, or great nation, was the better reverse that in the name of tolerance proscribes all for the suppression of its critics. If an evil few With Arafat also I visited a school for Palestinian reference to gender, ethnicity, colour of skin, sexual misuse their freedom – well, they have always been orphans in the hills above Beirut on New Year’s Eve, preference, social provenance and even – I am the price that must be paid for the greater freedom and watched them dance the Dabka with wooden delighted to tell you – age. It has no leaders, as far of us all. Kalashnikovs. as I am aware, only terrified disciples. Or perhaps I am incorrect in suggesting it is led at all. We live in nervous times. And sometimes we are I returned to Jerusalem in time to witness Israeli too nervous for our own good. armour rolling northward for Operation Peace in How on earth sane men and women ever came to Galilee. succumb to this unelected tyranny is a mystery Thank you for bearing with me tonight. Thank you to me, but they have. How great and good causes for doing me this great honour. And I hear you asking by now – impatiently, I fear – ever came to be hijacked by it is another, but they ‘Okay – so after all these antics, which side of the have been. These faceless people seem to have fence, if anywhere, did you end up? forgotten, if they ever knew, that it was not the no- JOHN LE CARRÉ sayers who wrecked the twentieth century – or any And I can only reply ‘where I began, but more so.’ other century that I’m aware of – but the yes-sayers. I mean that I stood – and stand – wholeheartedly It was the conformists, the grey men, the ones who behind the nation state of Israel as the homeland dared not speak, or spoke what they did not believe. and guardian of Jews everywhere – and It was the ones who oppressed anonymously, wholeheartedly behind the peace process as the furtively. Who stamped out argument, and directed

41 CAMBRIDGE MIDDLE EAST rivaling those of the famous Cambridge Union, such Brussels later this year. Two more papers focus as Michael Gove, Ayelet Shaked, the Foreign Minister on Iranian and Saudi hybrid warfare strategies and of Turkish Cyprus and an Iranian Presidential the possibility of establishing a development bank & NORTH AFRICA FORUM candidate, members of parliament from across in the Middle East to aid with reconstruction after the British political spectrum and diplomats from the pandemic, the latter slated for delivery at the around the world. We also held closed-door events upcoming G20 in Riyadh. We have also presented our “AN INVESTMENT IN KNOWLEDGE PAYS THE BEST INTEREST”- BENJAMIN FRANKLIN with policy and military figures from around the Arab first piece of evidence to a parliamentary inquiry on world, particularly the Gulf. Our team on the ground UK-Iran relations. BY SHLOMO ROITER JESNER, environment in which the nastiest voices are the only changed every year, remaining incredibly diverse and ones, and caring too much seems eccentric. comprising smart, open-minded people from the Another recent development has grown out of our CAMBRIDGE MIDDLE EAST Emirates, Yemen, Egypt and Iran and a management long-standing commitment to promoting free speech & NORTH AFRICA FORUM, Avoiding confrontation was an unofficial policy when it team comprising a Hungarian Catholic, a Swede and out-of-the-box thinking on Middle East politics: PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER came to the region: there was a Middle East Club that of Eritrean descent, an American military brat and a quarterly peer-reviewed journal with articles hosted film screenings, a range of hyper-academic myself. The diversity of the Executive Committee from around the Middle East. Aptly named Manara, seminars on art, culture and performance, as well as allowed us to bring our unique personal experiences, meaning lighthouse in Arabic, the journal seeks to s an undergraduate student at the University a hummus club. Yet pertinent topics like the Syrian and perspectives, to the table, and to tap into our give researchers and practitioners from around the of Cambridge four years ago, I became part A Civil War, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process or networks across the university. world a chance to share their own thinking about of an eclectic group of friends, all linked by some the policies of a potential Clinton Administration (so regional developments. The generous support of our form of attachment to the Middle East. Some, like everyone thought) to the region were essentially off- Four years and more than sixty events later, we donors has enabled us to offer electronic copies of myself, were drawn to the region through a deep limits. No matter how important, nobody was willing found ourselves established as the most well-known our journal free of charge, broadening our audience. personal connection. Others had burning intellectual to deal with them. Yet I was lucky enough to make political speaker series on campus, with a mailing Our next big project is to create a digitally-native attachments, probably knowing and caring more friends who, like me, thought the region was too list of more than 5,000 people and a network of more news service providing quality analysis of the region. about the region’s politics than most of the people important to have too little exposure at a place like than 200 people that we had hosted in Cambridge as We are piloting a weekly news service covering who live there. Yet all of our perspectives were very Cambridge, full of ambition and future influencers speakers. We realised that the audience, network developments in the region that can be subscribed different, most of all when it came to the region’s in politics, journalism and academia, to name but and reputation that we had built up could do much to on our website, written by a team of graduate fractious politics. My own perspective was shaped a few. We thus decided to create our own initiative, more, aiming to impact policy today in addition to researchers. We hope to make this a daily update in by two seminal events in my life: when I was eleven, one that would not limit discussions to the abstract betting early on future leaders. The forum has grown the coming months and to create a new, authoritative my older brother Yoni Jesner hy”d was murdered by or superfluous, but would serve as a place where to become the most important place on campus source of news and analysis from the region under a suicide bomber in the Second Intifada; and before both students and staff could listen to, and engage to openly advocate that the U.K. resist calls to the auspices of the Forum. I came to Cambridge, I served for four years as an with, policy-makers and politicians at the University. strategically and diplomatically disengage with the intelligence officer in the Israel Defense Forces. In November 2016, a watchword of “complexity, not Middle East, encouraging active engagement with I would have never been able to go to Cambridge the region in diplomacy, trade and security. We are or meet dear friends and colleagues without the Before I arrived, I knew that my perspective on the controversy”, we created the Middle East and North firm believers in close cooperation with the Gulf support and generosity of the AIA, and will always be conflict and the region, which I would like to think Africa Forum at the University of Cambridge. countries, Israel and the U.S. in coordinating British grateful for it. Building the Forum into an established of as being very realistic, would not fare well in the We did not at any point want to make a “pro-Israel” policy on the region; thinking about regional problems institution in Cambridge has been an exciting journey highly abstract environment of any university. This is society, not least because most of my friends were in a regional context; and thinking about the region in and one of my greatest achievements so far. The next the result of the tendency of students and academics not in any sense “pro-Israel”. Besides for this, an a global context, especially as we enter a new era of chapter, growing the Forum into a national institution to give in to flights of fantasy. I heard wild stories from Israel club on campus already existed, and it was not global strategic competition. And most importantly, advancing sensible, nuanced thinking on the Middle friends already studying at universities in Europe in our plan to fracture an already small community. we devised a unique model with which to influence East, is sure to exceed all of our expectations. and the United States, of irrational hostility displayed What we wanted to provide was a space for students policy, working with our national and international towards Israelis. When I interviewed for Cambridge, where reasonable, informed people, ideally from the boards of advisors to match experts and experienced The Middle East and North Africa Forum I was asked by an anthropology professor whether region, could discuss the key matters arising, with a policymakers with advanced student researchers to (www.cmenaf.org) will resume its Cambridge- I could reasonably consider myself a moral being, real sense of regional and global context. Besides, write policy guidance on the most pressing issues in based events, featuring a range of policymakers, having served as I did in the Israeli Army. I still regret as an Israeli, I knew that no argument would be Middle Eastern politics, in line with our values and diplomats and experts in October. We personally not asking how an expert on “micro-interactions in convincing enough to convert any substantial number perspective. With these core beliefs in mind, our welcome AIA members to events of interest and Corsican villages” can reasonably posture himself as of my peers into Zionists. The best I could settle for goal now is to set up the first think-tank in the U.K. exclusive pre-event receptions with speakers. an arbiter of moral judgment and aspersion. was that more and more people, most of whom are focused exclusively on the Middle East and North Members are also welcome to subscribe to Manara innately sensible and impartial, would see what my Africa region. Magazine and our weekly Monday Briefing, both of I suppose that was just as well as my answer was which provide incisive analysis of key events in the diplomatic enough to secure a place at the University friends saw: that Israel is another country in a region In the last few months, we have had a number of first Middle East. To register interest, please register at (albeit not at his college) and my Anglo-Israel at the fulcrum of global competition, dealing with an successes on the research front. Our first success https://www.cmenaf.org/home/#contact. To be in Scholarship helped make this monetarily feasible. I incredibly idiosyncratic set of issues as imperfectly was a review of border security strategies in the touch, feel free to e-mail the executive committee at had a sense of foreboding about being an Israeli, let as any other. So we began inviting high-level region, overseen by the former director of the UK [email protected]. alone a proud one, in Cambridge after that interview. speakers, good enough to compete with the huge border force Tony Smith CBE. This paper focused However I learnt quickly that Cambridge is a polite number of fascinating speaker events taking place on examining border security in the region and place, and a very British one; confrontation is at the university on a daily basis. We did not realise what changes have the potential to contribute to the undesirable. It is awkwardness, not outright hostility, how receptive the academic community would be. economic prosperity and security of the region. The which is the weapon of the weak. I learnt to tell The generosity of our donors allowed our speakers recently completed paper was delivered to border people in my politics classes that I’m from Brooklyn, to get ever-better with time. security officials from the GCC as well as the IDF not Israel, to spare an awkward silence that often Over the course of the four years the society has been military liaison to Jordan. It will soon be presented followed. The issue with silence is that it creates an running public events including high level speakers to EU border security leaders at a conference in

43 INNOVATIONS from israel.

45 The company has no direct competitors, Hofnung “It shows the child as whole – both opportunities says, but plenty of indirect ones, including companies and areas of difficulties,” Hofnung stresses. One of offering assessments and websites that provide israeli INNOVATIONS GiantLeap’s goals is to make it clear that “a child is mainly generic information about how to help your not just the sum of his or her weaknesses.” child thrive.

