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"It is our moral obligation to contribute to coping with the coronavirus pandemic" declares BGU President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz
BEER-SHEVA, Israel, March 12, 2020 – Ben-Gurion University of the Negev President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz launched the BGU Coronavirus (COVID-19) Task Force on Thursday morning to harness the University's brain power and ingenuity to help cope with the coronavirus pandemic. During a meeting attended by over 50 scientists from departments across the University, Chamovitz declared that the University would set aside resources to bring the most promising projects to fruition.
"It is our moral obligation to contribute to coping with this pandemic," President Chamovitz wrote in the letter urging all BGU researchers to join the task force.
During the launch meeting, over a dozen ideas were raised by members of departments from different faculties who then broke off into working groups. Several researchers contributed ideas via video conferencing from self-quarantine. In some cases, ongoing projects were quickly repurposed. In others, new collaborations sprung up around the discussion tables this morning.
As everyday life around the world has been affected, the effects of the coronavirus extend beyond the search for a vaccine. In addition to the University's virologists, BGU scientists and students will address the public health, public policy, engineering, information systems, economic, psychological, technological, tourism and educational challenges.
"Since the outbreak of this coronavirus, it has become an international crisis that affects individuals, families, communities and countries around the world," President Chamovitz wrote, "I am turning to you, our researchers, to make the coronavirus crisis and its repercussions your top priority, to be creative and practical in order to achieve significant contributions to the national and international challenges that stand before us."
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
In Israel’s Negev desert, BGU does the remarkable. Marking 50 years of cutting-edge science, BGU tackles humanity’s greatest challenges in the 21st century.
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Photo Caption: BGU President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz launches the BGU Coronavirus Task Force on Thursday morning on the Marcus Family Campus in Beer-Sheva. (Photo Credit: Dani Machlis/BGU)
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Israel Ministry of Defense Launches Expedited Procurement of Medical Equipment to Fulfill the Urgent Needs of the Defense Establishment
The Directorate of Production and Procurement in the Israel Ministry of Defense has launched an expedited procurement operation worth approximately NIS 50 million, to equip the IDF with medical equipment.
The acquisition is intended to support the defense establishment’s preparedness to cope with the COVID-19 virus and it includes: face masks, protective equipment for medical teams, medical technology and more.
The Directorate of Production and Procurement, through its Logistics Procurement Unit headed by the Deputy Director, initiated the expedited procurement of medical equipment for the IDF and the Ministry of Defense, in accordance with the instructions of Defense Minister, Naftali Bennett. The acquisition is worth approximately NIS 50 million and is the largest logistical procurement initiative since Operation Protective Edge.
The directorate has acquired face masks, gloves, personal protective equipment for medical teams, technology such as defibrillators and medical monitors, disinfectant materials and more. The procurement is based on the IDF’s demands in order to support its preparations for various scenarios.
Deputy Director General and Head of the Directorate of Production and Procurement in the Israel Ministry of Defense, Avi Dadon: “The Directorate of Production and Procurement is committed to supporting all of the operational needs of the IDF and the defense establishment. We are operating within the procedural framework of expedited procurement for emergency scenarios, in order to supply the IDF with medical equipment in the shortest possible timeframe. We are working to ensure that the majority of the procurement will be carried out in Israeli shekels in order to support the Israeli economy during this period.”
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- Written by Silvia G. Golan
This month, students from seven cities around Israel traveled to the US to compete in the first ever Debate for Peace delegation to Johns Hopkins MUN. The students competed in one of the largest MUNs in the world, with about 1,500 students in dozens of committees. As a delegation, Debate for Peace represented Egypt in a number of committees, as well as a member of the British Parliament, the Interior Minister of Nigeria, and the Foreign Minister of Egypt during its 1973 war with Israel.
The students spent weeks preparing for the conference, including a study day at Tel Aviv University, before meeting in Iksal for the pre-trip briefing. In addition to the competition, the delegation included several days in NYC and DC, for meetings with NGOs, community leaders, and diplomats.
In NYC, the delegation heard from Sheikh Musa Drammeh, researcher Thomas Christiane, and Columbia University professor Dr. Page Fortna. They also visited the UN headquarters, and met with the US Mission to the UN, UNICEF, and UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC). In DC they visited the US State Department, US Institute of Peace, the Project on Extremism, and the Swiss Embassy, as well as enjoying a discussion with members of Muslims for Progressive Values-DC.
The delegation also met with members of the Syrian Jewish community in New Jersey, and attempted to reach an acceptable Israeli-Palestinian framework for peace. In Baltimore, in addition to enjoying a high-level, international MUN conference, the delegation attended Juma’a prayers and a khutba sermon led by Imam Ismaeel Malik, and shabbat prayers and dinner at the historic B’nai Israel synagogue.
Following the conference, the delegation had a layover in Amsterdam, where they visited the Anne Frank House, and then traveled to the Hague, for a discussion on peace negotiations at the foreign ministry of the Netherlands, and then met with Youth Peace Initiative leaders for a discussion on grassroots peace.
Maayan Dahan, from Hadassim school in Even Yehuda, was one of the participants. She told Diplomacy that the trip was “amazing! All the meetings and the people we met were fun and enlightening, and the conference was a blast, despite not winning I learned so much, and the general vibe of the delegation was just so fun, everyone connected really well with the other.” Bashar Shalabi, from Iksal high school, said that this was “a great experience to spend 3 days debating with 84 native speakers.” Nadiv Brenner Ballin, from Sulam Tzur high school added that “due to the significant people and places we visited on the delegation, this experience will stay with me for a long time.”
