Israel, California institute sign biotech deal with emphasis on stem cell research
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Israeli Science, Technology and Space Minister Ofir Akunis on Tuesday signed the first agreement of its kind between his ministry and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) in the field of biotechnology, with an emphasis on stem cell research.
The agreement was facilitated by the Israeli-American Council (IAC), which encourages cooperation between the United States and Israel, and whose stated mission is “to build an active and giving Israeli-American community throughout the United States in order to strengthen the State of Israel, our next generation, and to provide a bridge to the Jewish-American community.”
The biotechnology deal is the “sharpest response to all the foolish initiatives to make academics boycott Israel, including here in California,” Akunis said at the signing ceremony, adding that “anyone who boycotts Israel—the loss is all his.”
Akunis continued, “This agreement will deepen the partnership between Israel and California, bringing together our most talented scientists to push the boundaries of stem cell research and advance medical breakthroughs in the treatment of diseases ranging from cancer and diabetes, to Alzheimer’s and HIV-AIDS.”
IAC Chairman Adam Milstein said at the event that the organization is “excited by the opportunity to promote one of the most pressing issues facing humanity, and strengthen the bond between the people of Israel and the American people.”
Dr. Jonathan Thomas, chairman of the CIRM Board, praised Israel’s scientific achievements.
“Israel has become an important center for stem cell research. As part of our new CIRM 2.0 approach to funding stem cell research, we want to attract the best science and most promising projects from everywhere in the world to California,” Thomas said.
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Iran reportedly hacks former IDF chief’s computer
(JNS.org) Iranian hackers have reportedly managed to hack into a private computer used by a former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff as well as dozens of other computers belonging to Israelis.
According to a report by Israel’s Channel 10, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched a cyber-attack last year on dozens of Israeli computers that mostly belonged to current or former Israeli security officials. While the Iranians ceased the operation after their efforts were discovered, what remains unclear is the extent of the damage caused by the hackers and what specific information they took.
The report also said that Israeli cyber-security experts were able to identify one of the hackers, Yasser Balachi, who had mistakenly revealed his email address.
“Balachi said that he had not operated on his own initiative, rather for another cyber organization that commissioned the work,” said Ron Davidson, head of security services at Israeli cyber-security firm Check Point.
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UNESCO recognizes Israel’s Aleppo Codex as world treasure
(JNS.org) Israel’s Aleppo Codex, believed to be the world’s oldest copy of the Hebrew Bible, has been recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a unique world treasure.
The Aleppo Codex, which was written in Tiberias around 930 CE and is currently held by the Israel Museum, was officially recognized by UNESCO as a unique item with universal characteristics and will be listed among the organization’s registry of 300 items and collections that have been compiled since 1995, Haaretz reported.
The more than 1,000-year-old manuscript was smuggled out of Aleppo, Syria, where it has been in the possession of that city’s Jewish community for centuries. It eventually made its way to Israel in the 1950s. Originally 500 pages long, 200 pages had gone missing by the time of its arrival in Israel.
Two other items from Israel—the Rothschild Miscellany, a collection of 15-century manuscripts, and the Pages of Testimony at Yad Vashem—already belong to the UNESCO registry.
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Netanyahu calls for fence along all of Israel’s borders
(JNS.org) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government is working towards erecting a full border fence around Israel in order to protect the country from the “wild beasts” that are terrorists.
“We are preparing a multi-year project to encircle Israel with a security fence, to defend ourselves in the Middle East as it is now, and as it is expected to be,” Netanyahu said while touring a security fence being erected along Israel’s border with Jordan.
“At the end, in the State of Israel, as I see it, there will be a fence that spans it all,” he added. “I’ll be told, ‘This is what you want, to protect the villa?’ The answer is yes. Will we surround all of the State of Israel with fences and barriers? The answer is yes. In the area that we live in, we must defend ourselves against the wild beasts.”
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Catholic, Russian Orthodox churches set for historic meeting on Middle East
(JNS.org) The leaders of the Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches will meet for the first time since their schism 1,000 years ago, in order to discuss the ongoing persecution of Christians in the Middle East.
The two-hour meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow will be held at Havana Airport in Cuba next week.
“This event has extraordinary importance in the path of ecumenical relations and dialogue among Christian confessions,” Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said in a statement.
Senior Russian Orthodox cleric Metropolitan Hilarion said the two denominations “need to put aside internal disagreements at this tragic time and join efforts to save Christians in the regions where they are subject to the most atrocious persecution.”
“The situation as it has developed today in the Middle East, in North and Central Africa, and in some other regions in which extremists are perpetrating a real genocide of the Christian population, has required urgent measures and closer cooperation between Christian churches,” said Hilarion.
Th Great Schism of 1054 separated the Eastern Orthodox and Western Roman Catholic churches over ecclesiastical differences.
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Turkish President Erdogan meets with top U.S. Jewish leaders
(JNS.org) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday met with top American Jewish leaders amid negotiations that may lead to a resumption of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel.
Malcolm Hoenlein, CEO and executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and Stephen M. Greenberg, chairman of the Conference of Presidents, led the Jewish delegation that met with Erdogan and Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu at the Cankaya Palace in Ankara.
“They discussed a range of issues including relations between Turkey, the United States and Israel, terrorism and extremism, and regional conflicts,” the Conference of Presidents said in a press release. “The [American Jewish] delegation was accompanied by heads of the Turkish Jewish community, led by Isak Ibrimzadeh. The far-ranging discussion dealt with issues such as energy, incitement, and the role of Russia, Iran and other countries. They also talked about their commonalities as descendants of the Abrahamic faiths and the multiple challenges that they face, emphasizing the need to work together to fight manifestations of hate against Jews, Muslims, Christians, and others. President Erdogan outlined eight of his policy priorities, including the issue of energy and potential for regional cooperation involving Israel as well.”
Turkey and Israel have so far been unsuccessful in efforts to restore their diplomatic ties, which deteriorated following the May 2010 Gaza flotilla incident.
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IDF chief says soldiers have a duty to disobey illegal orders
(JNS.org) In effort to maintain transparency in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel’s army chief on Tuesday said that soldiers have a duty to disobey illegal orders.
“Any soldier who enlists in the military is given a lesson about unlawful orders,” said IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eizenkot at an academic conference in Herzliya, Israel. “It’s not a right, but an obligation not to carry out illegal orders. We explain to soldiers that we demand that they not carry out illegal orders.”
“I’m not talking about the hundreds of soldiers who later make statements to the press,” he added. “But it’s important to understand that it’s a duty [to disobey illegal orders].”
Eizenkot said the IDF will be “stronger” and “better” by meeting with members of Breaking the Silence, the NGO that promotes criticism of the Israeli military through the testimonies of former soldiers, to follow up on claims made by the discharged soldiers.
“We expect from our soldiers that our values be adhered to in real-time, and not that they break their silence three years later at some conference. One has to carry out legitimate missions in a manner that is compatible with the IDF spirit. Where this does not occur, it’s a soldier’s obligation, not his right, to desist,” said Eizenkot.
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