January 27, 2012

Though Israel commemorates its Holocaust Memorial Day to coincide with the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, the international community marks today, January 27, to coincide with the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps. Irrespective of the day, Israel stands with the enlightened nations of the world in remembering the most horrific mass murder in history – the massacre of six million Jews and millions of others – and in pledging to prevent its recurrence. Today, as anti-Semitism remains an increasingly accepted reality, and as extremists continue to plan for mass murder of Jews, our memory and our determination are supremely important.

Symposium highlights and examines Israel’s contributions to a more sustainable future

By Josh Halpren

From solar-powered water heaters to hydrogen-fueled cars, Israel’s small physical size is no indicator of the big impact it has made as an innovator in green technology and the push for a more sustainable society.

“Israel is unusually good at looking at problems and then taking solutions from lab to venture to commercialization,” said Erran Carmel, a professor in the Kogod School of Business and one of the coordinators for this year’s Israeli Innovation in Greentech symposium. “This is the meaning of innovation.”

The symposium will take place February 7 and feature environmental innovators from a variety of sectors. The symposium promises to cast light on the innovative solutions that Israel has developed in response to environmental challenges.

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January 24, 2012

Six years ago, on the first International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israeli Air Force planes flew over the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp.  When they flew over the camp, the pilots said over the radio: "In the skies over the camp of horrors, we arise from the ashes of millions of victims and carry their silent cry, salute their heroism and promise to serve as a shield for the Jewish people and our country – Israel."

The photograph of Israeli planes, planes belonging to the Israel Defense Forces, over the gates of Birkenau, says all there is to say.  There is a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes a picture is worth millions of words: the millions of voices of the six million who were killed, the six million who currently live in Israel and the millions of other Jews around the world.  This picture summarizes the tremendous change in the history of our people – from being helpless in the face of our enemy to becoming a nation that defends itself.

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Jerusalem's Malcha Stadium was the setting for the 30th European Traditional Karate Championship in November
By Avigayil Kadesh

"We are strongly behind the message of using the tradition of karate to join people regardless of nationality," says Eyal Nir, head of the Traditional Karate Federation of Israel (TKFI).

Nir was the driving force behind the choice of Jerusalem as the setting for the 30th European Traditional Karate Championship, held on November 16-17, 2011.

Some 170 martial artists from 15 countries competed in the event at the Malcha Stadium, kicked off by a gala opening ceremony in the presence of Mayor Nir Barkat, European ambassadors and other dignitaries. Young Israeli karate students participated in a colorful parade of flags to set the mood for the multinational match, which meets every two years in a different country
"It's an international prestigious event, and we were lucky to get help from the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the municipality of Jerusalem," says Nir. "It has a lot of benefits, not just in the sports domain, but for Israel in general. We are now a candidate to host the world championships in 2014, so this was very important for our country."

The competitors included junior martial artists aged 16-19, and seniors aged 19 and up. In addition to Israel, they represented Spain, Russia, Moldova, the United Kingdom, Romania, Poland, Ukraine, Macedonia, Czech Republic, Austria, Lithuania, France, Armenia and Cyprus.

The Polish athletes scored the most medals, with the Romanians, Macedonians and Ukrainians not far behind. The Israeli junior team came in third place, and Israelis winning individual third-place awards were Shiri Rinat for women's Ko-Go style and Reuven Sharf for men's Fuku-Go style.

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"Only the pressure of a united international community can stop Iran from continuing its march toward nuclear weapons. The political and economic price that Iran will pay must be clear. Israel commends the recent steps taken by the U.S, the EU, and others in this regard."

Ambassador Ron Prosor addressed the United Nations Security Council on the situation in the Middle East on Tuesday, January 24.

Thank you, Mr. President.

As this is the first time that I have addressed the Security Council in the New Year, let me congratulate the five new Council members on their election. I wish each of you the best of luck in navigating the sometimes stormy debates of this hall.

As we gather in this chamber, an alarm bell is ringing. Never has it been so clear that Iran is seeking to build a nuclear weapon. This is the single greatest threat to the security of the entire world.

Now is the time to act. Tomorrow is too late. The stakes are too high. The price of inaction is too great.

The latest IAEA reports prove beyond any doubt that Iran has a nuclear weapons program, which is advancing rapidly.

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