April 8, 2013 | 12:04 pm

This week from Israel

Posted by Noga Gur-Arieh

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Stephen Hawking to visit Israel

The praised British astrophysicist, Stephen Hawking (71), will arrive in Israel this coming June to take part in the 5th Israeli Presidential Conference 'Facing Tomorrow.' The last time the author of A Briefer History of Time visited Israel was in 2006, when he was invited by the British embassy to tour Israel and the Palestinian territories as well as to meet with local scientists and academics.

Read more here.

 

The cost of art

Israeli director Yariv Horowitz visited Marseilles, promoting his latest award- winning feature "Rock the Casbah." After attending the film's screening at a film festival in Aubagne, the director was attacked and beaten unconscious on the street, by Arab youths.

Read more here.

 

Ice Festival, surviving the heat

Since February 20th, the city of Jerusalem is hosting the Ice City Festival, as a part of an ongoing cultural exchange between Israel and China. The festival exhibits ice sculptures of sea creatures, dragons and dinosaurs. While this year's winter was one of the coldest ever seen in Israel, the past few weeks weren't very chilly, but surprisingly, the sculptures managed to survive the 25°C (77°F) heat outside.

Read more here.

 

For the first time- Formula One in Israel

For the first time in history, Formula One cars will travel through the streets of Jerusalem as part of a showcase event scheduled to take place in June. The event, "Formula Jerusalem – a Peace Journey," will also include Ferrari Challenge cars, drifting cars and Grand Prix motorcycles and a show by German stunt champion Chris Pfeiffer. Different sports cars and racing cars will be showcased at Jerusalem's Old Train Station compound starting June 9.

Read more here.

 

The app that can save lives

Israeli innovation in all fields of the high-tech industry is not new. Israeli inventions and start-up businesses have changed many lives worldwide, and left a mark in the fields of medicine, computers, the environment and more. A new application for smartphones, named "i-Apps," is aimed to help Israelis deal with unsafe times, by finding each user the "Merkhav Mugan" (residential secure space) nearest to him or her.

Read more here.

 

The powerful connection between Israel and…

It is no secret that Israel and the United States have a very strong relationship that goes far beyond any regular partnership. Both countries maintain a strong relationship when it comes to technological projects, when Israeli and American companies collaborate on dozens of projects each year. But which state comes in first place in collaborations with Israeli companies?

Read more here.
 

Swastikas in California

Less than a week prior to the national Holocaust remembrance day, Swastikas and the word "skinhead" were painted on the baseball field of Kaiser Elementary School in Costa Mesa, California.Over the weekend, a usually locked gate that is used by other campuses had been left open. In the morning, faculty members discovered the chilling graffiti.

Read more here.

 

A 98 year old murderer

A Slovak court will seek the extradition of Laszlo Csatary, a 98-year-old alleged Nazi-era war criminal, from Hungary for retrial in Slovakia, on charges of crimes against humanity. Csatary is charged for sending 16,000 Jews to their deaths.

Read more here.

 

Israeli-Arabs win over the small screen

A winner of The Voice, a finalist on Master Chef, a performer in Living in LA LA land, actors in drama series, a new anchor and more…Is Israeli television taking a leap into the future?

Read more here.

 

Attempt to erase Israel – FAILED!

The massive cyber attack by Anonymous, aimed to “erase" Israel  from the Internet failed to cause any serious danger. On Sunday, April 7th, the night of the national Holocaust remembrance day, the attack took place, however, the Israelis came prepared as always and fought back. No one will erase us!

Read more here.