Screenshot courtesy of There are two components to the product, linked by GiantLeap HE OVERCAME a shared database. Still, GiantLeap is not DYSLEXIA AND The first is a set of video games for children as young a certified diagnostic as four. “It provides a 360-degree view of the child’s tool. If a parent BUILT A LEARNING- needs and abilities,” Hofnung explains. needs a professional assessment to obtain ASSESSMENT APP The second is a questionnaire for parents, also special services from the school system, Ori Hofnung couldn’t read until he was 12. completed on the iPad, providing a full assessment of what’s going on with the child in the real world, at that will necessitate Now he’s developed gamified software to home and at school. an appointment with a help parents identify and correct learning specialist. difficulties in their own kids. The software uses artificial intelligence to translate that input into an easy-to-read summary of the child’s GiantLeap does have the By Brian Blum developmental status. It then provides personalized backing of one major recommendations for activities to help the child medical establishment improve and succeed. – the Texas Medical Center in Houston. GiantLeap joined TMC’s For example, “we understand phonological accelerator cohort in 2019 (“the youngest company ever to be accepted, and with just a rough prototype,” GiantLeap CTO Nadav Goshen, left, and CEO Ori Hofnung. awareness, how to break words into sounds,” Photo: courtesy Hofnung says. “If we see a child is struggling, we’ll Hofnung points out) which allowed GiantLeap to give the parents exercises on how to manipulate develop and test its product with parents and children at TMC’s Innovation Institute. Covid-19 has increased interest in home-based different words.” The activities take place both on assessment tools such as GiantLeap’s. Care and off the iPad. Hofnung says that working at TMC was essential in providers are now approaching GiantLeap about how giving GiantLeap an “American kosher stamp” and to offer the product, Hofnung says. “Providers who Hofnung showed us an activity on “flexible thinking” were cynical at first are now even contributing to our where the parent is prompted to ask the child to to avoid the problem Israeli startups can encounter when they come to the US with data collected in content.” GiantLeap uses gamified activities to assess children’s solve a series of simple real-world problems before learning abilities. bedtime. Israel and potential clients respond with, “Call us when you have your first American pilot.” Hofnung eventually learned to read when his bar mitzvah tutor figured out a method where whatever Ori Hofnung couldn’t read until he was 12 years old. Fun and games Free for now he needs to read (or write) is recorded and played back as audio. He was able to get through his Torah Despite his parents being educators – his father was For the child, the learning assessment comes across Until GiantLeap secures partnerships with portion that way and got a master’s degree in legal a professor of political science at Hebrew University, as all fun and games, developed by GiantLeap’s studies from Bar-Ilan University as well. his mother a teacher – they and the professionals team of pedagogical experts: Hebrew University and healthcare providers, the product is available as a whom they consulted couldn’t figure out the problem Stanford-trained neuropsychologist Sarit Ashkenazi; free download from the company’s website. The free version includes the assessment components, the Now fluent in Hebrew, English, Spanish and until he was finally diagnosed with dyslexia. Dr. Hart Cohen, associate clinical professor of Portuguese, Hofnung has spent much of his neurology at UCLA; Austin, Texas-based educational spider graph and, for early users, some of the post- evaluation content. professional career in the US and Brazil, where he “I saw my parents’ frustration, I saw how they were psychologist Lilla Dale McManis; and Hebrew was the general manager of the Latin American lost in the world of child development. I said to myself University PhD in medical neurobiology Ran Geva. “The product is not complete yet,” Hognung stresses. division of Israeli online publishing platform then that, one day, I will tackle this problem.” Playbuzz. One math assessment for young kids that Hofnung When it is – hopefully by the end of 2021 – a paid But it took a psychological toll. “It was a huge blow showed us, for example, has the child tap the screen model will be based on an annual subscription of between $120 and $150. He co-founded GiantLeap in 2018 with his childhood to my self-esteem, and it made my parents believe I to indicate whether there are more yellow or blue friend Nadav Goshen. GiantLeap is headquartered in would never be successful,”. balloons in the virtual air – a cognitive test that has Tel Aviv. been fully gamified. The 20-person company, which raised $900,000 Hofnung proved that prediction wrong. Now 33, he is earlier this year, has around 3,400 children registered from some 2,000 parent accounts. Hofnung wound up doing fine despite his learning CEO of GiantLeap, an Israeli startup developing the Other games look at social-emotional tendencies, disabilities. But he says if GiantLeap had been around very tool that could have helped him. motor abilities and language skills. Some of those users came through private tutoring when he was growing up, it would have “shown my parents that I struggle with language skills at a much GiantLeap is a home learning assessment application The resulting data is visualized on a “spider graph,” firm Advantage Testing, a GiantLeap partner. GiantLeap is also starting to partner with some earlier age and they could have worked with me on that runs on an iPad. where data radiates out from a central point like a phonics in a fun way.” web. private kindergartens and a preschool in Houston.

47 Hopefully, other parents grappling with their A fast-emerging energy-tech or climate-tech children’s learning challenges will not have to leap ecosystem is blooming alongside offshore gas over so many hurdles.in preclinical animal tests. exploration. Sustainable sources of energy such as Two more years of development are expected before wind and sun have been in development for years clinical trials begin, says co-inventor Dr. David and are becoming more relevant today for a variety Smadja, director of the Ophthalmology Research of factors, primarily economic. and Innovation Unit at Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem. We would be wise to follow the path of our newest partners for peace, the UAE and Bahrain, in how they diversify their natural resources and use technology ISRAELI INNOVATION to develop new ones.

PLUGS INTO EMERGING Why now?

ENERGY-TECH SECTOR Though wind and solar energy have been supported by governments in places like Europe, widespread With a growing need for alternative energy adoption has not reached a critical mass. and power storage, Israel is poised to lead another vertical impacting our global Our World in Data reports that “in 2019, around community. 11% of global primary energy came from renewable technologies.”

Where enterprising Israeli entrepreneurs see a challenge and a need, they seek to address it.

The driving factor in the adoption of new energy sources is price; using these sources is becoming increasingly affordable. For all the good intentions — many startups are mission driven — these sources need to be economically viable.

When it comes to energy tech or climate tech, Grids have been unprepared for the high volume. California wildfires and the Covid-19 pandemic have Distributed grids and deploying local networks, and certainly brought such concerns to a head, while Ashalim solar power station in the Negev is the largest renewable energy has become cheaper, and natural the trend of micro-grids will continue to proliferate. simultaneously underscoring the need for energy of its kind in Israel and fifth largest in the world. Photo sources such as gas can be a secondary source. by Yonatan Sindel/FLASH90 Having a backup is important for an energy island security on both local and national levels.” like Israel, so that the country does not need to rely Other trends such as electric vehicles, and in Israel’s on sources outside our borders. case, excellence in mobility, are also contributing to Community first The Startup Nation developed along the simple idea the drive for new energy sources. Nonetheless, this that Israel was never going to be a powerhouse as trend is still developing in Israel as many local VCs Grassroots organizations such as Ignite the Spark an exporter of fuel or other natural resources. We do not fully understand energy and are slow to invest and DeserTech are helping build community around joked that the Jews were given a barren land, while in this space. these challenges. Engaging the local ecosystem our neighbors were given an abundance of natural helps raise awareness. energy. “Covid-19 is an amazing gift to better understand the important and critical things of our lives. It is an Ignite the Spark is a community of entrepreneurs, This allowed Israel to focus on developing its human important wake-up call for everyone.” startups, utilities, regulators, investors, and capital, the only reliable type of transferable capital academia focused on endorsing Israeli innovation in in today’s Covid tech world. This is not just lip service but has driven a lot of energy. millennials and GenZers’ daily behavior. This “curse” of a barren land became a blessing in Cody Norton, one of the founders of the organization, disguise, and Israeli leaders understood that as they Life-changing situations out of our control, such as states: “The mission of Ignite the Spark: the Israeli Covid and the wildfires in California, have caused a Energy Tech Community is to support the growth laid the foundation for the Startup Nation. Reading Power Station on the Yarkon River in Tel Aviv. Photo by Gershon Elinson/Flash90 tipping point in many people’s minds, and we realize of the Israeli energy tech ecosystem through both In what looks to be a net positive for the economy, how we consume energy needs to change. domestic and international partnerships. In 2019, Ignite the Spark held its first event to create the the Leviathan natural gas field in the eastern Old paradigms are being shattered as costs Edan Kaplansky, director of business development at community, and it has grown to over 150 energy Mediterranean is helping Israel cement its status plummet, particularly for energy storage. When the the Arava Power Company, reiterates this point. tech companies. We have launched the first as an energy center. Offshore gas was discovered 10 sun goes down and the wind doesn’t blow, there still comprehensive and interactive Israeli Energy Tech years ago and will continue to play a key role both needs to be a way to store this energy. Many storage “Global climate change, and the increased awareness Ecosystem Map.” economically and geopolitically in the Startup Nation. companies in Israel have been working to solve this and willingness to act to mitigate its effects, continue problem. But gas is only part of the energy picture. to play a key role in driving innovation and adoption Sivan Cohen Shachar runs the DeserTech community, of decarbonization technologies. Events such as the a joint initiative of the Merage Foundation Israel and

49 startups are cooperating. StoreDot has also received As more Israeli companies continue to seek solutions AI hearing aids with OrCam’s wearable MyEye device investment from BP Ventures as part of the robust to economic and environmental challenges, we’ll via a wireless connection. corporate venture ecosystem in Israel. see more local investors deploy capital in this space. Lack of acquisitions in this space – as opposed to a “People who have both vision and hearing loss are In the area of solar energy, Raycatch has developed vertical like cybersecurity — are one main reason for often unable to find solutions that effectively address a cloud-based AI digital-asset management system the initial hesitancy of Israeli VCs. both of these limitations,” said OrCam Technologies that automates and optimizes solar PV plants, cofounder and co-CEO Professor Amnon Shashua. making renewable energy more efficient, accessible Regardless of social impact or double bottom line and profitable. investing, Israel is poised to lead another vertical “OrCam’s cooperation with Starkey represents an impacting our global community. This has life- advantageous opportunity, demonstrating OrCam’s According to CEO and cofounder Haggai Hofland, altering ramifications for future generations. ability to apply the advanced computer vision and “Our core mission is based on the idea that machine learning methods we have developed optimizing solar assets around the world encourages Jonathan “Yoni” Frenkel heads a digital marketing to transmit the visual world through audio, in and supports a reduction in the price of electricity agency, YKC Media, focused on engaging millennial collaboration with Starkey’s Livio Edge AI hearing Chakratec battery-charging stations work with any production from solar sources, and is a viable and tech professionals through content. He has been aids, to deliver a true and total solution.” current-generation EV ready for fast-charging. Photo alternative to fossil sources. By allowing solar involved in the New York Israeli tech community for courtesy energy to become more cost-effective, we encourage many years and previously held roles as a non-profit the Israel Innovation Institute. the global-scale electricity economy to promote professional at the IAC Dor Chadash and AIPAC. renewable energy … and hopefully to migrate and DeserTech is part of the Innovation Center for reduce the environmental distress resulting from Climate Change in Beersheva’s Innovation District human activity.” NEW SOLUTION FOR supported by the Israeli Ministry of Environment Protection in partnership with Ben Gurion University, Venture is still at the early stages PEOPLE WITH BOTH the municipality and Soroka Medical Center. Like other verticals in the Israeli ecosystem, HEARING AND VISION Shachar says the Merage Foundation Israel is corporate venture and multinational corporates play holding a competition for startups at any stage a major role. LOSS involved in developing water, agriculture, energy MyEye by OrCam or infrastructure solutions for sustainable life and “At Hyundai Motor Company, energy is one of our strategic pillars,” says Yariv Hammer, general OrCam MyEye AI-driven assistive device environment in the desert. Wireless and lightweight, OrCam MyEye attaches to manager at Hyundai CRADLE Tel Aviv. “We are looking now also enhances audio communication, in any pair of eyeglasses and discreetly reads printed at technologies for eco-friendly and grid business … partnership with Starkey. US-Israel bilateral organizations such as the BIRD and digital text out loud from any surface in real- and for CO2-free hydrogen production and storage. Foundation have been active in investing to de-risk time. The device also recognizes people’s faces, as We have invested in H2Pro, which invented a novel By Abigail Klein Leichman these technologies and strengthen the US-Israel well as identifies consumer products, colors, money water-splitting technology for efficient hydrogen relationship in energy, among other fields. notes, and more – all offline, without the need for a production.” smartphone or Wi-Fi. Energy startups Hyundai is not the only global corporate investing in When paired with a Livio Edge AI hearing aid, the the local Israeli ecosystem. Boaz Kantor is CTO and Innovation is coming from startups focused on the audio from OrCam MyEye is streamed wirelessly to investment partner at Future Energy Ventures, the generation of energy, transmission and distribution, the hearing aid. and storage. Storage is what helps make these new newly launched venture capital and collaboration platform of Europe-based international company energy sources realistic options, and Israel has an The Starkey/OrCam combined technology is E.ON. He says E.ON “seeks opportunities outside abundance of storage-related startups. available through hearing or eye care professionals; Europe through its outposts in Silicon Valley and providers may contact their local assistive technology Israel.” An example is Chakratec, whose solution stores distributor. electricity as kinetic energy in a fast-rotating flywheel. The flywheel is a sustainable and reusable While activity by local VCs is still at the early stages, The Livio Edge AI hearing aid now works with MyEye via system, without toxic or polluting chemical batteries. some investors have been active in the space. Harold a wireless connection. Photo courtesy of Starkey and Wiener, managing partner of Terra Venture Partners, OrCam According to CEO Ilan Ben David, “Utilizing our reflects on the urgency of the opportunity. proprietary Kinetic Power Booster technology, To help people with both hearing and vision loss Chakratec facilitates the deployment of fast and “There are two critical factors in this world: time access the world more independently, a new AI- ultra-fast EV charging stations anywhere, including and energy. Time is the only limited resource and powered wearable device offers audio enhancement locations with a weak grid.” therefore the most important one in our lives. Energy and audio communication of the visual world. StoreDot is another startup in the storage space moves everything — our bodies, our lives and even that is helping drone startups such as Percepto and all the digital revolution that is not physical depends The unique technology results from a partnership Airobotics fly more efficiently. on energy to be shared. We have no more time to between artificial vision pioneer OrCam Technologies cure the world and the Covid-19 is an amazing gift of Jerusalem and American hearing industry Percepto appears on the Ignite the Spark energy to better understand the important and critical leader Starkey tech map in the area of transmission and distribution things of our lives. It is a very important wake-up call of energy. This is a good example of how different for everyone.” Their integrated product pairs Starkey’s Livio Edge

