Politics – January 2022
Leaders should identify long-term and short-term goals, not confuse between the two, and not sacrifice the former for the latter.
Leadership without accountability is a sham.
~ Raphael Cohen-Almagor
Israel should do whatever it can to bring home Avraham Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed as well as the remains of Hadar Golden and Shaul Aaron.
It is no less than state duty and, of course, the just and decent thing to do.
Reflections on Last Newsletter
Lawmakers Launch Caucus to Promote Abraham Accords
When Peace Goes to School: The Emirati Curriculum 2016-21
Israel Hopes to Establish Diplomatic Relations with Saudi Arabia and Indonesia
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Q&A with Stu Eizenstat
Orwell’s 1984 in Israel
Israel Received First Shipment of Paxlovid
Almost 50 Israeli Companies Reached Unicorn Status
Another Israeli Exit Bought by Google
Report: Israelis live longer lives than most, despite major deficits in health care
Watch Book launch of Just, Reasonable Multinationalism
20% Discount Voucher for Book launch of Just, Reasonable Multinationalism
Sir Lawrence Freedman’s Lecture
Dan Kurtzer Lecture
Invitation to Joel Singer’s Lecture
Invitation to Elyakim Rubinstein’s Lecture: Moshe Dayan - A Personal Memoir
New Article: “Bullying, Cyberbullying and Parental Responsibility”,
International Journal of Smart Security Technologies (IJSST), Vol. 8(2) (2021): 1-20.
New Book: Sam Lehman-Wilzig, VIRTUALITY AND HUMANITY
Do You Know How Many American Presidents Won the Grammy?
HBO Documentary: Barack Obama
Gem of the Month: Ilkley
Monthly Poems
Light Side
Reflections on Last Newsletter
Thanks to all of you who wrote to congratulate me on the receipt of the Olof Palme Professorship. You warmed my heart.
Some of you complained that you are unable to see photos. Google blocks them. You can see them on my Blog: Israel: Democracy, Human Rights, Politics and Society, http://almagor.blogspot.com
In response to some messages I received from readers: I reject all rationalisations to justify the occupation. The occupation is evil and unjust. All decent people should be mobilized to see it ends.
I reject all forms of violence: from the right and from the left, from Arabs and from Jews, from red and from blue, from secular and from religious. Pursuing goals via peaceful means is doable and practical, with better chances of success. Violence is often the refuge of incompetent leaders seeking wrong shortcuts. People resort to violence when they lose their patience. Often, however, violence proves to be an unsuccessful shortcut for reaching viable solutions.
Re Tony Smith: Thank you dear readers who voiced sympathy and condolences. Unsurprisingly, those who knew Tony agreed that his contribution to the world was immense, and that he will be greatly missed.
Read Douglas Murray’s “‘The type of person who makes the world work’: remembering Anthony Smith”, The Spectator: 4 December 2021
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-type-of-person-who-makes-the-world-work-remembering-anthony-smith
Ms Tzippy Hauser wrote from Bat-Yam, Israel:
Re your most unpopular opinions:
It is intolerable to be around anyone lacking a sense of humor or ruefulness. While you demonstrate humor and ruefulness, you are brave enough to maintain the courage of your convictions! And in the UK!
One of my favorite Jane Austen quotes and clips:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8T3_JJbWIE
Lawmakers Launch Caucus to Promote Abraham Accords
A bipartisan group of United States lawmakers from the House and Senate launched the Abraham Accords Congressional Caucus, seeking to expand the American legislative branch’s role in the promotion of the normalization agreements Israel has signed with Arab neighbors. The caucus will be co-chaired by Republicans Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and James Lankford (R-OK) in the Senate and Reps. Brad Schneider (D-IL), David Trone (D-MD), Ann Wagner (R-MO) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) in the House. In various statements announcing the caucus’s establishment, none of the members specified how exactly they plan to promote the Abraham Accords, though Rosen said the group would provide “bipartisan leadership to strengthen existing partnerships and widen the circle of peace to new countries.”
Source: Times of Israel
When Peace Goes to School: The Emirati Curriculum 2016-21
Textbooks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) promote peace and religious tolerance toward Jews, but Israel is still missing from maps, according to a study. The report by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se), titled “When Peace Goes to School: The Emirati Curriculum 2016-21,” examined 220 Arabic-language textbooks in government schools in grades 1-12, covering civics, history, Arabic literature, and Islam. Its Main Findings:
The Emirati curriculum teaches that prosperity and national pride are closely associated with peace and tolerance. Engagement and cooperation with nonnationals and the world are lauded.