April 5, 2013 | 1:36 pm

One Israeli Creation for the Weekend

Posted by Noga Gur-Arieh

Six neighbors (Five women and one man,) gather every year to watch the a worldwide, TV broadcast song contest, Universong. In their latest gathering, they discover that Anat, a member of the gang, was just left by her husband. In a moment of friendship, they spontaneously compose a song for her, and then sing it together, in order to cheer her up. Ofer, the only guy in the group, films the impromptu performance and, as a joke, sends it to the Universong Israeli selection committee. Surprisingly, the song is chosen to represent Israel in the contest, which leaves each member of the group with the decision of weather go with the show and get the dream, or pass the life hanging opportunity in order to maintain the existing lifestyle. The six neighbors may be friends, but they are all very different people, with different life courses and different risks to take…

Unlike many Israeli films, Cupcakes (or Bananot, in Hebrew) which was released in theaters last month, is a light movie, not dealing with war, religion or the Palestinian- Israeli conflict. This is a simple, light, almost carefree, relaxing comedy, with a fun soundtrack, an excellent cast, and a beautiful artwork. I, personally, enjoyed every minute, and just had to recommend!

The film was directed by the very respected Israeli director, Eytan Fox, and it stars our very best of actors and actresses: Anat Waxman, Keren Berger, Yael Bar- Zohar, Ofer Shechter, Efrat Dor, Dana Ivgi, Lior Ashkenazi and Edouard Baer.

Enjoy the theme songs (and the selected song to represent Israel at the fictional Universong contest): Song for Anat

 

The movie trailer (in Hebrew)

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April 3, 2013 | 12:14 pm

Israeli Soldiers Stories- touring the States, spreading the truth

Posted by Noga Gur-Arieh

In recent years, Israel haters spread anti-Israeli propaganda  via social networks and during IAW, which is filled with false information and contains mainly lies about the IDF.

Truth is, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have over 700,000 citizen soldiers and reservists, who are expected to live up to the IDF's ethical standards.

Unfortunately, in the IDF, like in any army, some soldiers violate the rules of combat, and neglect those standards.  Those violations are being investigated, and the offenders are being punished.

Those who are out trying to disgrace Israel, avoid making an educational criticism , and present the violators as part of the IDF's agenda. Many allegations of such claim that there were instances of misconduct during Israel's operation Cast Lead in Gaza. These, along with similar accusations, are based on unverified hearsay, and are proving to be false.  As  a result, many former soldiers, who still serve 30 days a month as reservist soldiers (Milu'im,) felt the need to go abroad and tell the true stories of the IDF.  They do it in the Israeli Soldiers Stories movement (ISS), of the Stand with Us organization.

Stand With Us, an international non-profit organization, is dedicated to informing the population of the world about Israel, and to help fight the hate and anti-Semitism by simply acknowledging. The members of the organizations come from the U.S, Israel, UK and France.  They use print materials, speakers, conferences, missions to Israel and campaigns, both face to face and online to follow their mission. Stand With Us conducts various projects and activities throughout the world, such as the Once In a Lifetime project.

Israeli Soldiers Stories is an innovative program featuring a diverse group of IDF's reserve duty Israeli college/university students. Their mission is to educate, inform, and delve into conversation about the Israeli-Arab conflict. Each soldier has a personal story that exposes the dilemmas of the conflict, including facing an enemy that hides behind its civilians. Participants in ISS have had combat experience in Gaza or Lebanon or during the second Intifada either in military or civil administration positions. Stand With Us has launched a U.S speaking tour for those former soldiers, where they tour University campuses and cultural centers in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco and more.

Ben and Kinneret are two young Israeli students, who take part of the program. In the past few years, they have toured across the States, speaking in front of students.  Kinneret was born and raised on Kfar Haruv, a kibbutz situated on a cliff of the Golan Heights, overlooking the Sea of Galilee ("Kinneret" in Hebrew). She is a tenth generation Israeli on her Mother's side and is the first generation to be born in Israel on her father's side. Kinneret served in the IDF during the Second Lebanon War in 2006 against the terror organization Hezbollah. When the war broke out she was rushed to the northern city of Sfat which was under constant rocket attack. While assisting civilians in stress, a rocket hit the place Kinneret had been standing just moments before. Kinneret, a graduate of the Stand With Us Israel Fellowship at Bar Ilan University, currently lives in Tel Aviv and is finishing her B.A. in Political Communications.  

