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Britain and Israel Team Up on Challenge of Healthy Ageing

Written by AUFTAU on . Posted in Newsroom.

British-Israeli research partnership contributes £1.6 Million to research collaboration.

A new collaboration between Israel and the UK aims to promote joint research projects related to ageing. As part of this collaboration, Tel Aviv University recently held a hybrid conference on the multidisciplinary aspects of ageing research. Furthermore, a new £1.6 million (₪7 million) grant program was launched for funding collaborations between Israeli and British researchers in the field of ageing research and the call for proposals is now open. 

Israel and the UK are sharing knowledge in many fields, and according to Prof. Karen Avraham, Vice Dean for Pre-Clinical Affairs of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the Chair of the conference from TAU, gerontology is one of the most important among them. The conference is the harbinger of collaboration between Israel and other progressive western countries around these topics, and Prof. Avraham believes we will see more such conferences in the future.

Quality of Life in Old Age

The conference, which dealt with the multidisciplinary aspects of ageing research, among them: molecular ageing, social ageing, age-dependent diseases and interventions and life quality, constitutes a fruitful joint initiative of the Britain-Israel Research and Academic Exchange (BIRAX) partnership, Tel Aviv University, the British Council in Israel and the UK Embassy. It is the 5th BIRAX conference since its launch 10 years ago.

“I am happy and excited for the unique opportunity given to us, leading researchers from Israel and the UK, to share our knowledge arm in arm. The pandemic has made it clear how old age can be precarious and forlorn, and I hope that gerontological and geriatric topics will gain more public awareness. In a world in which our lifespan is getting longer and longer, we shall make sure that life quality will be conserved also in old age, and we are here to discuss that,” said Prof. Karen Avraham. Prof. Avraham has, among else, developed an innovative treatment for deafness, a novel therapy that could lead to a breakthrough in treating children born with various mutations that eventually cause deafness.

One of the World’s Great Challenges

Among the participants of the conference were the British Ambassador to Israel, Mr. Neil Wigan OBE, Chairman of the British Council, Mrs. Stevie Spring CBE, and Lord Robert Winston of Hammersmith, along with leading researchers from Israeli and British universities.

 

Ambassador Neil Wigen and TAU’s Dr. Mira Marcus-Kalish

 

Ambassador Neil Wigan, said: “Scientific collaboration between the UK and Israel is one of our most important fields, and we are working to expand it dramatically in the future. It’s always exciting to see the groundbreaking research proposals coming out of BIRAX – in ageing research and other academic areas – that have real potential to impact the future of us all”.

“Over the decade of its existence, BIRAX has promoted UK-Israel scientific collaboration allowing both countries to complement each other’s strengths in research, science and medicine. The British Council is proud to be enabling both countries to join forces on one of the world’s great challenges – healthy ageing,” added Stevie Spring CBE.

 

Conference participants

Featured image: Photo (from left to right): TAU Governor and benefactor Mr. Sami Sagol, British Ambassador to Israel, Mr. Neil Wigan and Prof. Karen Avraham at the conference.

Meet the New Academic Power Couple

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Johns Hopkins SAIS and Tel Aviv University launch cooperative degree program.

Tel-Aviv University (TAU), Gershon H. Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) have partnered to launch a cooperative degree program.

Two Master Degrees in Two Years

This two-year program will enable students to earn a Master of Arts in International Affairs at SAIS Europe, the school’s European campus located in Bologna, Italy, and a Master of Arts at Tel Aviv University International (TAUi) in one of the following English-led degree programs: Conflict Resolution and Mediation, Cyber Politics and Government, Developing Countries, and Security and Diplomacy. All programs share a similar intent: To focus on current 21st century global challenges and offer ways of mitigating and solving them. Students in this two-year program spend one year at each campus and can choose to begin their studies in either Bologna or Tel Aviv.

SAIS Europe Director, Michael Plummer says “the new cooperative degree with Tel Aviv University provides students the opportunity to experience two distinct academic, social, and cultural environments, to develop a global perspective, and to better understand the challenges facing Europe and the Middle East. It is an excellent opportunity for students interested in a multidisciplinary, international tool-based graduate education in international affairs.”