51 Looking to make a real impact Moderna’s main facility in the United States is beefsteak from isolated live animal cells, Israeli MODERNA’S ISRAELI earmarked for domestic distribution. Zaks told cultivated meat startup Aleph Farms is setting its “During my time at Sanofi, I kept examining new Channel 12 that the doses for Israel would come sights on outer space. MEDICAL EXEC ‘AWED’ technologies that could have a real impact in the from a Moderna production facility in Switzerland. world of medicine,” Zaks told Israeli financial daily The company’s Aleph Zero program aims to advance BY VACCINE RESULTS Globes. “When I encountered Moderna’s platform, “I hope this happens at the beginning of 2021. I cannot food security through the ability to produce fresh Dr. Tal Zaks says if the US company’s which used RNA in order to create medicine and give an exact number, but I can guarantee that we are quality meat independent of local climate and natural various vaccines, it was an offer that I couldn’t resist.” making every effort to supply the vaccines to Israel, resources – even in harsh and remote extraterrestrial experimental vaccine receives FDA as we promised.” environments. approval, some of the first doses will go to As CMO of Moderna, Zaks oversees all clinical Israel as agreed upon last June. development and regulatory affairs. Moderna’s Zaks told reporters that he hopes his 80-year-old To ensure the integration of its cultivated meat vaccine, created in cooperation with the US National mother in Ra’anana can soon get vaccinated “so life tech into leading space programs, Aleph Farms is By Abigail Klein Leichman Institutes of Health, is being studied in 30,000 can return to normal,” and urged his fellow Israelis pursuing strategic partnerships with technology volunteers. to be careful during the winter months until the companies and space agencies for long-term vaccines are approved and available. collaborative research and development contracts. On November 16, Zaks told the Jerusalem Post he felt “awesome” to receive news that interim data In Israel, six Covid-19 vaccines are in development. These programs will leverage the company’s showed its Covid-19 vaccine was 94.5% effective in One of them, Brilife from the Israel Institute for knowhow in cell biology, tissue engineering and preventing the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Biological Research, is undergoing clinical trials at food science to establish outer-space BioFarms coronavirus. two hospitals. from which lessons learned could be applied to earthbound sites. Both Moderna’s and Pfizer’s experimental vaccines use a new approach, messenger (mRNA) technology, which carries “instructions” to cells to make proteins “Aleph Zero represents the mathematical symbol of that may treat or prevent disease. the smallest infinite number, and how Aleph Farms brings space infinity closer by supporting deep- Photo illustration by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90 space exploration and colonization of new planets. The term also represents the company’s vision for As Israel marks its 2,375th death from Covid-19 this ALEPH FARMS producing meat with near-zero natural resources,” week, and 861 new infections confirmed on Monday, explains Didier Toubia, cofounder and CEO of Aleph hopes are pinned on vaccines being developed LAUNCHES PROGRAM Farms. domestically and abroad. TO GROW STEAKS IN This program follows the success of the Dr. Tal Zaks, the Israeli-born and educated chief medical Israel has pre-ordered doses of the Pfizer and company’s first experiment of producing meat officer of Moderna in Cambridge, Mass. Screenshot SPACE on the International Space Station a year ago, in Moderna vaccines currently in clinical trials in from MSNBC news video the United States, pending their approval by both collaboration with 3D Bioprinting Solutions. ‘Aleph Zero’ brings cultivated meat countries’ health regulators. Five participants in the group of 15,000 that received “Aleph Zero reflects our mission of producing quality, two doses of the vaccine candidate became mildly production to outer space, enabling delicious meat locally where people live and consume There’s a homegrown connection to Moderna. Its ill with Covid-19, while 90 people in the placebo human life to become multiplanetary with it, even in the most remote places on Earth like the chief medical officer, Dr. Tal Zaks, was raised in (control) group of 15,000 got sick. It is not yet known unconditional nutrition sources. Sahara Desert or Antarctica, providing unconditional Israel and received his MD and PhD from Ben-Gurion how long the protective effects last. University of the Negev. access to high-quality nutrition to anyone, anytime, By Abigail Klein Leichman anywhere,” adds Toubia. “When people will live on In interviews on Israeli television, Zaks said final trial the Moon or Mars, Aleph Farms will be there as well.” Zaks, now 54, conducted post-doctoral research at results are expected within several weeks. Additional the US National Institutes of Health and did a medical safety data is needed before either Moderna or Aleph Farms was co-founded with The Kitchen Hub oncology fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, Pfizer can seek approval from the US Food and Drug of the Strauss Group and with Professor Shulamit where he now is an associate professor of medicine. Administration. Zaks said a peer review of the data Levenberg of the Technion – Israel Institute of is planned. He began his career in the genetics research Technology. group at pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline, where After being approached by Zaks with the opportunity The company, backed by food producers such as he built the oncology translational medicine team to become one of the first countries to receive the Cargill, Migros and the Strauss Group, plans a pilot and led translational research on oral cancer drug vaccine — if it is approved — the Israeli government commercial launch (on our own planet) by the end lapatinib. He also sits on the board of Adaptimmune agreed in June to purchase at least 1-2 million doses. Therapeutics. of 2022. Hoping mom gets vaccinated Prior to joining Moderna in Cambridge, Illustration of an Aleph Farms BioFarm designed Massachusetts, Zaks was senior vice president “Israel was one of the first countries that believed in for cultivated meat production even in outer space. responsible for oncology drug discovery, development us,” Zaks told Globes. “The advance that Israel paid Photo: courtesy and commercialization at Sanofi. helped to build the company’s production lines.” Even before commercializing its technology to “grow”

53 “We want to change this by making privacy regulations Overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic could be just one GOOGLE AI VENTURE accessible and easy for everyone, so consumers can of many positive results of Israel and the United Arab set their own terms and draw the line on what data Emirates establishing full diplomatic relations on FUND INVESTS they are willing to share,” ​says Mine co-founder and August 13, 2020. CEO Gal Ringel. IN FIRST ISRAELI The historic pact is expected to trigger numerous “By streamlining the ‘Right-To-Be-Forgotten’ joint projects in health, economics, agriculture, STARTUP processes we are bridging the gap between water technology, telecommunications, security, Mine helps users discover what companies consumers and companies which will shape a new culture, tourism and other fields. future of data ownership.” hold their personal data and submit “Today we usher in a new era of peace between Israel a deletion request for services they no Darian Shirazi, general partner at Gradient Ventures, and the Arab world,” said Prime Minister Benjamin longer use. congratulated the investment. Netanyahu in announcing the US-brokered Abraham From left, President of UAE Judo & Wrestling Federation Accord with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Mohamed Bin Tha’loob al Derai, Israeli Sports and Culture Minister Miri Regev, 81kg winner Sagi Muki, and “We’re very excited to partner with the team at Zayed Al Nahyan (“MBZ”). By Naama Barak International Judo Federation President Marius Vizer. Mine to give consumers visibility and choice over Photo courtesy of IJF their personal online data. Mine allows the average Even before the accord, on July 3, Rafael Advanced consumer to access and control over their personal Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries Israel’s culture and sports minister came to the Abu data, and as a result, allows companies to maintain of Israel signed agreements with Abu Dhabi’s Group Dhabi Grand Slam judo competition in October 2018 a higher standard when it comes to responsible data 42 concerning R&D collaborations for solutions to – where, for the first time, the UAE permitted Israeli collection and security,” he says. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. competitors to wear their national flag on their uniforms, and played the Israeli national anthem on Gradient Ventures was joined in the investment On August 15, UAE company APEX National the winners’ podium. round by e.ventures, MassMutual Ventures, Battery Investment signed a strategic commercial agreement Ventures and Saban Ventures. with Israel’s TeraGroup to develop SARS-CoV-2 The new agreement puts an official stamp of approval research. on this ongoing relationship and allows it to expand in full daylight. In the culture arena, Israeli singer Omer Adam Tel Aviv start-up Mine becomes the first Israeli company JOINT DEALS ON announced today that the UAE royal family invited Portal to the Arab market to be invested in by Google’s AI-focused venture fund. him to perform a private concert. Photo: courtesy HORIZON AS ISRAEL The development of coronavirus vaccines, Netanyahu said the two technologically advanced Israeli online data ownership startup Mine recently therapeutics and testing will “absolutely” figure AND UAE JOIN HANDS countries will open mutual embassies and direct prominently in Israeli-UAE deals following the completed a Series A round led by Gradient Ventures, flights, among other bilateral agreements. marking the first time Google’s AI-focused venture Abraham Accord, says Jon Medved, CEO of IN PEACE Jerusalem-based OurCrowd. fund invested in an Israeli company. “This is the greatest advancement toward peace Peace pact with United Arab Emirates between Israel and the Arab world in the last 26 Medved has been traveling to the UAE (on his US Mine, which enables consumers to reclaim their to include embassies, direct flights and years, marking the third formal peace between Israel personal data and reduce personal data privacy risks, passport) for years, building contacts between Israeli bilateral agreements in security, business, and an Arab nation, after Egypt (1979) and Jordan and Gulf entrepreneurs, investors and experts. announced the $9.5 million round as it launched its culture and other sectors. (1994),” he said. product in the United States. “They’ve got world-class hospitals and there is By Abigail Klein Leichman One big difference is that Israel and the UAE — a Having launched in Europe earlier this year, the huge interest in working with Israel on healthcare federation of seven states including Dubai and Abu technology, telemedicine and digital health,” company has facilitated more than a million data Dhabi — do not share a border and never warred with reclamation requests in 2020. one another. Under-the-radar business and security Medved spoke in Abu Dhabi last December at ties have been building over the past 20 years, and the SkyBridge Alternatives (SALT) investment The Tel Aviv-based startup helps its users discover diplomatic ties more recently. what companies hold their personal data and submit conference. He was the first Israeli investor to appear on a public stage in the UAE. a deletion (Right-To-Be-Forgotten) request for In 2015, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General services they no longer use. Dore Gold opened a diplomatic mission in Abu Dhabi “I wasn’t sure they would let me speak openly about connected to the International Renewable Energy On average, the company says, people share Israel, but on the contrary, they wanted me to talk Agency. In 2018, Israel’s communications minister about Israel’s ecosystem,” says Medved. their personal information online with some 350 attended a telecommunications conference in Dubai; companies, most of them for a one-time interaction. in 2019, Israel’s foreign minister spoke at a UN “You could tell we are in historic times. I was amazed These digital traces can pose an identity theft risk environmental conference in Abu Dhabi. and be abused by hackers and organizations. how open they are to us and how aware they are of TeraGroup Chairman & CEO Oren Sadiv, left, signs a what is going on in our country.” research deal with Khalifa Yousef Khouri, chairman of Data privacy is without a doubt a mainstream APEX National Investment, in Abu Dhabi. Photo courtesy concern, but most people don’t know how to control of WAM Emirates News Agency who holds their personal data.