Ben is a native of Denver, Colorado, and moved to Israel at the height of the second Intifada in September 2001, at the age of 13, with his family. He joined the IDF at the age of 18 in 2007 and served his mandatory 3-year service in the elite Special Forces unit of Maglan. Today Ben studies Political Studies and Urban Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is a graduate of The Stand  With Us Israel Fellowship of 2012.

Ben traveled to the New England region, and Kinneret toured the West Coast of the United States and spoke in synagogues, churches, universities, and high schools. They both agreed to share their experiences from their delegations with Israelife's readers:

 

Why is it so important that Stand with Us will talk to University and College students abroad?

Ben: Stand With Us, through its Israeli Soldiers Stories (ISS) is not only important, but vital in order to put a face on the Israeli side of the spectrum. All too frequently misinformation and Israel bias run rampant on American campuses. There is almost no one, and in many cases absolutely no one, that can and is willing to challenge such allegations.

By talking to students we have a unique opportunity to show them the Israeli narrative, a narrative that is all too frequently demonized. When students spend time to talk with us and hear our stories they are enabled, and open themselves up to experiences and points of view that they would otherwise wouldn't hear or see in person.

Kinneret: Primarily because of the innovation of thinking that it represents, going beyond the virtual rhetoric so typical of the digital age. For me, ISS is going back to basics, people interacting personally, without the need of mediators such as the media. At the end of an event, when you see anti-Israeli activists left completely speechless, you have no doubt of the powerful impact.

 

What is Israel to you?

Kinneret: You can't sum up the love for your country in a few sentences but when people ask me this I tell them about the happiest day of my life. It wasn't my sweet sixteen, nor the day I got my driver’s license or bought my plane ticket for my trip around the world. It was the day that Gilad Shalit returned home. Words cannot articulate how I felt on that day, but it was as if my brother was returning home from captivity. I never met Gilad before but I still felt such a strong connection. The streets of Tel Aviv were completely deserted on that day, I had never seen anything like it. Everyone was at home, glued to their television sets, it was such an emotional day for all of us. That was the happiest day of my life and that's what the state of Israel is all about, a homeland for the Jewish people that are all brothers and sisters. That connection is rooted very deep inside of us.

Ben: Israel to me is a country that is trying her best to be the best country she can be, given the circumstances. Of course she’s not perfect, nor is any other country, but it’s a sense of pride that we face our problems head on and don’t consistently blame others. We are a very self-critical nation that is constantly trying to keep its home in order. All of this is exemplified while looking around at our immediate neighbors who are not only mostly authoritarian governments, but are working against the best interest of their own people in order to retain power. In 65 years, we have been able to be a light to not only our immediate neighbors, but in certain fields to the rest of the world, whether it be through our LGBT rights, our technological advances, or our medical foreign aid among many other initiatives.

 

Who is your target audience?

Ben: My target audience would be to anyone that is willing to listen with an open mind. In my opinion everyone can learn from listening to other people even in cases where you do not fully agree with them. An essential key to solving this conflict is the need for people to not stereotype others but to actually take the time to listen. While on the ISS tour, it became painfully clear to me that much of the anti-Israel hatred out there was not fueled by personal accounts or actual knowledge, but rather by raw emotion, which most of the time was driven by friends, lecturers or second-hand stories delivered by the news and other media.

Kinneret: I think talking to the younger generation is the most important. For me, personally, having a multi-cultural audience in my lectures and conversations is the most exciting and rewarding.

 
What is your agenda? What kinds of activities do you do?

Kinneret: I think the main message of this program is that when people are given the opportunity to communicate freely with each other, without political proxy and without limiting the conversation to conflict related issues, you can significantly promote peace and understanding. When you remove the cultural barriers, you realize that at the end of the day where we have more in common than we thought.