“The Faculty holds an important role and duty of making current, updated and precise knowledge available to its students and researchers around the world. Our agenda is to train and equip the students with knowledge and experience to enable them to improve our society and help create a better world. We are proud and excited to launch a collaboration with the Bologna branch of Johns Hopkins University,” adds TAU Social Sciences Faculty Dean, Prof. Itai Sened.

An Experience of Growth and Non-stop Discovery

TAU International (TAUi) is host to nearly 3,000 international students from across the globe each year. Its 60 English-led academic programs are designed to empower its graduates through academic excellence, diverse experience, and non-stop discovery. 

“We offer our students at TAU International the chance to experience of growth and non-stop discovery on many levels. The collaboration between academic research and policy-making giants like TAU and Johns Hopkins, will surely be a leap for any student who seeks to reach new heights in search of today’s seemingly unsolvable global challenges,” says Orit Coty Marketing Director of Tel Aviv University International.

Make the most of your Master’s and become a true leader in policy making and world development by participating in the cooperative program between Johns Hopkins and Tel Aviv University. Applications for 2022-2023 will open soon and end in February 2022.

On Nov 17th, 2021 at 11am (Israel time) there will be a hybrid information session for prospective students with Prof. Itai Sened, along with Daniela Coleman, who is the Director of Admissions at SAIS Europe, and the program coordinators at TAU. They will be talking about the MA program, Daniela will describe the Bologna part of the experience, and all will answer questions. The in-person event will be held at the Faculty of Law Trobovich Building, Room 204, and there is also a Zoom registration link for those who won’t be able to attend live. 

For more information on registration to TAU’s international programs, visit international.tau.ac.il. 

Featured image: International students enjoying the beautiful Tel Aviv University campus

TAU Researchers Identify COVID Proteins that Cause Strokes and Heart Attacks

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Findings may help develop drug to halt virus’ damage to blood vessels.

Two years into the global pandemic, we still do not know which of the proteins in the SARS-CoV-2 virus are the ones responsible for cases of severe vascular damage. For the first time since the outbreak of COVID-19, a TAU-led team of experts has been able to identify 5 of the 29 proteins that make up the virus that are responsible for damaging blood vessels. The researchers hope that the identification of these proteins will help develop targeted drugs for COVID-19 that reduce vascular damage.

Coronavirus Deconstructed

“We see a very high incidence of vascular disease and blood clotting, for example stroke and heart attack, among COVID patients,” says Dr. Ben Maoz of TAU’s Department of Biomedical Engineering and Sagol School of Neuroscience. “We tend to think of COVID as primarily a respiratory disease, but the truth is that coronavirus patients are up to three times more likely to have a stroke or heart attack. All the evidence shows that the virus severely damages the blood vessels or the endothelial cells that line the blood vessels. However, to this day the virus has been treated as one entity. We wanted to find out which proteins in the virus are responsible for this type of damage.”

The novel coronavirus is a relatively simple virus – it comprises a total of 29 different proteins (compared to the tens of thousands of proteins produced by the human body). The Tel Aviv University researchers used the RNA of each of the COVID-19 proteins and examined the reaction that occurred when the various RNA sequences were inserted into human blood vessel cells in the lab; they were thereby able to identify five coronavirus proteins that damage the blood vessels.

Dr. Ben Maoz in his lab

Minimizing Damage to Blood Vessels

“When the coronavirus enters the body, it begins to produce 29 proteins, a new virus is formed, that virus produces 29 new proteins, and so on,” explains Dr. Maoz. “In this process, our blood vessels turn from opaque tubes into kind of permeable nets or pieces of cloth, and in parallel there is an increase in blood clotting. We thoroughly examined the effect of each of the 29 proteins expressed by the virus, and were successful in identifying the five specific proteins that cause the greatest damage to endothelial cells and hence to vascular stability and function. In addition, we used a computational model developed by Prof. [Roded Sharan of the Blavatnik School of Computer Science] which allowed us to assess and identify which coronavirus proteins have the greatest effect on other tissues, without having seen them ‘in action’ in the lab.”

According to Dr. Maoz, the identification of these proteins may have significant consequences in the fight against the virus. “Our research could help find targets for a drug that will be used to stop the virus’s activity, or at least minimize damage to blood vessels.”

The study was led by Dr. Ben Maoz of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Prof. Uri Ashery of The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, and Prof. Roded Sharan of the Blavatnik School of Computer Science – all Tel Aviv University researchers. Also participating in the study were Dr. Rossana Rauti, Dr. Yael Bardoogo and doctoral student Meishar Shahoah of Tel Aviv University, and Prof. Yaakov Nahmias of the Institute of Life Sciences at the Hebrew University. The results of the new study were published in the journal eLife.