Textbooks offer a realistic approach to peace and security, teach patriotism, antiradicalism, commitment to defending the homeland, and cooperating with allies; peacemaking is by far the priority.
Language and moral education programs encourage cultural diversity, curiosity and happiness.
Students prepare for a highly competitive world; they are taught positive thinking and well-being.
The large Islamic education program emphasizes tolerance, coexistence, and friendly relations with all non-Muslims and ethnicities.
The curriculum only partially fosters gender equality through a spirit of partnership in the public sphere; it supports active women's participation in all walks of life. In the home, especially, men and women should follow traditional Islamic family values. They should avoid imitating each other.
View of a changing Middle East, away from blaming foreigners to taking local responsibility.
Support for the Palestinian cause continues but no longer seen as key to solving the broader range of regional challenges. Radicalism and hate are the chief threat.
Iranian expansionism is a threat; the Gulf islands' territorial dispute is taught. The [Turkish-] Ottoman record is harshly criticized. Relations with the West are central and friendly.
A mixed history encourages trust and engagement, but also self-reliance.
China, Russia, and India are important partners.
Moderate and pragmatic Arab countries are close allies; attitude toward Qatar is business-like. The Abraham Accords are taught within Islamic education.
Anti-Israeli material has been moderated. But Israel is not displayed in maps.
Apart from unbiased information, international standards for peace and tolerance are generally met. The research did not find antisemitism, hate or incitement.
The textbooks portray China as an open and tolerant society for religious and ethnic minorities.
Historical slavery in the Middle East is not addressed.
Israel Hopes to Establish Diplomatic Relations with Saudi Arabia and Indonesia
Israel hopes to build on its 2020 Abraham Accords and establish diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. It is acknowledged that such deals would take time. Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest two sites, and Indonesia, which has the world's largest Muslim population, have conditioned any eventual normalization with Israel on the addressing of the Palestinians' quest for statehood on territory captured by Israel from Jordan and Egypt in the 1967 Six-Day War. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid told Ynet that Israel is looking to "expand the Abraham Accords to additional countries" beyond the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. Despite the absence of official ties, Saudi Arabia agreed in 2020 to allow Israel-UAE flights to cross its territory. Both Saudi Arabia and Indonesia condemned Israel's airstrikes in Gaza during 11 days of hostilities with Hamas in May 2021.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Q&A with Stu Eizenstat
Recommended: Blinken spoke on a range of subjects at the 33rd annual Fran Eizenstat and Eizenstat Family Memorial Lecture, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1954fXsrbRysD7bbg1RjJXmuUisWW_qHB/view
Orwell’s 1984 in Israel
Getty Images
With Eldar Haber I am writing about “Tracking and Tracing in Israel”. The context is COVID. However, it seems that Israeli leaders have no qualms to use technology to invade people’s privacy. The logic, apparently, is “We have the ability. Why not use it?” And, according to Calcalist, they have been using it quite extensively. We are not talking about aborting terror attack. The police has been using the NSO Pegasus spyware to spy on the "black flags" protest leaders (a protest movement against former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu), mayors of cities, workers in a government company and people suspected of corruption. And this is only an initial list. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. This is most disturbing.
The police remotely access, control and extract information from cellphones belonging to Israeli citizens.
The Israel Association for Civil Rights reacted immediately by sending letters of inquiry to the Legal Advisor of Government and others. I assume this hot potato is destined to come to the Supreme Court for consideration.
See Tomer Ganon, “From mayors to Balfour protesters: Police tracked down Israelis using NSO software without orders2, Calcalist (18 January 2022), https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/syjqgynaf
Israel Received First Shipment of Paxlovid
The first shipment of Pfizer’s promising antiviral COVID pill arrived in Israel.
Israel is one of the first countries in the world to receive the drug, known as Paxlovid, which lab tests have shown to be very effective against the Omicron variant.
Paxlovid is designed for at-home treatment of high-risk COVID-infected patients over the age of 12. Pfizer told the FDA that in a 2,250-patient trial, the pill cut hospitalizations and deaths by 89 percent when given to people with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 within three days of symptoms. Less than 1% of patients taking the drug were hospitalized and none died at the end of the 30-day study period, compared with 6.5% of patients hospitalized in the group getting a dummy pill, which included nine deaths.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-first-shipment-of-pfizer-covid-pills-set-to-arrive/
Almost 50 Israeli Companies Reached Unicorn Status
Some 48 Israeli and Israeli-founded companies reached unicorn status ($1 billion market value) in 2021. In 2020, the number was only16. 41 of those companies have a CEO and key management in Israel.
