May 1, 2013 | 10:20 am

Israeli Technion students replied to a call for boycott from Sydney, Australia

Posted by Noga Gur-Arieh

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On 10 April, the Student Representative Council at the University of Sydney, Australia (SRC), voted to pass a resolution calling on the university administration to cut ties with the Technion- a globally known and appreciated Israeli academic institution for technology. The Technion Student Association decided to not stand still as this call for hate is being spread, and yesterday published a letter of response, which was sent to the University of Sydney.

The letter was published on the Facebook page of the Israeli Embassy in Australia, and was also referred to by several newspapers in Australia. The response letter says the following:

"Regretfully, we have been recently notified of a resolution by the University of Sydney's Student Representative Council (SRC) calling for the university to discontinue its cooperation with the Technion.

For more than two millennia academia has played a vital role in human progress and enlightenment, whilst global cooperation has spurred science and technology throughout the world. Since its establishment, almost a century ago, the Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, has played a key role in pushing humankind forward, through research and alumni activity.

The Technion is a source of extensive contribution to human knowledge and well-being, spanning various fields of science, medicine and technology. These include the Nobel Prize winning research on ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation; Rasagiline, a drug effective in the treatment of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases; the "Snake Robot," an innovative search and rescue robot invaluable to earthquake survivors; the Nobel Prize winning and paradigm-shifting discovery of quasi-crystals; pioneering work in data compression, such as the Lempel-Ziv algorithm; and much more- Technion research has benefited the world greatly. Alongside these, there are important contributions of Technion alumni, including "ReWalk," a motorized walking assistance system for the paraplegic, developments in semiconductors and data storage, and more.

To affirm these, in a recent and comprehensive survey conducted by MIT, the Technion was ranked 6th in innovation and entrepreneurship amongst universities worldwide. In addition to these tremendous contributions, we are proud that our university serves as a model of coexistence. The student population includes students from Israel's various minorities, and nearly fifth are Arab students from across the country. Side by side, Arab, Jewish and international students study, work and engage in extra-curricular activities.

Therefore, we were extremely surprised by SRC's call to cut ties with our university. This is no more than a boycott of a link for accumulating knowledge and promoting innovation; a boycott of science and academia. This is a malicious step to undermine a path to support peace, instead of encouraging a model which should be replicated. 

We call our fellow students at the University of Sydney to revoke this unconstructive resolution. We call the administration of the University of Sydney to continue its important cooperation with the Technion, of high value to both institutions and to human progress, peace and stability."

Dan Yudilevich, Chairman of the Academic Committee of the Technion Student Association, initiated the response letter. In an interview to Israelife, he explained why the Technion decided to fight back: "I follow all Technion references in the worldwide media, so I noticed call for boycott by the SRC, from the Australian media. The minute I saw this, I knew it was something out of the ordinary, because while there are many BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions ) activities worldwide, this one  is an initiative made by students from an academic constitution, and more than that, it is directed towards a specific Israeli institution. It seemed unreasonable to me that students there cared enough to cut ties with us, and we will not respond.

That is why we decided to write that response letter. Although their call seems to be driven from political motives, it actually comes from a place of ignorance, from lack of knowledge of the Technion's contribution to the world. Calling for a boycott on the Technion is boycotting knowledge.

Moreover, it was important to us to let them know that nearly a fifth of all students here are Arab, which is equivalent to the Arab representation in the entire Israeli population. There is a complete equality, which makes the Technion a model for coexistence. This makes the boycott even more ridiculous".

What were the reactions you received for your response letter?

First of all, it is important to mention that this resolution we put in words in that letter was passed by the Board of the Technion Students Association. This way, it represents the opinion of the majority of the Technion students. We witness a great support from students, all students, here, as well as the support of the Technion management.

Gladly, this letter spread far more than the walls of the Technion, and we received many supportive calls from people all over Israel, as some even posted on the SRC Facebook page. As of now, we have yet to receive a comment from the SRC or from the University of Sydney, but honestly, it was a longshot.

We hope this letter will have a positive impact on the University of Sydney's decisions regarding the SRC's suggestion. We know that there are groups of students there, who do not support them, and we will be happy to see more and more people join them and speak out their minds, so that the call for a boycott will be shut down."

April 29, 2013 | 12:10 pm

This week from Israel

Posted by Noga Gur-Arieh

Green Pilgrimage in the Holy City

This week hundreds of people from all over the world, gathered in Jerusalem for the first international symposium on green and accessible pilgrimage.
The conference highlighted ideas such as sustainable urban and economic development, eco-tourism and equal sharing of the public domain, as the participants experienced things such as "eco-cinema" (a solar-powered movie broadcast on the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City), panel discussions, environmentally-themed walking tours, and a joint session  held by a rabbi, a priest and an imam.