55 soldiers in a fight against what some see as a looming Today, she is chief legal officer and VP-regulation cyber pandemic. for Tel Aviv-based Konfidas Digital cybersecurity and data protection consulting firm. She’s an Governments, companies, medical facilities and advisory board member of the Federmann Cyber individuals are all potential victims of malware, Security Research Center at Hebrew University, and identity theft and data stealing. teaches international and Israeli cyber law at several universities. Earlier this month, Israel’s Ministry of Defense revealed what it called a successfully thwarted Housen-Couriel says that the coronavirus situation foreign cyber-attack targeting Israel’s defense has made many of us hyper-dependent on industries. cyberspace for professional and personal pursuits – and therefore more vulnerable to “digital takedown.” Jon Medved being interviewed by Natasha D’Souza at Tel Aviv’s municipal building lit up in the design of the the SALT conference in Abu Dhabi in December 2019. UAE flag, August 13, 2020. Photo courtesy of Tel Aviv- The International Telecommunication Union says Photo courtesy of OurCrowd Yafo Municipality estimates that more than half of humanity is online and vulnerable to cyberattack via cellphone or Medved reiterated that the UAE has long done “Relations between Israel and some of the Gulf computer. business quietly with Israel but now will become States, especially the UAE, is the worst-kept secret in a bigger trade partner and a bridge to other Gulf- the Middle East. It was almost ordinary for Israelis to Housen-Couriel and three other cybersecurity region markets for Israel. visit the Gulf representing industries from diamonds industry leaders explain what’s happening and to agriculture to desalination to security,” Guzansky what can be done to protect our identities, data and “For most of us, the Arab world has been more or less said. devices. an afterthought and that’s about to change,” he says. “We will sell them enormous amounts of health gear “Relations evolved, especially in the past five years, Lavi Lazarovitz, head of security research at and ag-tech, education-tech and cybersecurity,” he in several dimensions — security intelligence; Image via Shutterstock.com CyberArk predicts. economic/commercial, cultural and religious dialogue — pushed and led by Bin Zayed.” Posing as managers, CEOs, HR officials and “For the startup community, the agreement will representatives of international companies, the open up a source of tremendous new investment Guzansky believes the deal could catalyze other Arab would-be attackers built fake profiles on Linkedin from the best investors in the world. [The Emiratis] countries in the Gulf and North Africa. and contacted employees in the defense industry are not only deep-pocketed but incredibly skilled, with tempting job offers. In the process, they hoped experienced and sharp.” Indeed, Netanyahu said he expects to “soon see more to infiltrate the employees’ computers and gather Arab countries join our region’s expanding circle of sensitive security info. However, he adds, “The real challenge for us is peace.” how we can really make this a win-win by trying to Another major phenomenon keeping workers understand what they want. My sense is they don’t Bahrain released a statement lauding the landmark at Israel’s 436 cybersecurity companies busy is want to be passive investors. They want to build Abraham Accord, while an anonymous Saudi Arabian heightened vulnerability caused by remote work and joint ventures, engage in technology transfer, build source told Israel’s Globes business newspaper that education. startups, do business and create jobs and long-term “the Arab world has a great deal to gain from Israel.” value and partnership.” An April survey of 3,000 remote employees in the The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed US, UK, France and Germany showed that work- Brave and dramatic the start of phone service with the UAE today and from-home habits – including reusing passwords, stated that the historic peace treaty “will benefit the accessing corporate systems on insecure “BYOD” Lavi Lazarovitz, head of security research at CyberArk. The Abraham Accord is “a huge diplomatic entire region, helping secure a brighter and more devices and letting family members use corporate Photo: courtesy achievement for Netanyahu” and a “brave leadership prosperous future for all.” devices – are putting critical business systems act of Bin Zayed,” said Yoel Guzansky, Senior and sensitive data at risk of hacking, according to We need not worry about a cyber pandemic, Research Fellow at the Institute for National Security CyberArk. Lazarovitz says. Studies and co-author of Fraternal Enemies: Israel and the Gulf Monarchies (Oxford University Press, ARE WE HEADING FOR “The rate at which cyberattacks are taking place is “It’s not that the attack potential got bigger; it just 2020). increasing,” acknowledges Deborah Housen-Couriel, changed a bit,” he states. A CYBER PANDEMIC? “but as time goes on we have better information on Guzansky, who coordinated Israeli policy on Iran and the direction, pattern and types of attacks.” “We do have organizations opening their perimeters the Gulf states under four national security advisers Israeli cybersecurity technology, already and allowing employees to access services and apps and three prime ministers, said in a press call on a robust industry, is in more demand than Housen-Couriel honed her legal expertise in the remotely that before the Covid era were enclosed August 13 that “the announcement was historic ever as remote working and schooling 1990s at Israel’s Ministry of Communications, which and protected. and dramatic, but not 100 percent surprising for present new levels of risk. was then regulating the brand-new “plumbing” of those who have been talking behind the scenes with cyberspace – antennas, microwave transmitters, “On the other hand, before Covid if an employee Emiratis.” undersea cables and satellites – that allows us to By Abigail Klein Leichman working from home got phished with a malicious link communicate digitally over the electromagnetic or malware, their laptop was inside the corporate spectrum of radio waves. The Covid-19 pandemic has turned Israel’s world- network and the malware had room to move around respected cybersecurity professionals into frontline and find the data, the crown jewels,” he explains.

57 released a new zero-trust solution, Alero. and keep cloud data safe. During Covid, many workers are using their own The final step is paying attention to changes in data- laptops, “so now a simple phishing email may not “Zero trust allows specific limited access to services, protection and cyber-protection regulations. “The digital transformation, together with Covid, has be as detrimental because employees’ connections data and applications even if the employee or third- put the cloud on steroids,” Benzaquen says. “Our to the central organization are in many cases party vendor uses valid credentials,” Lazarovitz For example, the Court of Justice of the European cloud solution product enables small and medium restricted.” explains. “You get access only to what you need when Union recently ruled that the Irish data protection businesses to access application security in a click- you need it. You cannot trust anyone.” commissioner violated an Austrian citizen’s rights and-scan approach. We’ll launch more of these over Lazarovitz says that CyberArk moved quickly to under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation the coming months.” secure or reconfigure its tools and services for Deborah Housen-Couriel, chief legal officer at (GDPR) by transferring his Facebook data to servers secure remote access as more people began working Konfidas Digital in the United States. Benzaquen sees an increase in phishing attacks, from home. often disguised as emails inviting people to a WebX Deborah Housen Couriel Although our hyper-connectivity has enhanced our or Zoom meeting. “We also adapted our research focus. We understood of Konfidas Digital ability to cope with the corona pandemic and keep up that video conferencing and messaging apps became to date, it is also “a wakeup call to how vulnerable we “You have to be very careful not to share your the new medium for people to communicate, while “Because of the are, not just as biological animals but also in terms of information because we’re dealing with a much email was the main medium for decades. We’ve Covid pandemic and our digital identities,” Housen-Couriel says. “They’re bigger capacity of email and Zoom invites. Just seen in the last few months that attackers are trying its many demands being taken advantage of now and will continue to because a website looks legit doesn’t mean it is.” to access those messaging apps to get internal for the sharing of be.” information and credentials,” he says. our personal data, He also says to be vigilant about installing including our health And, she points out, “There is no such thing as a smartphone apps that ask permission for access to A prime example is the huge Twitter hack in July, data, we have to cyberattack vaccine.” your database, pictures and audio. believed to have resulted from attackers stealing reevaluate our credentials shared via Slack. dependency on the digital world,” Housen-Couriel Emmanuel Benzaquen, CEO of Checkmarx “In the future, maybe in another generation, there says. won’t be any piece of software developed without “We found that an external attacker could send a Emmanuel Benzaquen, being securely scanned and verified. That’s the message to an employee who uses Microsoft Teams “Maybe we’ve gone overboard in sharing personal CEO of Checkmarx. direction we need to go in.” and it has a gif hosted on the attacker’s server. When data [online] without understanding what companies Photo: courtesy the Microsoft Teams app goes out and tries to fetch and governments are doing with it.” Data privacy Motti Sorani, CTO of CyberMDX this gif, behind the scenes the app authenticates to protection is a rapidly developing area in many “What Covid has done, the remote server and shares with it the identity of countries, including Israel. with everybody working Motti Sorani, CTO of CyberMDX. the employee,” Lazarovitz says. from home, is increased Photo: courtesy “Not just personal data but also corporate data such exponentially the attack “Just by sending a gif, the attacker can hack an as intellectual property and trade secrets are part of surface and expanded CyberMDX provides cyber- employee account and send messages to other the cyber pandemic,” Housen-Couriel says. “Clients the opportunities intelligence products employees, compromising their accounts. We worked are often surprised to discover what assets they for vulnerabilities to that enable hospitals and closely with Microsoft to mitigate the problem and need to protect, and to carefully manage access to be exploited,” says other healthcare-delivery shared the details with the community on our blog company data.” Benzaquen. organizations to secure and posts.” manage their connected medical devices. Just as Konfidas provides clients with training “Before, attacking an organization meant finding the Lazarovitz says it was already apparent before Covid exercises to be prepared in case of an attack, main firewalls and entry points. When there are tens The Tel Aviv-based company’s research finds that one that the network firewall is no longer an effective individuals should prepare an incident response of thousands of home offices, you have to make sure in six US data breaches occurs in hospitals, and 61% perimeter. plan, she suggests. everybody’s behind the right attack surface so that of medical devices are at persistent cybersecurity you don’t create another exposure.” risk. “Because Covid pushed organizations to open “If you’re hacked, you need to know which banks, services and apps externally, now the network social media and other digital platforms to inform The pandemic hit Israel in March, around the same On-premises connected medical devices, says perimeter cannot be relied on at all. The new immediately or to block.” time Checkmarx was acquired by global private Sorani, are “extremely vulnerable” to being hacked perimeter is identity.” equity firm Hellman & Friedman at a valuation of or held for ransom. Housen-Couriel recommends a four-step process to $1.15 billion. To ensure that your work or private identity cannot be protect yourself. “Some were built without security in mind, some impersonated in front of services such as your bank Checkmarx specializes in application security. suffer from broken post-market security processes. account, Lazarovitz says to avoid sharing private First, take stock of digital assets often targeted by More than 40 of the Fortune 100 use its products to Now, they are exposed to a much higher risk, as the information including your email address. hackers, including medical and financial records mitigate risk, secure code, and embed security into chances an intruder will get into the network became and ID numbers, as well as travel and other digital their software development. higher.” “Create a temporary email address for people or credits worth money. services you do not trust,” he counsels. “Application security is a fairly new cybersecurity Covid-19 didn’t change the way CyberMDX prepares Second, decide which of those assets you need or layer now that everything is controlled by apps,” healthcare-delivery organizations to strengthen “Zero trust” is another concept that was emerging want to protect. Then, work out how to do that. A Benzaquen explains. “cyber-hygiene,” Sorani says, but the pandemic before Covid – especially after hackers compromised tailored cybersecurity service and cyber insurance “actually validates it in a way we did not even imagine fingerprints and internal information on millions of for businesses can also be made to fit individual or Checkmarx makes products that find vulnerabilities, when we built our solution.” US government employees in a 2015 cyberattack family cyber needs. enable app developers to be more security aware on the Department of Interior. CyberArk recently