Just as COVID-19 boosted investments in new technology, reports show that tech investors are rather unworried by the Omicron variant’s impact on the digital and IT space. If anything, say the experts, we should expect 2022 to kick off with headline-making companies hitting their IPO goals.
Rotem Shacham, a principal at venture capital firm Viola Ventures and contributor to the VC’s State-of-the-unicorn report, says, “2021 has been an amazing year for the Israeli ecosystem. The number of newly minted unicorns exceeded the last two years combined.” She maintained: “We’re going into the era of decacorns (private companies valued over $10 billion)”.
https://nocamels.com/2021/12/unicorns-2021-israeli-record/
Another Israeli Exit Bought by Google
Google has bought Israeli cybersecurity Siemplify for an estimated $500 million. Siemplify developed a security operations platform that can help companies identify security threats and respond quickly to incidents.
Report: Israelis live longer lives than most, despite major deficits in health care
Israelis have a higher-than-average life expectancy than the majority of people living in 38 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, but far fewer doctors, nurses and available hospital beds, according to a report released this week by the intergovernmental economic organization.
Male life expectancy has risen in recent years and is about two years higher than the average among men in OECD countries (81 versus 78.3). Only seven countries have higher male life expectancies: Switzerland, Iceland, Sweden, Japan, Italy, Norway and Spain.
Females also live longer in Israel—to the age of 84.8 compared to the OECD average of 83.6. The country is ranked at No. 11.
At the same time, Israel has substantially fewer suicides per year than in other countries—six per 100,000 citizens compared to an average of 11.6.
The fertility rate in Israel is the highest in the OECD and stands at three births per woman, compared to an average of 1.6. In second place is Mexico with only 2.1 children per woman.
Finally, the infant mortality rate in Israel is lower than the average (before COVID) at 3.1 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared with an average of 4.2 among OECD countries.
More details: https://www.jns.org/report-israelis-live-longer-lives-than-most-despite-major-deficits-in-health-care/
Watch Book launch of Just, Reasonable Multinationalism
Watch Book launch of Just, Reasonable Multinationalism (CUP) with Professors Naomi Chazan and Massimo La Torre.
20% Discount Voucher for Book launch of Just, Reasonable Multinationalism
I’d be happy to send you the voucher upon your request.
And the voucher is available at https://hull.academia.edu/RaphaelCohenalmagor/Books
Sir Lawrence Freedman’s Lecture
You can listen to the MESC Annual Lecture Great Powers and the Middle East: The Twenty Years Shift here:
https://www.gotostage.com/channel/923cb85986064f9bb7f9be592abf994d/recording/5471a40d82d34c2ebe9ba8830372a2e6/watch
I am very pleased to say that Lawrence has joined the MESC. We welcome him on board.
Do drop me a line if you wish to join too.
Dan Kurtzer Lecture
You can listen to Dan’s lecture via
Invitation to Elyakim Rubinstein’s Lecture: Moshe Dayan - A Personal Memoir
Middle East Study Centre (MESC)
Wednesday February 9, 2022, 5:00-7:00pm LONDON TIME
Link to register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8260060630971209742
Former Deputy President, Justice Professor Elyakim Rubinstein
Israel Supreme Court, Jerusalem, Israel
Member, MESC
Opening words: Professor Raphael Cohen-Almagor
Director, MESC
Chair and Discussant: Dr Alan Brener
UCL Faculty of Laws, MESC
Link to register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8260060630971209742
In this lecture, Professor Rubinstein will describe Dayan’s life from their beginning to the end. The focus, however, will be on the peace negotiations with Egypt.
Moshe Dayan was a major figure in Israel’s history throughout its first 33 years-a war hero and diplomat, a chief of staff of the Israel Defence forces in the 1956 Sinai campaign, Minister of Defence in the six-day war of 1967 and in the Yom Kippur war of 1973. Mainly in that junction he became controversial, but later – in 1977/9 – Dayan served as Foreign Minister under Prime Minister Begin at the peace-making with Egypt. I was privileged to serve as his chief assistant during that period.
Alan Brener is a lecturer at University College London’s Laws Faculty and he is also Deputy Director of the Faculty’s Centre for Ethics and Law.