Ben: I do not have a supposed “agenda” of any sorts, except the mission to share my story. I usually tell the audience at the end of my speech that one of my main hopes is that now that they have heard a narrative that they might not have heard before, which maybe changed their past conceptions on the conflict, I hope that the next time they hear something about Israel - they will check their facts. Not only from their usual sources but also from others that do not coincide exactly with their opinions.

 

What are the reactions you receive? Do people decide to support Israel? Are people protesting against you? How do you reply?

Ben: It really depends on where I was speaking. There were some campuses where we experienced anti-Israel sentiment within minutes of starting. For instance, we experienced walkouts, stand-ins, and hecklers. When this does happen, especially with walkouts, we can’t help but feeling that there was a missed opportunity here. I personally feel that if you’re really interested in reaching a peaceful solution,there is no reason for you to walk out on an opportunity for open dialogue.  We opened up our speeches by saying that we will have a Q&A and time afterwards to speak.  When they leave at the beginning of our talks, one cannot but help being left with a feeling of sorrow. It is sorrow for them missing an opportunity to bridge the gaps between us. Peace and reconciliation come when we speak with each, not with one side turning their backs and walking out.

 

To read more about Israeli Soldiers Stories and to check out the tour closest to your home, go here.

For more information about Stand With Us, go here, here and here.

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April 1, 2013 | 12:12 pm

This week from Israel

Posted by Noga Gur-Arieh

Turkey tourism is back!

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, apologized to Turkey over the death of nine of its citizens during the IDF raid on the Gaza- bound ship, Marmara, in May 2010. The Marmara incident brought the Israeli-Turkish relationship down to a new low, and Israeli tourism to Turkey, which was very popular, stopped almost completely. The opinions amongst the Israeli people as to Netanyahu's apologies were divided. Some agreed it was the right thing to do politically, some did not. But one thing is for sure- flights to Antalya, the main Turkish destination for Israeli tourists, were already booked!

Read more here.

 

Israeli female scientist wins European contest

On Thursday, the Israeli Dr. Osnat Zomer-Penn was honored in a ceremony at the Sorbonne in Paris, after winning first prize in the L’Oréal-UNESCO “Women in Science” contest. It is the third time in  row for an Israeli to win this prize.

Read more here.

 

Sharing the burden

One of the more burning issues here in Israel, is the groups within the Haredi (ultra orthodox) population in Israel which enjoy many benefits, but do not serve in the army, and therefore, not "sharing the burden" like any other Israeli. In recent years, there have been several programs that allow Haredi to serve in the IDF, under special conditions which do not interfere with their way of life. This week, a new program of such released nearly two dozen Haredi soldiers to their IDF service, as Microsoft Certified IT Professionals (MCITP.)

Read more here.

 

Helping the "hidden Jews"

Rabbi Pinchas Punturello, 36, has been appointed to serve as the new emissary for the Shavei Israel organization in southern Italy and Sicily. One of his missions would be totrack down and help the 'hidden Jews' of southern Italy to reconnect with their roots. Punturello is undertaking this project in conjunction with the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, the official umbrella organization of Italian Jewry.

Read more here.

 

Richest men in the world reenacting the exodus

Several days before Passover, a group of Russian tycoons, several of the richest men in the world, landed their private jets in Israel. The group, part of Russia's economic Jewish elite, embarked on a four-day journey from the desert to Jerusalem, reenacting the exodus from Egypt.

Read more here.

 

Israel humiliates Turkey

Don't worry, this is not another diplomatic crisis, but an historic basketball match between Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Besiktas JK on Thursday. Maccabi has made another step towards the Euroleague quarter finals, after winning 101-58. Many jaws dropped that day…

Read more here.

 

British Peer apologizes for Jewish conspiracy allegations

Britain's Labor Party member,  Nazir Ahmed, was imprisoned after a fatal car crash, and later suspended from the party. He was accused of dangerous driving after sending multiple text messages, shortly before the accident, and chose to accuse the Jews,"who own newspapers and TV channels," for his imprisonment. After his words caused quite a commotion, Ahmed apologized.

Read more here.