Read more here.

 

From Sweden to Jerusalem, by foot

A part of the environmental awareness issues highlighted in the "green" conference in Jerusalem was walking tourism. One of the participants, as it turns out, has already taken this into  account. In November 2012, 39-year-old Jorgen Nilsson left his home in Sweden and embarked on a 2,800-mile pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and arrived just in time for the conference.

Read more here.

 

Lag Ba'Omer celebrations

Last night, we celebrated Lag Ba'Omer, the Jewish holiday celebrated on the thirty-third day of the counting of the Omer (six weeks from Passover to Shavu'ot.) For most of us secular Israeli Jews, Lag Ba'Omer is all about lighting bonfires, roasting marshmallow, and having fun until the crack of dawn. But for many religious Jews, there is much more to this holiday, which marks the passing of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.

Read more here.

 

UK Jews criticizing the BBC

As the BBC welcomes James Harding (former Times editor) as its new director of current affairs, a report based on an online poll by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research, found that nearly 4 out of 5 Jews living in the UK believe the network is biased against Israel. Will this biased policy change when Harding will hold the reins?

Read more here.

Israel high-tech firms continue to lead the economy

The Israel Venture Capital (IVC) Research Center announced this week that in the first quarter of 2013, Israeli high-tech firms raised $474 million in venture capital, continuing to be key drivers of the economy, helping to spur growth of 3.2 percent in 2012, and expected to a similar growth in 2013.

Read more here.

 

Vuboo- the new virtual stadium

A new Israeli start-up, Vuboo, is a virtual stadium, which enables the engagement of sports fans, by providing them the perfect app where they can take an active part in supporting their team during the match. With Vuboo, soccer/baseball/football/basketball fans can experience the games socially, as the app gives live updates of who kicked for a goal, how far, who blocked and who didn’t, who passed to whom, who’s in the penalty box, and so on, and the fans can cheer ("Vuvu") or  or boo an event, player, team, etc.

Read more here.

 

Alex Shatilov took home the gold

Alex Shatilov, an Israeli gymnast, who finished sixth in the same exercise at the London Olympics, and is considered one of Israel’s great medal hopes for Rio in 2016, won gold in the floor exercise of the European Championships in Moscow last week. Shatilov’s exercise was ranked 6.4 on the difficulty scale and he finished with 15.333 points, to tie Great Britain’s Max Whitlock for gold in the final. Shatilov previously won silver in 2010 and bronze twice − in 2009 and 2011 − at the European Artistic Gymnastic Championships.

Read more here.

 

Arshanski took home the bronze

Tommy Arshansky, considered one of Israel's biggest judo talents, came in third place at the European Championships in Budapest, Hungary this Thursday, taking home the bronze medal. Arshansky lost to Britain’s Ashley McKenzie in the quarterfinals of the under-60 kilogram competition on Thursday, but beat Czech Pavel Petrikov in the first round of the Repechage before defeating Yanislav Gerchev of Bulgaria with an ippon with 16 seconds remaining in the fight for the bronze medal.

Read more here.

 

Roger Waters goes back and forth and back again

After calling musicians to boycott Israel (and succeeding at times,) until the Israeli government "ends the occupation of the Palestinian people," and after being quoted saying he is rethinking that position, former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters is claiming he was misinterpreted, and is still calling on musicians to boycott Israel.

Read more here.

 

Tel- Aviv becomes an Absolut city

It has been announced that Tel-Aviv will join the "Absolut Cities" limited edition of Absolut Vodka. The respected list of "Absolut Cities- international edition" includes London, Rio, Vancouver, Istanbul, Moscow, Mexico and Polakom. The Absolut Tel Aviv bottle will be designed by artist Nir Peled, who uses the professional name Pilpeled.

Read more here.

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April 26, 2013 | 12:45 pm

One Israeli Creation for the Weekend

Posted by Noga Gur-Arieh

Subliminal (stage name of Kobi Shimoni) is an Israeli rapper and music producer. While there are many Israeli rappers and hip-hop artists, Subliminal is often referred to as the National Rapper, due to his strong Zionist agenda.

Subliminal was born in Tel Aviv, Israel to a Persian Jewish mother and Tunisian Jewish father. He started performing music at age 12, and at age 15 met Yoav Eliasi, also known as "Hatzel" (The Shadow). The two became good friends, and started making hip-hop music together. After the outbreak of the Second Intifada in 2000, the two began writing patriotic songs. They became known as the creators of "Zionist hip-hop". In contrast to the generally rebellious nature of most hip-hop music,  their music praised army service, encourage love for our homeland, and went  against drugs and violence.