Debate for Peace thanks the many wonderful individuals and organizations who made this delegation a success, the various NGOs, diplomats and communities who met with the delegation, the JHUMUN staff for the enriching academic experience, Johns Hopkins students for hosting the delegation in Baltimore, and the Abu Odeh family for hosting the pre-trip meeting. A very special thanks to Imam Ismaeel Malik for helping lead the delegation, and to Jake Morris for helping make the delegation happen. For more information please see DebateforPeace.org
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DebateforPeace
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- Written by Silvia G. Golan
In January, students from eight cities and schools around Israel traveled to Yale MUN as part of the second annual Debate for Peace delegation to YMUN. The students competed in one of the largest MUNs in the world, with over 1600 students in thirty nine committees. In addition to conventional countries like Italy and Germany, some students participating in specialized committees received placements like Facebook, the Admiral of the Austro-Hungarian navy, NGOs, and a member of the US Congress.
The delegation members spent weeks preparing for the conference, including a study day at the US embassy, before meeting in Holon for the pre-trip briefing. In addition to the competition, the delegation included several days in NYC, for meetings with NGOs, community leaders, and diplomats.
The delegation was hosted in New Jersey by the Hoboken Jewish community, and had the honor of speaking at the United Synagogue of Hoboken as soon as they arrived in NY.
In NYC, the delegation visited the UN headquarters, and met with the Mission of Cyprus to the UN, the US Mission to the UN, and the European Union mission to the UN. They also met with the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, and Immigration Equality, which helps LGBTQ immigrants, as well as talking to Sheikh Musa Drammeh, and singer Josh Blanco.
The highlight of the NY visit was a panel held at the UN, organized by the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development as the first UN75 discussion, in which the delegation members led an intergenerational discussion on how to use diplomacy and discussion as tools for peace and progress in 2020.
At YaleMUN, the delegation enjoyed lunch and a discussion with the Yale Council of Middle East studies, including Christian, Jewish, and Muslim students and academics, and were hosted for a meal by a local Jewish organization, JLIC. They also met with Yale professors Nathaniel Raymond and diplomat Charles Hill.
During the conference, the students three days in intensive negotiations, representing their respective countries, organizations, and characters, and responding to various international crises. The conference is one of the largest, and highest level Model UN conferences in the world, and there were 110 delegations present, included over 40 international delegations.
Yoad Hershkowitz, from Be’er Tuvia regional high school, told Diplomacy “The delegation to YMUN was an amazing experience, I have met people that have taught me so much about the world we live in. I learned a lot from my fellow participants in the delegation, and I was very happy to be a part of it.” Husni Grere, from Atid Lod MUN club, added that “as a person who's been done a plethora of MUN conferences, I can safely say that the YMUN delegation was one of my favourites, even with the very tight schedules that we've had, we were able to find times to bond, times to get to know new people, and just times to laugh a stressful day out. A truly unique and unforgettable experience.”
Debate for Peace expresses its gratitude to the many wonderful individuals and organizations who made this delegation a success, the various NGOs, diplomats and communities who met with the delegation, Rabbi Rob, Rabbi Naomi, and the United Synagogue of Hoboken community, and the Kinrot family for hosting the pre-trip meeting.
A very special thanks to Hassan Hassan for helping lead the delegation, to Samantha Glass for all of her help, to the YMUN Secretariat for helping make this delegation possible, and to Margo LaZaro, President and Chair of the NGO Committee on Sustainable
Development-NY, for empowering youth and connecting MUN to the UN. For more information please see DebateforPeace.org
Photo credit: Debate for Peace
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Thursday 13 February 2020 / 18 Shevat 5780
President Rivlin met ambassadors from African countries to the State of Israel
President Rivlin on the UN Human Rights Council’s ‘blacklist’ published yesterday:
“When Israeli businesses are under the threat of boycott, we will stand with them. Boycotting Israeli companies does not advance the cause of peace and does not build confidence between the sides. We hope that our friends will oppose this outrageous political decision”
President Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin today, Thursday 13 February / 18 Shevat, met a delegation of ambassadors from African countries to Israel, headed by the Ambassador of Zambia, Martin Mwanambale.
The president commented on the ‘blacklist’ published yesterday by the UNCHR, saying “I am proud to be Israeli. I am proud that these are Israeli businesses, patriots who contribute to Israeli society, to economy and to peace. When Israeli businesses are under the threat of boycott, we will stand with them. Boycotting Israeli companies does not advance the cause of peace and does not build confidence between the sides. We hope that our friends will oppose this outrageous political decision.”
Speaking about the meeting with the ambassadors, which is part of the new Africa-MFA forum launched to strengthen relations with the continent, the president said, “It is a pleasure to welcome you here. I believe that Africa is the continent of the future and I deeply believe that Israel and Africa are natural partners in turning challenges into opportunities. We have so much in common. We are young states but old nations, we have diverse societies, and we share a commitment to democracy.”
The president noted how happy he was with the relations with African states in a range of areas, saying “In the diplomatic arena, we opened last year a new embassy in Kigali, and we have growing relations with Muslim African countries. In this context we would like to resume our observer status at the African Union. In the security area, we both face the threats of terror and cyber-attacks, and we are happy to share our knowledge in the fields of counter-terror and cyber security. In the economic sphere, we recently opened up two new economic offices in Ghana and Kenya. And in the field of development, we have been cooperating almost from the birth of the State of Israel.”
Ambassador of Zambia to Israel Martin Mwanambale thanked the president for the meeting, saying “We are honored to be welcomed here today. This new forum is very important to us. Our main function is to improve cooperation between Israel and Africa. We are aware of the challenges that Africa faces - health, sanitation, energy, slow growth. We appreciate that Israel has the know-how so we are looking to find opportunities for cooperation. It is a two-way relationship and together we can achieve a lot.”
Photo credit: Mark Neyman (GPO)