59 The company discovered that its product was able stoppages disrupted supply for several months. ecosystem and agri-tech is a big part of that,” to help organizations potentially reduce risk of The UAE now has a food security minister and Food Al Nowais says. exposure. Security Council. Cukierman learned that it’s not only human food “One of our customers in New Jersey, which until The Abraham Accords announced between Israel and security at stake. The UAE’s multimillion-dollar recently was the second most impacted US state by the UAE on August 13 – and with Bahrain a month camel racing industry requires a million tons of the pandemic, used our solution to help minimize later – give these countries access to promising ultra-premium feed annually. staff exposure to the virus,” he explains. food-supply solutions from the ground up. “They are looking for technology to help with that, “They recognized that staff would frequently search “The Gulf states see how we produce vegetables in and the head of our life-sciences division, Dr. Laurent for Covid-19 related equipment – for instance, IV the desert and are very impressed. This is essential Choppe, happens to be a veterinarian,” Cukierman pumps and/or ventilators — potentially exposing to them and they seek companies that can deploy relates. them to infected patients in different rooms. They technologies tomorrow,” says Edouard Cukierman, Screenshot from the Emirates Angels/OurCrowd can now use the CyberMDX solution to locate these chairman of Cukierman Investment House and Power in collaboration investment summit on September 22, 2020. devices, know when they were being used, and do managing partner at Catalyst Fund. Emirati investors and entrepreneurs talked about this all without having to search in the rooms of Ahmed Nasser Al Nowais says that the Emiratis are opportunities for collaboration in what Sabah infected patients.” “maybe even more excited than you guys” about the At Nasdaq Dubai, from al-Binali, OurCrowd’s new Venture Partner and normalization agreement with Israel. left: Catalyst Fund board Head of Gulf Region, called the “friendly business Sorani says CyberMDX customers “are seeing the member Luc Muller, environment” of the UAE. life-threatening impacts of Covid first-hand. When Edouard Cukierman, “You have more excellent ideas than I ever saw from you add in additional exposures to data breaches and Hamed Ahmed Ali, and one country,” he says. Collaboration is power ransomware, they cannot afford to be distracted. A Dr. Laurent Choppe, robust cybersecurity program needs to be there.” managing partner Abu Dhabi-based of Cukierman & Co. investor Ahmed Nasser Al Nowais says: “The three main objectives of Life Sciences. Photo: Al Nowais. Photo the Emirates Angels Investors Association are to courtesy courtesy of Annex educate angel investors on opportunities and risks; WHY THE UAE IS Investments collaborate with incubators and accelerators in the UAE and around the world; and provide [vetted] LOOKING TO ISRAEL He and senior partners of his Tel Aviv-based firm Coming from an startups to these angel investors. In a year or two, we recently met with Hamed Ahmed Ali, CEO of Nasdaq investment family want to be a safe place for angel investors to come TO SECURE ITS FOOD Dubai and the local stock exchange, to discuss office, Al Nowais to the UAE.” opportunities for Israeli businesses. was an entrepreneur SUPPLIES since age 16, and He says mentoring and professional networking are “One topic that came up again and again is food founded Annex just as vital for startups as financing. Myriad deals between the two countries run security,” Cukierman says. “They are ready to Investments in 2017. His broad interests encompass gamut from health-tech to diamonds, but allocate a lot of funds to assuring their food supply.” sectors from automotive to fitness, tourism and “It’s important to get people to meet and share food-tech and agri-tech are top priorities, telecom. Annex has worked with VCs in Germany, knowledge and experience. I believe in connecting India and Silicon Valley. investors agree. Established Israeli companies in fields such as and collaborating,” says Al Nowais. He expects this precision agriculture and irrigation, seed treatment, will be easy to accomplish with Israelis. desalination and solar energy can step swiftly into In addition to Israeli agricultural technologies, he is By Abigail Klein Leichman the welcoming UAE landscape and perhaps even also looking at health-tech, ed-tech, cybersecurity “I think you have the best ecosystem because you partner with UAE ag-tech startups. and machine learning. collaborate together, even if you have differences. I think this is the power.” “We have identified 200 companies that we think fit Al Nowais chairs the events committee of the new the food-security sector and we’ll choose about 20 nonprofit, government-supported Emirates Angels Building gadgets and bridges together that have a major opportunity to deploy in the UAE,” Investors Association, which signed a partnership says Cukierman. deal with Tel Aviv Capital investment bank and co- Last February, just before Covid hit the Middle East hosted an online investor summit on September 22 – and well before the Abraham Accords – Jerusalem- He plans to introduce them at the first UAE version of with Jerusalem-based OurCrowd. based serial entrepreneur and PICO Venture Partners his firm’s GoforIsrael investment conferences, which cofounder and managing partner Elie Wurtman normally happen in Tel Aviv, China and European “We’re excited about this historic moment for the visited the UAE and Bahrain. countries such as Switzerland. region, and to expand a community of peaceful coexistence and, most importantly, build a powerful UAE investor Ibrahim Ajami had publicly invited engine of economic and cultural exchange,” Emirates The flags of the US, United Arab Emirates, Israel and Abu Dhabi-based investor Ahmed Nasser Al Nowais Israelis to invest in his country and spurred similar Bahrain are screened on the walls of Jerusalem’s Old confirms that producing food locally is a top priority. Angels Chairman Masaood Al Masaood told the invitations from leaders in other Gulf states. City on September 15, 2020. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/ His country hopes to incorporate Israeli methods to multinational audience of about 1,000. Flash90 do so economically and sustainably in a semi-arid climate. About 2,000 people registered for a follow-up event, The Gulf states import more than 90 percent of their “UAE Tech Investment Landscape: Introduction for food. This has long been a concern, but the issue “In our part of the world they are not focusing on the Israeli Ecosystem,” broadcast from Abu Dhabi on intensified when pandemic-related transportation agri-tech enough. I heard Israel has the best startup October 13.

61 Elie Wurtman was greeted and many new collaborations announced. in Abu Dhabi by an Emirati A HIGH-TECH MONITOR speaking to him in An online platform, the UAE-Israel List, was created Hebrew, and the sight of “to enable like-minded companies and organizations FOR THE ELDERLY an Israeli flag waving at in the UAE and Israel to start networking and build the terminal, October 18, friendship, peace and understanding through THAT THEY DON’T HAVE 2020. Photo: courtesy advancement of business.” TO WEAR On October 18, Wurtman flew to the And it’s not only business; it’s also research The cloud-connected ECHO, installed on a UAE on a historic and culture. This far from comprehensive list demonstrates the diversity of activity, not counting ceiling or wall, continuously monitors and direct flight from Tel analyzes the person’s location, posture, Aviv with a delegation the area of food security already mentioned: led by US Secretary Tariq Bin Hendi, director general of the Abu Dhabi motion and respiration. of the Treasury Steve Investment Office, meeting virtually with Israel Export • Israel’s Mobileye signed a partnership with UAE- Institute Chairman Adiv Baruch and Director General By Abigail Klein Leichman Mnuchin. (A second group, led by Israel National based Al Habtoor Group to deploy a fleet of self- Gadi Ariely. Photo: courtesy Security Council head Meir Ben-Shabbat, flew driving robo-taxis in Dubai by the end of 2022. directly to Bahrain to sign a joint communique and • The Abu Dhabi Film Commission and the Israel eight MoUs regarding future cooperation.) • Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Israel Film Fund will establish joint training and Aerospace Industries and TeraGroup signed development programs for Emirati and Israeli Wurtman wrote in an English-language Dubai agreements with UAE companies concerning filmmakers in partnership with the Jerusalem newspaper that he was impressed by the UAE Covid-19 research and solution development. Sam Spiegel Film & Television School. government’s Ministry of Possibilities founded in • The diamond exchanges in Israel and Dubai 2019, and sees many opportunities for Israeli water, SURE Universal of Ramat Gan partnered with the will open offices in one another’s countries to • desert agriculture and solar technologies, among UAE’s Hamad Bin Khalifa Department of Projects promote mutual trade. others. to launch an IoT home healthcare kit, HBKiCare, • APEX National Investment (UAE) and Sheba for the UAE and Middle East regional markets. More than that, he says, “I am most passionate Medical Center (Israel) signed a strategic about collaborating around education and creating OurCrowd signed a memorandum of partnership regarding research, technology and • an exchange between Israeli and Emirati youth to understanding with UAE-based Phoenix Image by Photographee.eu via Shutterstock.com medical tourism. engage in the world of possibilities, innovation and business development company, and appointed creating a better future for all in the region.” • Israel’s Mul-T-Lock Group is opening a Dubai Emirati investor Sabah al-Binalias as its venture Independent living at home is the ideal for every subsidiary. partner for the Gulf region. aging person. But a fall or other health-threatening Elie Wurtman and Tal incident can change everything in the blink of an eye. • The Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel) Tochner of PICO Venture Edouard Cukierman notes that the UAE is a business and Mohamed bin Zayed University (UAE) will Partners in Bahrain. hub for the Gulf countries, like Singapore is for The wearable “panic buttons” introduced in the late collaborate on artificial intelligence research. Asia. The Emirates has advanced education and 1980s were a great advance. But they only work if healthcare systems, and women are active in the Next year, Wurtman Dubai-based private equity fund KEN Investments people actually wear them and can reach the button • business community. plans to bring 20 and Barker and Booth Commercial Agency each in an emergency. Today there are passive wearables young ambassadors made their first Israeli investments — KEN in that automatically detect falls, and camera-based “This trip to the UAE was the most impressive from his PICO Kids Salaryo and B&B in Fintica, both fintech startups. surveillance systems to monitor elder safety. initiative — founded business trip I’ve ever made,” Cukierman says. in 2012 to provide • Arab-Israeli soccer player Dia Saba signed a “Not only for the magnitude of opportunity but also Coming from a 30-year career in the semiconductor informal education three-year contract with Dubai-based soccer because we have much in common in our culture, and wireless communication field, Rafi Zack decided in STEEM (science, club Al-Nasr SC. climate and regional geography.” to find a better alternative. technology, engineering, entrepreneurship and math) to multi-ethnic • Dr. Uri Pollak from Hadassah University “People aren’t committed to wearing gadgets 24/7, Jerusalem fourth- to ninth-graders — to meet the Medical Center in Jerusalem and Dr. Kesava and camera-based systems are an invasion of next generation of entrepreneurs in the UAE. Ramakrishnan from Sheikh Khalifa Medical City privacy,” he points out. in Abu Dhabi co-hosted “The Future of Pediatric “They will build gadgets – and bridges – together. Cardiac Critical Care” webinar for 400 physicians “The most challenging aspect is falls. How fast They will meet courageous investors like Ibrahim and nurses from 35 countries on October 1. we can detect a fall matters because the medical Ajami, eat hummus together, play backgammon or • The UAE’s Etihad Airways launched a Hebrew- situation degrades quickly. Sometimes people stay X-Box, and collectively work to solve some of the language website for customers interested in on the floor for a long time. We had to find out how to region’s most pressing problems.” the direct Tel Aviv-Abu Dhabi route. solve that problem.”