 

Joan Rivers shows her support

After making a very dark joke about the holocaust, causing a controversy and refusing to apologize, Joan Rivers found a way to show her support in a worthy cause, by joining the battle of Israeli homosexual couple Yuval and Liran Altman-Kadury, who are trying to have a child through surrogacy. Rivers is a part of a group of other Hollywood celebrities who showed their support.

Read more here.

 

Israeli shekel rulz!

Investors’ quest for higher yield has drummed up support for the Israeli shekel, which this week hit its strongest level against the dollar since October 2011. What drew them to pursue the shekel are higher interest rate of 1.75% compared to near-zero rates of developed nations and hands-off approach to its currency, prompting them to buy more shekel-denominated bonds.

Read more here.

 

And as the Passover week reaches its closure, here is one last festive YouTube clip:

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March 29, 2013 | 1:08 pm

One Israeli Creation for the Weekend

Posted by Noga Gur-Arieh

Tomer Peretz is a 30 year old Israeli artist who lives in L.A for the past eight years. His main occupation is painting, but he also designs spaces and furniture. His latest exhibition, "UNBREAKABLE," expresses the way Peretz sees the Israeli- Arab conflict as a former IDF combat officer in a way never seen before. 

"Painting has always been my passion, ever since I can remember myself. As a child and teenager, I loved to paint on walls and tables at school, especially where it was forbidden or illegal…," Tomer says in a long-distance interview for Israelife.  "In my exhibition, I am not ashamed or afraid to talk about politics and show my personal point of view- it is all a part of the project."

But even outside of "UNBREAKABLE," Peretz enjoys dealing with provocative themes and reveal and expose the forbidden and the hidden side of things. "I am influenced mostly by David La Chapelle, Andy Warhol and Banksy. Most of my work is specially made for private people, some of them are well-known. I am currently working on several projects of such. In addition, I am always searching for fellow artists who wish to cooperate and breakthrough. Dear Israelife readers, thank you very much for taking time to read about my work. Always live life with passion."

The "UNBREAKABLE" exhibition will soon return to  L.A. For more information, visit http://www.tomerperetz.com and http://www.theunbreakableproject.com

"Andy's Moto." Oil on Canvas, In Peretz's Studio.

 

 

 

"Moments of Happiness." Oil on Canvas. 2011 Collection.

 

 

 

"Funeral." Acrylic on Canvas. 2010 Collection. 

 

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March 27, 2013 | 12:25 pm

Should Israel fear “the king which knew not Josef?”

Posted by Noga Gur-Arieh

As Passover lays upon us, I asked Adi Grady, a teaching and research assistant in Tel- Aviv University’s Political Science department, and a Political Science grad student, to write a little bit about Israel, Egypt, and recent years. Here's an analysis of Israel-Egypt relations, inspired by Passover:

In November 2000, Egypt called its ambassador to Israel back to Cairo for "consultation". This was the Egyptian response to pressures both from outside (mainly, the Arab League) and from within to respond to Israel's military actions following the violent outbreak of the "second intifada". Arab leaders and members of the cabinet alike called to invoke the peace treaty with Israel, and some even pleaded with Mubarak to wage a war against Israel. Mubarak is said to have responded that he had been to war with Israel and that the violent era between the two states is over.

Mubarak had been the Commander of the Egyptian Air Force during the 1973 war ("Yom Kippur war" in Israel, "October war" in Egypt). He had addressed his experiences from the war many times, and has publicly spoken of the way the memory of that war should keep Israel and Egypt on a diplomatic conflict, and not an armed one."Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph." (Exodus 1:8). The book of Exodus begins with the change of generations in Egypt. The new generation did not know of Josef, who served as pharaoh's councilor, and enslaved the Israelites and underestimated the power of their god. As in every year, we tell the story of exodus which begins with this notion.