Along the way, Subliminal collaborated with many well known Israeli artists, and also "discovered" new rappers and hip-hop artists, such as  the Arab Israeli rapper Tamer Nafar. Many of his songs, as a part of the "Subliminal ve Hatzel" (Subliminal and the Shadow), and as a solo artist, became an inseparable part of the Israeli music and culture.

Tikva (Hope)

 

Bat 60 (60 Years Old) - a song Subliminal performed with the Israeli singing group - the Givatron, for Israel's 60th birthday.

 

International

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April 24, 2013 | 12:03 pm

Hate, courtesy of the UN

Posted by Noga Gur-Arieh

Richard Falk, a UN official, referred to the Boston Marathon in a column he wrote for the Foreign Policy Journal , saying the US "had it coming" because of its policy around the world and specifically in the Middle East, Iraq and Afghanistan. Yes, that's right. A respected person who works for the United Nations Human Council, no less, said that the horrifying event which killed three people and injured 170- happened because of the "The American global domination project," his words.

"The war drums are beating at this moment in relation to both North Korea and Iran, and as long as Tel Aviv has the compliant ear of the American political establishment, those who wish for peace and justice in the world should not rest easy."- Yes, he wrote this, too. A UN official related the long lasting American-Israeli friendship to lack of peace and justice in the entire world, and blamed an act of terrorism on the US foreign affairs. The moment you let this sentence sink, you realize just how much it lack any grip on the ground, and who much it reeks of hate.

Yes, there are haters out there. Hate surrounds us all the time, especially in the internet age, when the fingers are light on the keyboard, and words that can kill spread faster than the locust in Egypt and southern Israel nowadays. However, as sad as the phenomenon of hate amongst people, it becomes twice as sad, pathetic and worrying when it comes directly from the UN.

The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945, right after WW2, in an attempt to prevent a third world war.  In 1945, only 51 countries were members of the UN. Today, there are 193 members there, who discuss various international issues. According to the UN official website: "The work of the United Nations reaches every corner of the globe. Although best known for peacekeeping, peacebuilding, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance, there are many other ways the United Nations and its System (specialized agencies, funds and programs) affect our lives and make the world a better place…."

There's no doubt that throughout the years, not only that a third World War was prevented, but the UN also managed to achieve many of its goals and purposes. However, something has happened in recent years (or maybe it always existed): the world's most important organization, became biased. The organization meant to be a sanctuary from hate or lack of justice, lost its balance and became unreliable and by that- almost useless in achieving its goals. It happened when the UN decided to make Israel its target. Just like that. The organization which acknowledged Israel's right for existence not too long ago, found itself bashing, striking and hating, almost blindly.

I am not saying that there is no room for criticizing Israel, because there is. And  an organization as respected as the UN should and must make smart criticizes when a country in the world deserves it. But it is not the case.  The United Nations not only put Israel at the top of its hit list, but also neglected the places that should and must be treated to due to human rights violations and other crimes against humanity. It's almost funny, how this works. Our neighbor, Assad, is butchering its citizens, day and night, just because he feels like it, and he is doing this without a care in the world, because the UN is so busy with "discussing Israel's treatment to the Palestinians." Yes, there are issues here, and many problems to discuss, but "Israel's treatment to the Palestinians" is a part of a long-lasting conflict, which involves actions from the other side, such as suicide bombing, stone-throwing, missile firing and more. 

The UN finds this conflict as the most important issue to discuss. So important, that it neglects, almost completely, the rest of the world, where actual crimes are committed. StandWithUs organization gathered some dry information about the UN's activities. In its entire existence, there were 46,000 deaths in Israel, including casualties of war. This status got Israel to the top of the list of the UN's condemnations list, with 223 condemnations. In Nigeria, Africa, the death toll stands at 1 million deaths, and not accordingly, zero UN condemnations. In North Korea, 2 million deaths and only ten condemnations, Sudan- 2.25 million deaths and 45 condemnations, Cambodia- 3 million deaths and 14 condemnations , not to mention China.

But worse than condemnations is the action, or actually- lack of action. People are being methodically and systematically killed- why doesn't the world do something? Why is the UN, which is supposed to be "best known for peacekeeping," is busy in throwing arrows towards Israel and turning the world against us, while blood is spilled in so many places worldwide? Why is a UN official, who sees himself as a peace activist, puts so much effort in explaining why the US "had it coming" because it is helping Israel, AKA "the devil," instead of truly attempting to bring peace to the world? Why does the UN spread hate instead of bringing peace?