Robo-taxis, security doors, Covid-19 fighters • The Israel Export Institute signed a joint Zack is cofounder, CEO and vice president of R&D at agreement with the Dubai World Trade Centre EchoCareTechnologies, which has developed ECHO News of joint UAE-Israeli projects and investments Authority to facilitate the participation of Israeli (Elderly Care Home Observer), a cloud-connected has been swirling as thick as a sandstorm. Deals exhibitors in large-scale exhibitions by year-end. monitor based on radar technology and machine already happening under the radar were revealed, learning.

63 tested ECHO in some of the company’s residential ‘human state’ that goes to the AI and machine- facilities for the aged, and now plans to deploy the learning engine to decide if there is an emergency — device in all its properties. for instance, the person lying on the floor, starting to hyperventilate – or any change in respiration, sleep ECHO and Covid or gait that may cause or indicate a medical incident. The device has several signal-processing layers above the radar hardware to assess the situation.”

Multibillion-dollar market

ECHO installed in a demo room. Photo courtesy of EchoCare Technologies

Because radar sees through walls, one ECHO unit installed on the ceiling or wall can monitor one person (or two people, in a future version) in a standard-sized apartment in a senior living facility.

The device detects falls, respiration distress, drowning in a bathtub and other dangerous events. It alerts to potential health deterioration by The ECHO device passively and continuously monitors continuously monitoring and analyzing the person’s location, posture, motion and respiration. Photo courtesy location, posture, motion and respiration. of EchoCare Technologies

EchoCare tested the device in the United States, Rafi Zack, cofounder and CEO of EchoCare Technologies. In addition, ECHO is being installed in several Israeli Japan, Australia and Israel.ECHO was certified in Photo: courtesy Covid-19 wards and internal medicine departments. Japan in 2019. Zack notes that prior to the pandemic, “the remote “Covid-19 has emphasized the need for solutions like homecare market was estimated to be $15 billion, “Japan has the most aging population in the world, the ECHO system,” says Zack. but now as elderly people become more isolated as a and they don’t want foreign caregivers, so it’s a result of social distancing, there is an increased need worldwide beta testing site for aging tech,” Zack “In March, Israel’s Ministry of Defense started to monitor them without the burden of wearables or explains. looking for technologies to use in hospitals for privacy-invading cameras.” remote respiratory monitoring in the ER — to see The Japanese ECHOtrials were done in cooperation if the patient had likely Covid — and for patients on Zack cofounded EchoCare in 2015 with electrical with SMK, a manufacturer of components for Covid-19 wards where staff can’t enter the room at engineer and serial entrepreneur Yossi Kofman at telecommunications and electronic equipment. all times. It had to measure respiratory rate every Incubit, Elbit Systems’ technological incubator. They Bathrooms were the main testing area, and for good hour, it had to be non-wearable to avoid device recruited a multidisciplinary team with experience reason. contamination, and it had to cover the bathroom in radar, hardware, software, signal processing, area. Our system does all that.” artificial intelligence and machine learning. “People aren’t committed to wearing gadgets 24/7, and camera-based systems are an invasion of After the devices were installed at one hospital, Now based in Ness Ziona Science Park, EchoCare privacy.” the staff realized it could be helpful for monitoring completed its first round of financing in January 2019 any internal medicine patient needing constant with investors including Incubit and Tigbur Group “About 17,000 fatal accidents happen in bathrooms respiration and motion surveillance. of Israel, Centrica Innovation in the UK, Lifeview in in Japan annually,” said SMK Director and Executive Australia and other investors. A Series-A1 round was Vice President Tetsuo Hara. EchoCare designs units for home and for hospitals recently launched to help the company reach global with slightly different functionality. With a target markets. “Bathroom makers, home security service price of $500, the devices would be sold to healthcare providers and nursing homes are highly interested facilities or remote homecare operators, not directly “We want to expand to Europe and open offices in the in EchoCare’s solution,” Hara said.“Most of the to clients. US and Japan,” Zack says.“And we want to add more customers’ requirements have been fulfilled even functionalities such as early-stage mild cognitive in the tough environment of Japanese bathrooms, The home version is meant for seniors who live impairment detection.” surrounded by metal walls and strong water noise alone, says Zack. in the bathtub.” “Every three seconds the system generates a In Australia, Melbourne-based care provider Lifeview

65 ISRAEL EYTAN STIBBE PREPARES TO SEND ITS SECOND A FORMER ASTRONAUT TO IDF PILOT

epresentatives of the Ramon Foundation headed A spokesperson for the Ramon Foundation said his has flown to space four times and commanded the Rivlin said: “This is a day of national celebration and Rby Ran Livne, together with President Reuven launch is part of a semi-private initiative. In wishing 14th ISS mission. immense pride. An Israeli pilot, with the blue and Rivlin, revealed the identity of Israel’s second Stibbe well, Rivlin said, “Go in peace and return white flag embroidered on his uniform, is proving astronaut: 62-year-old Eytan Stibbe, a former fighter in peace – and don’t forget to wave to us in peace. The Ramon Foundation together with the Science once again, as we have proved here over the last 72 pilot and a close friend and colleague of Israel’s first Stibbe, speaking of his mission said: “Next year, I will and Technology Ministry and the Israel Space Agency, years, that the skies are not the limit.”. Addressing astronaut, the late Ilan Ramon. have the opportunity to participate in a mission to the will lead all scientific, technological and educational Stibbe directly, Rivlin said: “When we look at it from ISS – a fascinating mission in science, education and aspects of the Israeli mission. afar, you will be Israel’s representative in a human Stibbe is expected to blast off at the end of 2021 on a the exploration of human nature. He noted that the effort to understand the wonderful workings that historic scientific mission to the International Space ISS is one of the greatest points of cooperation in the The Foundation was created in 2010 by Rona Ramon allow life on this planet, and uncover the secrets of Station (ISS), and thereby create an opportunity for world, where astronauts from many countries live in memory of her husband and their eldest son, the universe. “This mission to space, for science and breakthroughs in dozens of Israeli technologies and and work together. This is the kind of fellowship that Assaf, who wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps research, on behalf of humanity’s unending search scientific experiments in space. is so vital, particularly at this time as we deal with but was killed in a training exercise in September for knowledge, for discovery, for understanding, is the coronavirus crisis. 2009 when his F-16 crashed. Rona Ramon’s name being launched at a time when humanity is facing one It has taken more than 17 years to reach a decision was added to the Foundation’s title, and to the Ilan of its greatest challenges. It is a crisis our generation to send another Israeli into space after the Tal Ramon, speaking on behalf of the family, said and Assaf Ramon Airport in Eilat following her death has not known. Because of the virus, we have come disintegration of the Columbia space shuttle in it was a very emotional moment for him because from pancreatic cancer in December 2018. to realize how many great concepts – like science, February 2003, in which Ramon was killed just as the Stibbe, who had become part of the Ramon family, medicine and research – can fundamentally shake shuttle re-entered Earth’s atmosphere. was about to realize its great dream. If his mother Among her initiatives were the Ilan Ramon our lives,”. “We have come to realize how much we do was alive, he said, she would have warmly embraced International Space Conference, held in conjunction not know, not only about distant planets and infinitely Stibbe had said to Ramon’s widow, Rona, that he Stibbe, who was continuing the family’s dream. with the Israel Space Agency and the Fisher Institute; huge galaxies, but even here on our own small would like to continue her husband’s dream, and the Aviators Club – a social-ethical leadership planet. ‘ “Dealing with this microscopic, tiny virus, in that became part of the mutual target of Stibbe, the Ramon Foundation head Livne, who worked closely program for 5th-8th grade students, in which an effort to find a vaccine, we must work together – Ramon family and the Ramon Foundation. with Rona Ramon for more than five years, said operational squadrons of the Israel Air Force adopt scientists from different countries and peoples,” he the mission represented the implementation of schools from peripheral towns and villages – and the said. “That is the power of science. It reminds us that Ramon, who was an Israel Air Force combat pilot was her vision to make space accessible to children Ramon Space Lab program, which gives students a we are part of something much bigger that speaks to selected to be the country’s first astronaut, took with and young people through the promotion of Israeli unique opportunity to submit an experiment to the the human spirit that is within us all.” him on the ill-fated space shuttle, several meaningful innovation in space. ISS through an annual research-based learning items symbolic of Israel and the Jewish people, such program. Inbal Kreiss of the Space Division at Israel Aerospace as a copy of the Declaration of Independence, a Torah The International mission is the initiative of Axiom Industries noted that “this is a rare opportunity to scroll received from Professor Joachim Yosef – with Space. On arriving in space, the astronauts will More than 100,000 youngsters have participated perform and advance extensive ground-breaking which he was called to the Torah as a child in the go to the International Space Station, pending in various programs that she initiated with a view experiments in space and on professional multi- Bergen-Belsen concentration camp – a mezuzah, an NASA approval. Alongside Stibbe, two other private to helping them broaden their horizons and reach disciplinary platforms. These studies will help IAF banner and the Israeli flag. Stibbe, even if he astronauts will participate in the mission. The Axiom for the sky. She also founded Beit Assaf, which has strengthen our national scientific capabilities, to takes similar symbols, will not be a representative Space mission commander is veteran US astronaut been integrated into the Joint Council of Pre-Military understand technological processes and improve of the IAF. and VP of Axiom Space Michael López-Alegría, who Academies. the quality of life here on Earth, together with has more than 40 years of aerospace experience. He strengthening Israel’s standing as a player in the international scene with ongoing space activity.”