And nowadays, there is no king in Egypt, but a new democratically elected president. As Jews celebrate a holiday that is dedicated to freedom, Israel cannot but hope for the freedom of its neighboring nation. But an understandable fear also rises. The new administration did not experience the feeling of successful retribution the Egyptian nation felt during the early days of the war, celebrated to this day every October. It did not experience the horrors of that war, and the way it ended for Egypt, with the loss of thousands and without taking back any territory.

So, is an administration that is more attentive to the Egyptian public and hasn't had the sobering experience of war against Israel, the one that's more dangerous to the peace treaty?

Not necessarily. In November 2012, during the "Pillar of Defense" operation (also a name inspired by Exodus, its Hebrew name being "Pillar of Cloud"), Egypt immediately called back its ambassador. But, not only did he return a few days later, Morsi's Egypt also helped broker a cease fire. It seems that, for now, the new administration in Egypt is more focused on its current Plagues: instability, poverty, economic strife and, even in the last few weeks, locusts... Its leader has commemorated the October war, hopefully drawing from it the same conclusions as his predecessor- The conflict with Israel should be managed through diplomatic measures, not through force. Egypt has its Plagues, and blood should not be one of them.

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March 25, 2013 | 12:10 pm

This week from Israel

Posted by Noga Gur-Arieh

Obama's visit through Jerusalem's eyes

Last week, President Obama visited Israel for the first time, in a three-day event some of us referred to as "FestiBama." During these three days, Jerusalem's businesses and hotels bloomed, while hosting not only politicians, but also journalists and many tourists.

Read more here.

 

Anti-Semetic Hungarian journalist  returned  an award

Ferenc Szaniszlo, a Hungarian television presenter, won the prestigious Mihaly Tancsics prize for journalistic excellence. However, due to an outcry by local journalists and the Israeli embassy, the journalist, known for his anti- Semitic and racist remarks, handed back the award, saying it is "not worth it if it going to damage the country."

Read more here

 

Free Pollard hunger strike

President Obama was welcomed by several mass protests and petitions calling on the American government to release Jonathan Pollard, with the support of Israeli President, Shimon Peres. Politely, he declined the release request, but even this statement did not stop Michael Foa, an Israeli who went on a hunger strike for Pollard's release.

Read more here.

 

The man who helps foreign media know the truth

Aryeh Green, Director of “Media Central”, a Jerusalem-based center that provides support services for journalists based in or visiting Israel, spoke to Arutz Sheva about the way he helps the foreign press gain a fuller, more comprehensive understanding of the Israeli reality.

Read more here.

 

The 26 year-old candidate to become Intel's CEO

On Thursday, President Obama was presented with an Israeli Hi-Tech showcase, presenting Israeli successes and world-changing innovation in the fields of medicine, agriculture, road safety, robotics and more. In this visit, Obama met with a group of Israeli young innovators, including the 26 year-old Sa’id Haruf. Haruf represented Intel, as well as Maantech, a hi-tech school for Israeli Arabs, which was developed to help them become more integrated into Israel’s hi-tech scene. Haruf  revealed to Obama his desire of replacing Paul Otellini, the retiring CEO of Intel.

Read more here.

 

Who was behind Stevie Wonder's cancellation?

Musician Stevie Wonder was scheduled to perform in an event for IDF soldiers in Los Angeles in December 2012. Not long before the event, Wonder suddenly cancelled, after falling for anti-Israeli propaganda. Wonder forgot to make the important separation between music and politics, and chose to not help young Israeli soldiers. Now, it turns out that the person who convinced him to cancel was no other but Roger Waters…

Read more here.

 

Peres honoring Obama
President Shimon Peres bestowed the President's Medal upon U.S. President Barack Obama Thursday evening, about a year after Obama honored Peres with the Medal of Freedom. The medal was given to Obama for his unique contribution to Israel's security.

Read more here.

 

From the Academy Awards to Jerusalem

Israel is star struck. Austrian actor Christoph Waltz, who won the 2013 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained," visited Israel last week to attend the wedding of his daughter.

Read more here.