No, Falk is not a peace activist. A person who calls himself a peace activist and only fight against Israel is not a peace activist. Nor is an organization who does the same thing. If a person makes a list of countries who, in his opinion, violating human rights, and choose to put Israel on that list, it is his right (although I may disagree). But when a person makes that list, and Israel is the only country on that list, that person is not a peace activist. He is an Israel hater.

 

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April 22, 2013 | 12:17 pm

This week from Israel

Posted by Noga Gur-Arieh

The Israeli pictures based social network

There are almost 13,000 photo apps on the App Store, and still, a group of Israelis managed to create one that will draw everyone's attention.  The free app is called Pixplit, and it is a social network complete with user profiles and the ability for friends to follow each other. The app allows people not only to share photos, but also to create art. Simply upload a picture you took via your Smartphone to a split template, and let others complete it.

Read more here and here.

 

The south flourishes

After an extremely rainy Israeli winter, the south of Israel, also known as the Negev, is colored green, and is filled with beautiful spring flowers.  In the past few weeks, thousands of Israelis enjoyed the beautiful sight of a carpet of red anemones ("kalaniot" in Hebrew), growing on roadsides and in fields, forests and nature reserves. If you're planning a visit soon, don't forget to pay a visit to the Negev, and enjoy the "Darom Adom" (Red South) festival.

Read more here.

 

Remembering the Patisans

This year's Holocaust Remembrance day was one with a special remark- 70 years ago, a group of Jews called the Partisans, started an uprising in the Warsaw ghetto and tried to fight back. They thought their battle would last less than a day, but eventually they fought for a month, killing many Nazis. This week, around 100 people gathered at Warsaw's synagogue to pay tribute to the Jews who took part in the Warsaw ghetto uprising.

Read more here.

 

Roger Waters reconsiders Israel's boycott

After calling musicians to boycott Israel (and succeeding at times,) until the Israeli government "ends the occupation of the Palestinian people," Former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters said in an interview to the Huffington post that he is now rethinking that position.

Read more here.

 

Human Rights activists are impressed with Israel

Two leading European human rights activists recently visited Israel to take part in KKL-JNF (Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Jewish National Fund) projects, aimed to promote coexistence between Jews and Arabs.

Read more here.

 

The boy who decided to learn Hebrew

Timothy Doner, a 17 year old teenager from New-York, speaks no less than 20 languages, including French, Latin, ancient Greek, Japanese, Arabic and Swahili. Now, the polyglot is digging deep into the Hebrew language, and on the way, learns Israeli history and enjoys Israeli music.

Read more here.

 

 Independence party, High-tech style

I guess you all know that Israel is also known as "the start-up nation", being the home of dozens of R&D labs that belong to multinational tech companies, some of them the principal development facility for their parent corporation. For Israel's 65th Independence Day, Israel’s high-tech industry  threw itself a Day party in Tel Aviv, with guests including Economics Minister Naftali Bennett and the ambassadors and diplomatic staff from 41 countries.

Read more here.

 

Honduras vs. Israel

Honduras will play a friendly game against Israel at Citi Field on June 2 in preparation for three World Cup qualifiers.The game was announced Tuesday and will be played on the same day as the Celebrate Israel Parade in Manhattan.

Read more here.

 

Palestinian start-up innovations

Dozens of young Palestinians took part in the West Bank’s premier start-up conference. The goal of the conference was to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit and lay a foundation for a thriving high-tech industry, inspired by Israel's success in that field. According to this report from The Times of Israel, dozens of Palestinian firms perform outsourcing work for Israeli-based companies nowadays, making technology a rare area of cooperation between the sides.

Read more here.

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April 19, 2013 | 12:02 pm

A heart to heart letter from an Israeli to Americans

Posted by Noga Gur-Arieh

Dear Americans,

What you've dealt with this week is not new to me, I'm afraid. In fact, it is something I almost got used to. Why almost? Because no matter how many times you hear about an "event" on the news, no matter how many times you call all your friends and family to make sure they're alive and well, this feeling still takes you off balance.

We've been following the Boston bombing here every day. Newspapers, websites and news broadcasts gave us updates, and even from afar, we were there with you, wishing you well, and grieving with the families who lost their loved ones just like that, out of the blue, in one second that changed everything.