67 BY MIRI EISIN

69 ontemporary Middle East borders these countries. clearest example being The were drawn in the aftermath of World Islamic state. The bulk of CWar I. One hundred years later most The second driving force is self-identity. the Middle Eastern regimes, of the borders are the same, having been Over the last decade there has been a mainly uncoordinated, defined by outside Western powers. These major shift in the way the societies in the and Western powers, borders are defined on maps, but the only Middle Eastern countries self-identify. For uncoordinated – all worked country with clear lines that are difficult to most of the 20th century the main identity hard to destroy the Islamic cross, because of fences, is Israel. was the national identity, the nation state. State as an entity in the An individual was Syrian, Iraqi, Libyan and Syrian-Iraqi arena in past In the last decade, the border lines of the Saudi. In the 21st century there has been a years. The physical entity Middle East have been blurred, almost major shift in the way people self-identify: was mainly destroyed, but erased, as the driving forces of the Middle from the national to the tribal, or religious, the ideology and pull for East have common denominators that go or ethnic. The differences within Islam this younger generation still beyond the border lines from 100 years ago. became more focused (the differences have exists. The terror fighters existed throughout the history of Islam), In the first 10 weeks of 2020, three significant of the Islamic State are still the differences between ethnic groups active in Syria, and have events occurred in the region: the killing reappeared as a major identification aspect. of Kassem Suleimani (with additional top expanded their provinces operatives in Baghdad) on January 3rd; the This shift in self-identification has several into Northern Africa, into the US administration presenting the “Deal impacts in the COVID-19 era: how do the Sahel states and into Asia. years ago are losing volume and have been of the Century” to resolve the Israeli- Muslims respond to the needs of social COVID-19 does not impact this in the least, dammed, while at the same time there is Palestinian conflict; and the third Israeli distancing in the month of Ramadan, or in but the lockdowns help extremists who are significantly less rainfall than 20 years ago. elections in less then a year on March 2nd. the upcoming Hajj at the end of July? Do willing to act under these conditions. Who owns the river waters? How is water people respond to the religious figures divided in any of the countries – these are March and April 2020, and into the The third driving force in the Middle East key questions that influence the entire area. as the authority on the pandemic or the is an anti-West sentiment, which has been foreseeable future, is about COVID-19. The government? One small but sad connection to COVID-19 virus is impacting the entire world, and is around for over a hundred years, but has is that over 70 million residents of these impacting the Middle East. What resurged with the shift in self-identity. The countries do not have access to water to just has the virus done to the driving enormous youth population does not want wash their hands. forces of the Middle East? Has DO PEOPLE RESPOND TO THE to emulate the Western way of life, does it changed fundamental ways of not embrace the liberal ethos as being their The fifth and final driving force is governance life? Will it change the regional RELIGIOUS FIGURES AS THE own moral compass. The anti-Western throughout the MENA region. All the leaders balance of power? feeling is resilient and in the last decade are men, many of whom are elderly. They AUTHORITY ON THE PANDEMIC we have not seen any alternative regimes, all rule by the use of force, both the elected I would like to offer five driving except perhaps for the extreme Islamic presidents and the monarchs. They used forces that have been the central OR THE GOVERNMENT? ideology. Most people do not embrace the the income from natural resources (mainly underlying causes in the 21st extremists, are not interested in living this oil and gas) to subsidize the daily life of century in the Middle East. There are differing voices on how to act within interpretation of Islam, but at the same time their residents, and did not create jobs or the religious communities. One important are not interested in living like the Liberal a future for coming generations. All of the The first driving force is demographics. Christian White Westerner. When we look governments have failed to build education The Middle East has several very large Muslim shrine in Iran (in the city of Qom) was open for weeks into the pandemic and through Western eyes, Western framing of systems for their growing populations, failed countries, not in the top ten of the world – the Middle East, we appear to be imposing to create new jobs, failed to build enough but in the top twenty. Egypt (over 100 million contributed to the spread of the disease both within Iran and to neighboring Muslim Shiite our way of life as the “correct” alternative. new homes. people), Iran, Turkey (both over 80 million The Middle Eastern young generation wants people). The driving force is not the absolute areas (like Lebanon). The Iranian parliament The combination of the five driving elements had over a dozen members sick, including to invent their own future, frame their own number in itself but the growth rate: half terms, morals and ideals – views that are has impacted all the MENA countries the population in the MENA (Middle East several who died from the disease. During over the last decade. Looking ahead, into the month of Ramadan there have been not necessarily popular in the West. They and North Africa) countries, from Morocco are not immoral, as presented often in the COVID-19 era, these basic issues will through Iran – is under the age of 25. How other voices within the religious leaders: impact the way every country responds Egyptian AL Azhar clerics who have decreed some western political circles, they have a does this connect to the present pandemic? different approach to their community life. to the new challenges. There will be more In two main ways: the first impact is that in that praying and breaking the fast should be unemployment, there will be a greater need the under 25 age group there was very high done alone, only with the immediate family. The fourth driving force is water, or the for clean water sources, and there will be a unemployment even before the economic The Saudis have literally closed off the lack thereof. The MENA countries are all greater need for effective governance. shutdown of COVID-19. This will make a holy shrines in Mecca and Medina, and the in water-stressed areas, with double to bad situation worse. The second impact is Islamic Waqf (trust) has closed the Al Aqsa triple the population they had 40 years ago, Is a retired IDF colonel that the overall numbers of infected, and of compound (the Temple Mount) in Jerusalem. necessitating more water both for home MIRI EISIN and now a Fellow at deaths, is much lower than in Europe (which use and for agriculture. The great rivers the International Institute for Counter-terrorism, A completely different impact of the self- Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel has very different age demographics). This identification issue is the rise in the last that so influenced the empires thousands of is good news for the health care system in decade of extreme Islamic identities, the to uncover the ancient Jewish heritage in the HIDDEN GEMS OF JERUSALEM holy city. He began to excavate underneath his A mission to reveal treasures that are inaccessible to the general public, own home. and others that are just out of sight - BY NOAM CHEN His years of excavations revealed a timeline of some 3,000 years of Exploring these sites Jewish history in Jeru- was a mind-blowing salem, all hidden un- and unforgettable trip to der one house. Some the past, unveiling even of the astonishing finds more layers of the holy included burial vaults city. from the First Temple period, an aqueduct and I have gathered eight of mikvahs (ritual baths) Breathtaking contrast between old and new, these hidden gems to from the Second Temple the Siebenberg House. (Noam Chen) show you a side of Jeru- period, incredibly pre- salem that you might not served artifacts and more. of Conegliano used to pray in this very synagogue up have seen: until World War I.

THE KISHLE Its Holy Ark, with remarkable golden carved wooden decorations, still bears e dedication to Rabbi Nathan Ottolengo, who passed away in Conegliano in 1615. The Kishle was estab- By the end of World War II there were practically no lished in 1834 to serve Jews left in Conegliano and the synagogue was left as a military compound. abandoned. Following the war, a group of Italian im- During the British Man- migrants decided to have the complete interior of date in the Land of Isra- the synagogue relocated to Jerusalem, which they el, it was used as a police achieved in 1952. The location chosen was an old station and prison where Former military compound and prison, the Kishle, stone compound in the heart of Jerusalem, where accessibly only via organized tours. (Noam Chen) Jewish underground the synagogue once again opened its doors. It re- members were incar- mains open to this day. cerated. Some prisoners e all know that each city we visit has its “must- left their mark on the walls, including the emblem of see” sites and attractions. First-time visitors to Ancient artifacts found during the excavations, the Siebenberg Another interesting fact about the place is that it’s W the Irgun (The National Military Organization in the House. (Noam Chen) Jerusalem usually go to the Western Wall, the Old probably the only synagogue in the country that is Land of Israel), which can be seen close to the en- City market and the Tower of David, to name a few of built above a Catholic chapel. The chapel was built in trance. On one of the ancient walls you can even see black the city’s most famous landmarks. coal that archaeologists have confirmed is a remnant 1886 in the old compound, which at that time served as a school and hospice for pilgrims to the Holy Land Archaeologists excavating the site have unearthed of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 But a city that dates back thousands of years, with called the German Catholic Institution. The institu- findings from almost every period in Jerusalem’s his- CE. rich history unlike any other on earth, has much tion was later moved to a different location, leav- tory, from the fortifications of King Hezekiah during more than meets the eye. So much so that even its ing the chapel behind. When the Italian Synagogue the First Temple period to the remains of Herod’s Following the excavations, Theo decided to turn his own residents are sometimes not aware of what lies claimed its place in the compound, the chapel be- Palace, which stretched all the way to Mount Zion. house into a museum which opened in 1987. The first nearby, above their heads or beneath their feet. floor of the house is renovated and The Kishle was opened to the public in November modern, but going downstairs you I have spent many years photographing Jerusalem, 2015 and is now a part of the Tower of David Muse- literally step back in time into a com- Brought home from Italy in 1952, the Italian and I have seen its many sides. Almost every time Synagogue. (Noam Chen) um. It is accessible only with organized tours. pletely different world. I went back to the city, there was something new I hadn’t seen before. The Siebenberg House is currently SIEBENBERG HOUSE closed to the general public. I recently teamed up with local tour guide Jacob Bild- ner, an expert in tours of the city, and together we set The Siebenberg House is one of the most intriguing out on a special mission to uncover the hidden world hidden treasures of Jerusalem. of Jerusalem. Jacob was instrumental in helping me THE ITALIAN discover some of the city’s most fascinating secrets, It all began when Theo Siebenberg, a European Jew from sites that are not accessible to the public to who managed to flee Europe during World War II and SYNAGOGUE places that are literally hidden from sight. The rap- reach the United States. By 1970, he had moved to The story of this beautiful synagogue port he has built with the communities connected to Jerusalem and purchased a home in the heart of the began in a small town called Coneg- each site was invaluable in securing private access Jewish Quarter. liano Veneto, in northeast Italy, in the to many of those that we visited. 16th century. The Jewish community Surrounded by history everywhere, he was eager

73 came an integral part of it. To access the well you’ll need permission from the ry houses built on top of the Wall still conceal most of resident priest, who usually asks for a small dona- it to this day. The Little Western Wall is the only part In recent years the chapel under- tion to get you in. It’s worth it. that remained exposed among these houses, on this went restoration by Italian artists who were flown in especially for that task.

The Italian Synagogue is also home to the Museum of Italian Jewish Art, showcasing Jewish life in Italy throughout history.

The synagogue and museum are open Sunday to Thursday; the Artists were flown in from Italy for the restoration chapel is open only for special of the chapel, the Italian Synagogue. (Noam Chen) occasions. Services are held on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. den wonder. The contrast between the neighborhood and this ancient tomb is nothing short of fascinating, and is a true testament that history is everywhere in Jerusalem.