Besides his LLM from UCL and PhD from Queen Mary University London he is also a qualified Chartered Accountant and member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Prior to starting his PhD Alan worked for Santander UK and was responsible, at different times, for the compliance and retail legal departments and regulatory policy. Before joining
Santander in 2005, from 1996, he headed the compliance departments for the retail banking divisions of Natwest and RBS banks. From 1989 to 1996 Alan was a senior prudential and conduct of business regulator for the insurance and collective investments sectors having previously worked on aspects of public policy at the Department of Trade and Industry. Most recently, prior to starting his PhD, Alan was on secondment from Santander helping to set up the Banking Standards Board with the objective of improving standards of conduct and professionalism within the banking industry.
Date: Wednesday February 9, 2022, 5:00-7:00pm LONDON TIME
Please register directly with the online platform:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8260060630971209742
All are welcome to attend
Invitation to Joel Singer’s Lecture
Middle East Study Centre (MESC)
Wednesday February 16, 2022, 5:00-7:00pm LONDON TIME
Joel Singer
Former legal advisor, military officer and international negotiator for the Government of Israel, and MESC
From Oslo to Gaza
Link to register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/636424135822788109
Opening words: Professor Raphael Cohen-Almagor, Director, MESC
Chair: Dr Jacob Eriksson, University of York and MESC
The events following Israel’s unilateral disengagement from Gaza in 2005 – the Hamas takeover of this region in 2007 and the subsequent unending rounds of violence between Hamas and Israel – appear to be an unintended aberration of the original, joint plans for Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation which were encapsulated in the Oslo Accords. In fact, however, the current situation in Gaza simply brought to its natural conclusion the dreaded but apparently unavoidable basic bargain underlying the accords. As one Palestinian negotiator told Joel Singer when he negotiated, on behalf of Israel, the Oslo Agreement with the PLO: “You think that Israel is doing us a favor by handing over Gaza to the PLO? We are doing you a favor by taking Gaza from you.”
In his presentation, Singer will explain how the roots of the current situation in Gaza were built into the Oslo Accords’ genetic code, which many observers originally and correctly characterized as the blueprint for the “Gaza First” approach. Singer will also explain why this tragic, seemingly dead-end street was, in fact, inevitable and, further, why there is no feasible way at this time to rectify the deadlock.
Chair: Dr Jacob Eriksson, University of York and MESC
Dr Jacob Eriksson is Lecturer in Post-war Recovery Studies in the Department of Politics at the University of York. Jacob’s research focuses on conflict, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding in the Middle East. His first book, Small-state Mediation in International Conflicts: Diplomacy and Negotiation in Israel-Palestine was published by IB Tauris in 2015. He is the editor, together with Dr Ahmed Khaleel, of Iraq after ISIS: The challenges of post-war recovery, published by Palgrave in 2019.
Date: Wednesday February 16, 2022, 5:00-7:00pm LONDON TIME
Please register directly with the online platform:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/636424135822788109
All are welcome to attend
New Article: “Bullying, Cyberbullying and Parental Responsibility”,
International Journal of Smart Security Technologies (IJSST), Vol. 8(2) (2021): 1-20.
Abstract
This paper is concerned with the social ills of bullying and cyberbullying that might lead to suicide especially when adolescents are involved. First, I explain the two concepts. It is noted that people with monoamine oxidase-A (MAOA) have propensity to antisocial behaviour, and that they cannot relieve themselves of responsibility for their conduct. We all need to think of the consequences of our actions, and we need to ensure that Internet abusers are held accountable for their wrongdoing. It is argued that parental responsibility is paramount. Parents, and society at large, need to exhibit zero tolerance to bullying and cyberbullying. Parents need to take active steps to tackle both phenomena and, in this context, healthy communication with children and other stakeholders are keys for success. Disregard for consequences of both activity and inactivity when facing all forms of bullying is immoral.
Key words: anti-social aggression; balancing; bullying; cyberbullying; Internet; MAOA-L; moral and social responsibility; parental responsibility; suicide
https://ucl.academia.edu/RaphaelCohenalmagor/Papers
New Book: Sam Lehman-Wilzig, VIRTUALITY AND HUMANITY
I am happy to announce the publication of a new book by my friend and colleague Prof. Sam Lehman-Wilzig, the now-retired, former Chairman of the School of Communication at Bar-Ilan University (Israel):
VIRTUALITY AND HUMANITY: Virtual Practice and Its Evolution from Pre-History to the 21st Century (Springer Nature, Dec. 2021).
