Israel at the Olympics!

Israel has caught the Olympic Fever, with three athletes competing in the Vancouver 2010 Games. Mykhaylo Renzhyn (Alpine Skiing) and Alexandra and Roman Zaretsky (Figure Skating) are proudly representing Israel in the Games. Tune in to the Ice Dance compulsory event on Friday, February 19th at 4:45 PM to cheer on siblings Alexandra and Roman. IOC Exec member Daphne Jackson caught a sneak peek of the event today and promises it will be fantastic! Check out some pictures below of the Israeli duo, see this article at Haaretz newspaper and check online-- for athlete bios and more information!

One of Israel's Biggest Exports: SCIENCE!

Israel is one of the leading producers of scientific achievements in the world, with the 13th most Nobel laureates per capita (three in chemistry, two in economics, one in literature, and three in peace). This is made even more impressive by the fact that while Israel is only 61 years old, the Nobel prizes (with the exception of the prize in economics) have existed since 1901.

As the new year begins, we can look back at 2009 and examine the various contributions made by Israel to science over the previous year. We can begin by mentioning that one third of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2009 was given to Israeli scientist Dr. Ada Yonath of the Weizmann Institute of Science (Rehovot, Israel) ‘for studies of the structure and function of the ribosome’.
In 2009, the Israeli company Nucleix (life science company specializing in forensic DNA analysis) for the first time produced ‘fake’ DNA evidence; a sample of blood using a random DNA indistinguishable from a sample of real blood.

A major breakthrough in robot technology occurred in Israel this year at Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa when engineers produced the robot Virob. Virob is a microbot that can move by applying an external magnetic field, thus eliminating the need to include an internal power source. The engineers plan to eventually deploy this technology in people’s ears to aid people suffering from hearing loss.

After 10 years of development, a fully functional prosthetic hand was developed by a group of researchers from Ireland, Italy, Iceland, Denmark, and Israel. Using this hand, amputees can play the piano, write, type, and do other every-day motions.

This past year, the first artificial black hole analogue was created by researchers at Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa. This effort was the culmination of nearly 30 years of effort from people around the globe which began by the prediction of Canadian physicist William Unruh that such a project would be theoretically possible.
The CleanTech group (company which supports clean technology) named Israel as number 5 in the world’s cleanest technology countries for 2009, citing innovative water technology resources.
The Thomson Reuters information agency ranked Israel second in the world with regards to impact in the space sciences (just ahead of Canada, number three) over the periods between 1999 and 2009.

Sources:
Nobel prize in chemistry 2009:
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2009/index.html
Nucleix fake DNA:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=lab-creates-fake-dna-evidence-2009-08-18
Technion microbots:
http://t3.technion.ac.il/pdf_files/1220767440.pdf
Prosthetic hand:
http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3803524,00.html
Technion black hole:
http://www.focus.technion.ac.il/Oct09/newsStory1.htm
CleanTech top 10 countries:
http://cleantech.com/news/5127/top-10-cleantech-countries-2009
Thomson Reuter top 20 space science countries:
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=408577&c=1

By Jeff Price, VP Finance IOC

Reflecting on Comet-ME

Returning back to campus after a great Thanksgiving Weekend, I am excited to be blogging about an Israeli organization that harnesses modern technology to help their Palestinian neighbours in an environmentally friendly way. Comet-ME (Community, Energy and Technology in the MiddleEast) is a group of Israeli scientist and activists that provides communities in the West Bank with solar panels and wind turbines to generate low-cost energy. The organization hopes that this less expensive energy will allow Palestinian students to study at night and will help workers accomplish tasks with greater efficiency and speed to increase local revenues. Coexistence between Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank are not always peaceful, so I find collaborations such as this one especially heartening. Organizations like Comet-ME send a strong message to the Israeli, Palestinian and international communities that all people deserve basic living conditions, and that there are members of the Israeli public who are willing to give their own time and money to ensure that these conditions are met.

For more information:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1119989.html

http://www.comet-me.org/

By Daphne Jackson, VP Admin, IOC

Celebrating Israel's Bedouin Community!

This Tuesday, Israel on Campus will be celebrating the diversity of Israel with our first social program of the year, Bedouin Night. Many people would be surprised by the amount of diversity that exists among Israeli citizens, which includes Jews, Christians, Muslims, Arabs, Druze, Armenians, Africans, and last, but certainly not least, Bedouins. The Bedouin people are historically a pastoral, nomadic tribe living in the Negev, the southern desert of Israel. They participate in all aspects of Israeli life, including voluntary service in the army and government positions. Taleb al-Sana, an Israeli-Arab of Bedouin origin, is the longest serving Arab member of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. Ishmael Khaldi is another prominent Israeli Bedouin. He has served for the Israeli Defense Force, the Israeli Defense Ministry and the Israeli Police Force. He has a Masters Degree in Political Science from Tel Aviv University and is currently serving as the Deputy Consul General of Israel in San Francisco. al-Sana and Khaldi are not only amazing examples of the many open opportunities available for all Israeli citizens, but of two strong citizens who are proud of their heritage and of Israel.