I know this feeling. I've spent too many years of my life carrying this feeling. The uncertainty, the fear, the shock. That moment when you sit at home, or at school or at work, and suddenly feel that something has happened. At first, you notice a strange look of shock on people's faces, as they face their laptop or Smartphone. Then, you hear the whispering around you, saying "Something's happened."  No need to add more words to that sentence to understand exactly what this "something" is. The next step is to figure out where and what. You just sit in front of the screen and refresh the page until the news website you're at will upload more details. At that moment, you don't speak, hardly breath, and just sit nervous on your chair, bouncing your feet and looking sideways to see if someone knows something.

Then, you see it: "A bus exploded in Tel-Aviv," and then, the scariest part begins. It is when you try to call everyone you know to make sure they are alive and well. You start with people you know live close by to the "event's" location. Then, you zoom out, because maybe someone you know and love and have a car, decided to take a bus that day for god knows why. You don't seek for logic, you just want to know everyone's okay. Then, in the middle of the calling list, the phone lines fall, because everyone else in the country is also making the very same type of calls.  It happens almost every time, and you know it's coming, but when it does, and you can't reach someone, you can never be sure if it is because of the lines that just fell or because he or she was there.

It's scary. These two or three minutes that last forever. It's scary even in the 20th time it happens, because the fear of losing someone you love to terror is something you can never get used to. I spent my entire childhood like that and went through that experience a few more times later, the last one being only a few of months ago, when a bus exploded in Tel-Aviv. I remember that time clearly. I was having lunch on campus at Tel-Aviv University, laughing with my friends, when the whispering started. I especially remember seeing my friend, who lives in Tel-Aviv, going back and forth across the patio we were sitting in, trying to reach people before the lines will fall. I also remember receiving a call from my mother, half an hour later, when for 30 minutes we could not reach each other because of the busy lines.

This experience of uncertainty, of fear from the possibility of a next time, of the shock and the worrying that threatens to stop your heart from beating-all feelings I am familiar with, and could never get used to. You went through this several days ago, and even though I was miles and miles away, I felt your fear and shock and uncertainty. . I know I've been through more than enough of experiences of such, but I still can't even begin to fully understand what you went through, how you felt, and what went through your minds, because each one of us experiences it differently.  All I can say now is that I pray that you will never feel those feelings again, and that "events" of such will never become a routine part of your life.

Ideology, despair, boredom- the reason doesn't matter. All that matters is the result: the anxiety and the pain. One country that goes through this on a weekly basis is more than enough to this world, and even this is one country too much. I hope your loved ones are well. May God be with you, and may hate will vanish from this world before the next time.

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April 17, 2013 | 12:01 pm

65 Years of Israel- capturing the Israeli essence (Part 2)

Posted by Noga Gur-Arieh

Continuing the birthday present for Israel's 65th birthday, here is part 2 of the Israeli-essence slideshow. Enjoy, and always remember- a picture may be worth a thousand words, but even countless pictures will not be equal to the thrill and beauty of an actual eye sight. 

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April 16, 2013 | 12:33 pm

65 Years of Israel- capturing the Israeli essence (Part 1)

Posted by Noga Gur-Arieh

Israel, my home, celebrate its 65th birthday.  That’s really not much. It’s almost nothing on a scale of countries to age, but in this short period of time, we sure have been through a lot. In 65 years, Israel has been through wars, diplomatic issues, growing population, ground development and many other things every newborn country is going through. To me, what makes Israel so special is the atmosphere, created by the variety of people who live here. This gathering of so many cultures makes Israel the special, beautiful place it is.

Today is the happiest day of the year for Israelis. Celebrations are everywhere, from the streets to the rooftops- everyone is celebrating our 65th year of existence. However, this day is also here to remind us that the battle for our independence is far from being over. The Israeli independence day comes right after our Memorial Day, and a week after the Holocaust remembrance day. It is no coincidence. This is what reminds us the past- the holocaust survivors who, against all odds, escaped the horrors to build a place where they will no longer be hunted; the present- the thousands of soldiers and civilians who lost their lives while defending our country from those still believe we have no right to exist; the future- the many years to come, for our country, our Israel, to grow, develop, and be a home for the hunted. The future of the place our grandparents built in order to promise that the Holocaust will never happen again. Independence day is the last stop of the 3-day journey of Israel's story. It is a time for celebration and gratitude, for appreciation and thanks. For strength and hope. 

Last year, I wrote the things I love most about living in Israel and being an Israeli. This year, I decided it was best to simply show you the essence of Israel, so I asked a few photographers to capture their Israel through the camera lens.... Enjoy the slideshow, and always remember- a picture may be worth a thousand words, but even countless pictures will not be equal to the thrill and beauty of an actual eye sight 

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