 

Honoring Israeli contribution to computer security

Israeli Shafi Goldwasser is considered a pioneer in the field of cryptography. For her great contribution to computer security, she, along with her research partner Prof. Silvio Micali of MIT, will receive the prestigious Turing Award, “for transformative work that laid the complexity-theoretic foundations for the science of cryptography, and in the process pioneered new methods for efficient verification of mathematical proofs in complexity theory."

Read more here.

 

Greek footballer apologizes for Nazi salute

After scoring the winning goal in a Super League match against Veria, AEK Athens midfielder Giorgos Katidis raised his hand, performing the familiar and chilling Nazi salute. It took a life ban from all national teams to get him to realize the seriousness of his actions.

Read more here.

 

Israel-Portugal historic match

This Friday, the national soccer team of Portugal visited Israel for a match, on the way to the 2014 World Cup. We were pretty certain Israel would lose  by a large gap, but this match turned historic when the team was in the lead for most of the game, which eventually ended with a 3-3 draw.

Read more here.

 

To sum up Obama's visit…

Alex Zusmanovich was one of the lucky 600 Israeli students who won the raffle to hear Obama's speech, first hand. After returning home, he sat down to write his impressions…

Read them here.

 

And to finish this week's This Week from Israel- HAPPY PASSOVER!

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March 21, 2013 | 3:24 pm

Excitement, hope and the rhetorical art- experiences from Obama’s speech

Posted by Noga Gur-Arieh

My good friend, Alex Zusmanovich, was one of the lucky 600 students who won the raffle to hear Obama's speech, first hand. Here are his impressions:

Excitement. Excitement was what I felt when I got the email telling me that I was one of the 150 lucky students that won the raffle organized by the student body of the Tel Aviv University to go to President Obama's speech for the Israeli nation in Jerusalem. For a Political Science student like me, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear one of the greatest world leaders of our time speaking. Dressed in a navy blue shirt with a logo of the university, we headed towards the capital of our state. When I entered the hall of Binyanei HaUma, I instantly felt that something big is going to happen. A couple dozen of Israeli and American flags hanging on the stage, a lot of press everywhere, jazz music is heard from the loudspeakers. Everything was set for President Obama's arrival.

Hope. Hope was the feeling that many of the Israelis wanted to feel after President Obama's long-awaited speech at Binyanei HaUma in Jerusalem this afternoon. Did we feel it? Yes and no. Yes, because it was the first time that a world leader of such stature talked straight to the citizens of Israel without mediation of our domestic politicians, and unlike them, he made us believe him; No, because he didn't say something that we didn't already know.

First, Obama talked about the security of Israel and the long ongoing relationship between Israel and the United States. I thought to myself during his speech that if this relationship stayed strong during the last four years despite the bad relationship between the leaders and the governments of both sides, there is no reason that it won't stay strong in the future. Of course Obama's will to strengthen this relationship and ensure Israel's right to defend itself is very good to Israel, but it's not the main issue as I see it.

Second, Obama talked about the peace process between Israel and the Palestinian authority. In this case it sounded as if the President doesn’t fully understand the complexity of the situation. Do we want peace? Of course we do. And do the Palestinians want their own state? Of course they do. The problem is that the solution to this political-ethnic-religious dispute lies somewhere else other than just "peace is made between people", like President Obama suggested. I don't think that Obama put all the burden of the peace talks on Israeli shoulders, like some people suggested, but I think that things that seem one way from the Oval Office, look like something completely different from the Middle East.

President Obama talked about a few more topics, added some jokes and words in Hebrew and made the feeling that he is talking for  the Israeli people, and not to them. Without a doubt, he was the greatest speaker I have ever heard, in spite of the lack of cutting edge, practical sayings in his speech.

The hope that I talked about in the beginning lies in the feeling that he really meant what he said – he is a real friend of Israel. Our problems concern him and he will do everything he can to solve them. If it wasn't a one-time visit,  and he really wants to help us, we all can hope for a better, brighter future.

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