Synopsis: This is a pioneering study of virtuality through human history: ancient-to-modern evolution and recent expansion; expression in many fields (chapters on Religion; Philosophy, Math, Physics; Literature and the Arts; Economics; Nationhood, Government and War; Communication); psychological and social reasons for its universality; inter-relationship with "reality." The book's thesis: virtuality was always an integral part of humanity in many areas of life, generally expanding over the ages. The reasons: 1- brain psychology (distorted perception and faulty cognition); 2- virtuality's six beneficial functions: escape from boredom, to future planning, and all the way to relieving existential dread. Other questions addressed: How will future neuroscience, biotech and "compunications" affect virtuality? Can/should there be limits to human virtualizing?
The book is written in non-technical language, designed for the educated lay public as well as for academic researchers and graduate students.
Anyone can access the Front Matter of the book for free: especially the (substantive) Preface and (detailed) Table of Contents (first click on the “Table of Contents” menu, and then on the first “PDF” download arrow — then scroll through the title page etc.): https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-16-6526-4
If you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to send them on to Sam: Sam.Lehman-Wilzig@biu.ac.il
Do You Know How Many American Presidents Won the Grammy?
Answer below
HBO Documentary: Barack Obama
Three-part doco about Obama, from childhood until the end of his presidency. You accompany the man, and see his development. Watch Obama’s reaction to events that could have ended his campaign. Learn from his leadership. Enjoy his humanity. Identify with his values. Appreciate his wisdom. Relish his oratory. What a leader. Obama can be cool and calculated, and he can be warm, passionate, humane and human. He can be direct and he can be loving. A man of values who wants to do good and to empower others. Greatness is measured by what one does for others, not by what one does for oneself.
I miss him as the leader of the free world.
History is largely shaped by courageous leaders who take advantage of circumstances presented before them. Obama identified the circumstances and made the most of them. Obama proved once more that contrary to common wisdom, dreamers can affect reality.
I was fortunate to be in Obama’s audience three times when he ran for his first presidency. He impressed me a great deal. The more I saw, the more I wanted to see. The documentary ends with his concluding speech in Chicago, when he was about to leave the White House. This is unmissable speech. Masterclass of oratory and leadership. Obama has this ability to captivate his audience effortlessly, to touch their inner feelings, to ring truth, bringing tears to their eyes without them noticing. Obama’s truth is direct, unsophisticated, valuable and simple. Obama says what he feels and thinks as a human being and as a leader, and he is able to connect with so many people who feel exactly like him and move with him. History is the outcome of circumstances presented to leaders who take chances, initiate, and make the most of those chances. Obama shaped the history of the United States for better.
Gem of the Month: Ilkley
This month we visited two small towns, Otley and Ilkley, in the Yorkshire Dales. Otley is nice. Ilkley is very nice. This pretty, traditional spa town offers beautiful trails to walk, fine tearooms, magnificent countryside and a rock climbers' paradise. Both are on the River Wharfe.
Monthly Poems
Joan Baez sings יורים ובוכים,
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Joan+Baez+%26+Mercedes+Sosa+concert&view=detail&mid=13BD3B23040EDCDB9DD313BD3B23040EDCDB9DD3&FORM=VIRE
Feelings
Some people
Sometimes feeling everything
Sometimes feeling nothing.
Some people
Can’t feel anything
Growing up feeling made them suffer
Why bother.
Some people
Hit by reality they absorb
And absorb
Until they fell feeling all.
Some people TRY coping with feeling
Control, adjust, monitor, sigh
Sometime down, sometime climbing high
Apply inner thermostat
Relish feelings that make them alive.
~ Raphael Cohen-Almagor
Light Side:
Peace and Good Health to you all
Rafi
My last communications with all the photos and illustrations are available on Israel: Democracy, Human Rights, Politics and Society, http://almagor.blogspot.com
People wishing to subscribe to this Monthly Newsletter are welcome to e-mail me at r.cohen-almagor@hull.ac.uk
Twitter at @almagor35
Former President Jimmy Carter has won three Grammy Awards in the Best Spoken Word Album category. The first one was for Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis in 2007. Next came, A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety in 2016. Finally Faith: A Journey For All in 2019.
In 2004, Bill Clinton won Best Spoken Word Album for My Life. Just a year prior in 2003, he won the Best Spoken Word Album for Children with Prokofiev: Peter And The Wolf/Beintus: Wolf Tracks.
Finally, Barack Obama has won a couple of golden megaphones of his own. He won Best Spoken Word Album in 2006 for the narration of his book, Dreams from My Father audiobook. In 2008, he took home another one when he took home the Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for the audiobook version of The Audacity of Hope.
https://parade.com/1199611/marynliles/did-you-know-facts/