Can’t wait to see everyone at the Commons Breezeway this Tuesday at 7:45 PM!

Check out our calendar for more information on Bedouin night!

Sources:

http://www.ishmaelkhaldi.com/

http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/29673/from-shepherd-to-diplomat/

By Daphne Jackson, VP Admin, IOC

My tiff with the TIFF

In April 1909, representatives of 66 families gathered on a sand dune north of Yafo to allocate the plots for a new neighborhood – which would later become a large metropolis, Tel Aviv.

A major event at this September’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has brought Israel into the spotlight and has sparked an international debate on censorship and freedom of speech. The City to City program is a new part of the TIFF line-up of films and events at the festival this year and is showcasing Tel Aviv through a series of films to celebrate the city’s centennial. Two weeks ago, a group of prominent members of the film industry signed an open letter called the Toronto Declaration, criticizing the City to City program’s positive portrayal of Tel Aviv, the lack of diversity in the film programme given the absence of Palestinian-focused films, and the alleged ties between the event and the Brand Israel media campaign that was launched in 2008 to promote Israeli culture and achievements. The signatories of the Declaration emphasize that they do not denounce individual Israeli filmmakers or the fact that Israeli films are being shown at TIFF, but rather the use of the festival as a propaganda machine for Israel.

Despite the compelling points made by the signatories of the Declaration (which I encourage you to read in full at http://torontodeclaration.blogspot.com/ ) I cannot accept their argument, because it hinges on the presumption that TIFF is connected to the Brand Israel campaign, an allegation that TIFF organizers have strongly denied. Furthermore, the land that Tel Aviv is situated on is uncontested ground. In 1909, sixty-six Jewish families purchased sand dunes on the outskirts of the port city of Jaffa, which they built into the cosmopolitan city of Tel-Aviv. This leaves me wondering – if the participants in the Declaration do not have any cogent arguments on which to base their accusations, why has their cause gained such widespread interest and attention? The answer, in my opinion, is plain and simple: yet again, those who denounce Israel have found a way to pervert a celebration of Israeli culture and achievement into an attack against Israel. They don’t care about the facts, just the spectacle. As advocates for Israel, it is our role to learn the facts and not be fooled by strongly worded petitions or the influence of famous people.

Source of Photos: http://www.tlv100.co.il

Other Sources and Further Information:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1110750.html

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1982871

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/theres-justice-and-then-theres-propaganda/article1281264/

http://torontodeclaration.blogspot.com/

https://lib.stanford.edu/eliasaf-robinson-tel-aviv-collection/ahuzat-bayit-and-founding-tel-aviv-1909

Reflecting on the Summer

Hamas summer camp for children in elementary school in Northern Gaza. In the Poster: “A victory for Gaza, glory of Jerusalem: Youth to overcome the highest peaks to only recognize Islam as the only religion”. Photo: PALDF

As summer comes to an end and students begin to return to school, I think that now is a great time to take stock of this past summer. I spent this summer working at what I think is one of the greatest places in the world (after Israel of course!) – summer camp. Where else can kids be free of the stresses of homework, family life and responsibility, and be able to come out of their shells, make new friends and challenge themselves with exciting activities? I was shocked by a press release from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) which described the goals and activities of summer camps run by Hamas this past summer. At the seven hundred Hamas-run camps operating in the Gaza Strip this summer, children and teenagers participated in semi-military training, including firearm practices and military drills. Childhood is a trying and confusing time, where the subtle influences of your parents, friends and community have a major impact on the way you will one day choose to lead your life. Being immersed in a military culture from such a young age is not the way to create the leaders necessary for one day finding peace in the Middle East. On the other hand, the camps that Canadian students attended as children have left us with a strong sense of self and outstanding leadership skills. As we return to school and the controversies that inevitably surface on our campuses year after year, I urge Canadian students to harness the leadership skills that they possess and stand up for Israel. Please visit us at the Israel on Campus table at MSU Clubsfest on Wednesday, September 9th to learn more about IOC, meet with members of our executive, and learn more about how you can advocate for Israel.

Source: http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/09/08/2901.htm

By Daphne Jackson, VP Admin, IOC