HELENA’S WELL

Just above the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and near the 9th Station of the Cross, there’s a tiny Coptic Monastery that many visitors have probably passed through. Hidden deep inside the monastery is an Almost unknown to the public, the Little Western Wall. even tinier entrance followed by (Noam Chen 51 stairs leading to Helena’s Well, which consists of underground me- side of the Temple Mount. dieval halls and a large reservoir of water. It was named after St. Hele- LITTLE WESTERN WALL Some say the Little Western Wall is even holier than na, mother of Emperor Constantine the bigger Wall as it is closer to where the Holy of Everyone has heard of the Western Wall, the only the Great, who arrived in Jerusalem Holies was situated. in the 4th century and who discov- remnant of the Second Temple and one of the holiest sites in Judaism. But did you know there is also a ered where Jesus was crucified and Another similarity to the bigger Wall is that here too Little Western Wall, located nearby? Rock-carved burial tomb from the Second Temple buried. It is believed that when St. worshipers can leave notes with prayers in between period, Jason’s Tomb. (Noam Chen) Helena built the Church of the Holy the stones. But unique to the Little Wall, there is no The Little Western Wall is in fact a continuation of the Sepulchre, she used water from this separation between men and women, and it is much larger Wall, and is located inside the Muslim Quarter well. less crowded due to the fact its existence is almost near the Iron Gate to the Temple Mount. JASON’S TOMB unknown to the public. Jason’s Tomb is an ancient rock-carved The ancient Western Wall is one of burial tomb dating back to the Second Tem- Named after St. Helena who built the Church of the four supporting walls that sur- Believed to be even holier than the bigger Western Wall, ple period. Jason was a high priest during the Holy Sepulcher, Helena’s Well. (Noam Chen) rounded the Second Temple some the Little Western Wall. (Noam Chen) the second century BCE, as described in the 2,000 years ago. Its original height Second Book of Maccabees. His name ap- was around 30 meters (98 feet), and pears in the carved inscriptions on the walls its length around 500 meters (1,640 of the structure. feet), much larger than the part we see today. The famous part of the The tomb, located in the heart of the Rehavia Western Wall, which is frequented neighborhood, was discovered in 1956 when by millions of visitors each year, was a new residential building was under con- made accessible again after the 1967 struction. It was later decided to conserve reunification of Jerusalem when the the ancient tomb and not to go ahead with Israeli military liberated the Old City the building project. The tomb now nestles and cleared space to build the West- among the new and modern buildings of the ern Wall plaza. In the Muslim Quar- Rehavia neighborhood, making it a truly hid- ter, however, many of the 13th centu-

75 The Mamluk Kahn, used to be an hotel during the Mamluk Era. (Noam Chen)

A feast to the eye, the spectacular interior of the Church of St. John the Baptist. (Noam Chen)

CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST MAMLUK HALLS INSIDE THE structures include the “Mamluk Khan,” a grand and impressive space that used to be an ancient hotel, The Greek Orthodox Church of St. John the Baptist WESTERN WALL TUNNELS and a large arched hall, which opened in 2016 and was originally founded in the 5th century, making it houses a new attraction called “The Journey to Jeru- the oldest church in Jerusalem. It was dedicated to Most of you are probably familiar with the Western salem,” offering visitors a chance to experience the John the Baptist, and some of his relics are presented Wall (Kotel) Tunnels, the fascinating complex of un- journey of the Jewish people from the Diaspora to at the church. It was destroyed during the Arab con- derground tunnels underneath the Western Wall. Jerusalem. quest in the 7th century but was later reconstructed. Although relatively small, this church is one of the While the grand bathhouse is most spectacular and colorful ones in the city. still not opened to the public, touring the site housing the The church is located on Christian Quarter Road in “Journey to Jerusalem” is the heart of the Old City market, but the entrance is A lovely courtyard leading to the Church. (Noam Chen) possible when accompanied almost hidden from sight among the market’s mer- by a certified tour guide. chandise. A wooden door with a stone sign written in Greek above it signals the turn These are just a few of the you need to make in order to get least-known places in Jeru- in. You then pass through a lovely Easy to miss among the merchandise Old City market, salem, a city that is one of the courtyard to find the entrance to entrance to the Church of St. John the Baptist. (Noam Chen) most famous on earth. This the church. Inside is a feast to the glimpse into the hidden world eye with an ornate interior domi- of Jerusalem only makes you nated by a large golden iconosta- wonder what else is out there sis, with a rich variety of colorful to discover. And indeed, new artwork everywhere you look. discoveries are constantly being made and new find- The church is not regularly open Only recently discovered and not yet open to the ings continue to be unearthed to visitors, but it is worth paying a public, one of the Mamluk Halls. (Noam Chen) in this ancient city — a city visit for the chance its doors may where history comes alive ev- be open. The tunnels were discovered in the 19th century, but ery day, and still has so much more to tell us. it was only in recent years that archaeologists un- covered and preserved several magnificent struc- tures that are directly connected to the tunnels and are believed to be dated to the Mamluk Era. These This article first appeared in Times of Israel

77 The AIA Educational Trusts

NOA MARGALIT that I have thought should really do one. She is one Education report National Film and Television School (NFTS) - of those.” MA Film and Television Composing ANOUSKA BLANGA PAVEL SHATSKY Noa studied at the Rimon School for Contemporary University of Cambridge – BA History Music and Jazz for 4 years before joining the NFTS Royal Conservatoire of Scotland – MMUS (Perfor- mance) HE ANGLO ISRAEL ASSOCIATION ADMINISTERS Anouska is interested in pursuing a career in poli- in London where her course focuses specifically on TTWO TRUSTS – THE KENNETH LINDSAY cy making, specifically in education. Her Director composing for film and television. Pavel is a classical guitarist who graduated from the SCHOLARSHIP TRUST COMMEMORATING A of studies at Cambridge comments “Anouska im- Her tutors have called Noa an expressive and imagi- Jerusalem Academy of Music. FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE ASSOCIATION WHICH pressed us at her admission interview in 2018 and native musician. Pavel’s ambition is to be the best classical guitarist AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS TO ISRAELI STUDENTS has impressed us ever more since”. he can be and to continue to teach others. WISHING TO STUDY IN UK UNIVERSITIES AND THE STAV MUSHKAT His tutor reports “Pavel is an extremely talented gui- WYNDHAM DEEDES TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIP TRUST, ZE’EV GOLDSCHMIDT London School of Economics (LSE) – MSc Finance tarist with a unique musical personality completely NAMED IN HONOUR OF OUR FOUNDER, WHICH London School of Economics (LSE) PhD Philosophy and Economics different from any others I have taught at RCS”. PROVIDES SCHOLARSHIPS FOR UK GRADUATES Ze’ev plans to have an academic career in philosophy, A PPE student from the Hebrew University of Jerusa- NADINE SIGALOV TO UNDERTAKE RESEARCH IN ISRAEL. ideally as a researcher and lecturer. lem, Stav has been described by his tutors as an out- His PhD supervisor reports that “Ze’ev is without standing student, an ambitions and highly analytical University of Scotland – PhD English Literature URI AGNON reservation one of the very best PhD students I have person, constantly keeping an eye on the big picture. Nadine’s research focuses on the various phenom- University of Southampton – PhD Music taught this academic year and tentatively he could On his return to Israel he plans a career in the public ena of blending in contemporary literature, includ- plausibly turn out to be my top PhD student ever”. sector. ing sensory, linguistic, and cultural. Her background Uri believes in the power of art to change humans includes an MA in English literature and an MSc in and the public sphere. He is a teacher of philosophy BENJAMIN GOODMAN RACHEL NOA brain studies, both from the Hebrew University of Je- and a musician who mobilizes his art for the sake of rusalem. making this world a better place to live in. His su- Royal College of Music – D. Mus Piano University of Oxford – PhD Criminology On completion of her studies, Nadine plans for an ac- pervisor reports “I have been entirely impressed with Benjamin is an accomplished musician who has per- Rachel came to Oxford with an excellent academic ademic research and/or teaching position. Uri’s productivity, commitment and most importantly formed all over the world. His ambition following is record having secured an excellent LLB from the He- the quality of both his artistic work and scholarship”. PhD is to set up a music conservatory in the south brew University and an MA in Gender Studies, Magna LIRI TOURGEMAN of Israel to give children living in remote communi- Cum Laude, from Tel Aviv University. RONI ANAKI ties an opportunity to learn and share music at a high In her research, Rachel is undertaking an important Cardiff University – BSc Human and Social Sciences (BPS) West Dean College – Graduate Diploma Conserva- level. and much-needed assessment of the justifications tion Studies and conditions of punishment during political and Liri is interested in the sociology of scientific knowl- YEHUDA INBAR military conflict. edge, particularly in application to climate change Roni has a BA in Art History from the Hebrew Uni- Rachel intends to resume her career at the Public and the challenge of communicating science. Her versity in Jerusalem. Her studies at West Dean Col- Royal Academy of Music – PhD Piano Performance Defence Office in Israel on completion of her studies. second area of interest is in medical practice and the lege will realise her hope of becoming a conserva- Yehuda plans to have a career as a musician and ways in which social perceptions of the brain may tor of books and paper material and to take part in concert pianist. Yehuda has travelled extensively in TSLIL OFER shape the representations of people who have en- preserving Jewish/Israeli cultural heritage for future Europe and China performing in concerts. As part of dured brain injuries. generations. his research he released his debut CD with Oehms University of Manchester – PhD Psychology Her tutors have called Liri an exceptional student Classics featuring two unfinished Schubert sonatas Tslil’s specific research interest is in the brain-body with tremendous intellectual potential who would SHAHAF BEER and others. Yehuda is in the final year of his PhD. language connection and its influence on a second rank in the top 1% of students. University of Arts London – BA (Hons) Theatre Design language. She hopes that her research may help in- dividuals who find it difficult to acquire a first/second Shahaf is passionate about theatre and aims to have YONAT ZEMET JONATHAN KATZ language conventionally such as people with learning a career as a theatre designer. He is delighted to have University of Cambridge – Post-Doctoral Research Royal College of Art – MA Visual Communication: Il- difficulties and autism. been accepted at UAL which he believes is the best in Autism university in the world for him to study his passion. lustration AYALA PANIEVSKY Yonat was accepted by Prof. Simon Baron-Cohen to After graduating from Shenkar College in Tel Aviv, conduct postdoctoral research at the Autism Re- TOM BEN-AMI Jonathan spent a year in Japan where he produced University of Cambridge – PhD Sociology search Centre at the University of Cambridge. Her a body of work called “The Ladies from Shanghai”. Ayala’s research focuses on the interplay between University of Cambridge – BSc (Hons) research will combine her fields of expertise, autism This led to his first solo exhibition in Tel Aviv and at media, the political sphere and democracy. Natural Sciences - Physics and emphatic accuracy, into a new line of research. the AIA annual dinner in London. His personal tutor During her year gathering data through fieldwork in Tom is aiming to pursue an academic career in phys- Following her two years of postdoctoral studies Yonat comments “Jonathan is an excellent student and a Israel she had the opportunity of presenting her work ics research. His supervisors have reported that Tom plans to apply to a faculty position in Israel. talented artist.” Jonathan’s goal is to publish illus- in three different conferences organised by IDEA has made excellent progress so far calling him a nat- trated books for both children and adults. think tank, the IPPI and the INSS. ural physicist, who has a great work ethic, and good Her supervisor reports “I see many students go on to algebraic skills. do PhD’s, but there are only a handful over the years

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