Featured: Illustration of Coronavirus in blood vessel

TAU Launches Cutting-Edge Center for Innovation Labs

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Center to cooperate with industry veterans to develop innovative solutions to real-world issues.

Tel Aviv University is launching the Center for Innovation Laboratories. The center will join forces with industry along the goal of advancing groundbreaking research with potential applicability within a period of 3-7 years from the moment the research begins. At this stage, the center comprises six laboratories, with additional laboratories under construction. The goal of the labs is to adapt research to the needs of society, industry and public institutions.

Research in Consultation with Industry Experts

For the first time in Israeli academia, the choice of research topics will be made in consultation with industry and public bodies (e.g. hospitals) that will present the needs on the ground to the heads of the laboratories, who will try to provide a comprehensive scientific and innovative solution within a few years’ time. For example, if the industry describes a demand for the development of unique photographic technology for medical diagnosis purposes, or a need to monitor offensive content in information transmitted online, the researchers will try to provide an appropriate solution based on unique artificial intelligence methods.

The model of this applied research is different from traditional basic research, which focuses on the interests of the researcher, without necessarily thinking about immediate needs. At the same time, however, while the center will focus on the applicable aspect of the research, this will not detract from the outstanding basic research that is taking place at the university. This fundamental research has been and will remain the bulk of the university’s scientific research. Furthermore, faculty members at the new center will continue to be an integral part of their “mother” faculties.

A Multidisciplinary Endeavor

In its multi-year vision, Tel Aviv University has defined three main elements: strengthening its international component, encouraging multidisciplinarity, and bolstering its relationships with knowledge-intensive industry and society. In this context, the new center will promote the university’s vision and act as a channel through which these three tracks will flow.

Unlike basic research, which traditionally focuses on one discipline, research at the new center will bring together experts from a wide range of disciplines. The Automated Justice Laboratory, for instance, will deal with areas in which the market and academia rarely engage, such as systems for improving democracy – handling fake news and the relationship between the government and the citizens. This lab will house people from various disciplines, including legal scholars, psychologists, software engineers, media specialists, political scientists, smart cities researchers and designers. A multidisciplinary approach is required and the research will have potential applicability within a period of 3-7 years.

Unconventional Approach to IP Rights

The center’s financial approach is based on the industry taking on a significant part of the funding of the research, in a format that involves “club membership” that confers product development rights.

The center also applies unconventional thinking when it comes to property rights. According to the new model, all players, including the university, the researchers, and industry partners, will receive the rights to use the research products. These rights will be under a non-exclusive and non-transferable license. This unique model will accelerate the application of academic innovation to the sphere of action and will overcome one of the most significant obstacles in commercialization of worth academic innovations.

These six labs will be kicking off this exciting journey:

  • Genetic Reproduction: Biology, Medicine, Engineering (Prof. Noam Shomron)
  • The Human Robot: Animal, Man, Machine (Dr. Goren Gordon)
  • Urban Science: Sustainability, Environment, Food (Prof. Tali Hatuka)
  • Computational Economics: Information, Intelligence and Economics (Prof. Michal Feldman)
  • Mechanized Justice: Law, Information, Intelligence (Prof. Omri Yadlin)
  • Act-Play-Game (Dr. Sharon Aronson-Lehavi)

 “This unique center redefines the interface between academia and industry,” says Director of the Center, Prof. David Mendlovic of the Fleischman Faculty of Engineering

“The academic freedom to create and innovate on the one hand, and the desire for research that has practical applicability on the other, has led to a center that brings together innovation labs dealing with a variety of topics and actors such as industry, hospitals and government agencies. Our unique commercial and funding model and our selection of unconventional innovation labs is leading to the close engagement of the center’s partners that will relay the academic innovation to those who will implement it. I am proud to be part of a university that is responsible for such an initiative.” 

Featured image: Dr. Goren Gordon (right) with a student in the Human Robot: Animal, Man, Machine Lab.

From Law and Education to Nursing

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Number of TAU academics transferring to nursing tripled following Corona crisis.

While our health care system is struggling to keep up with the pressure, hundreds of graduates from the Department of Nursing at The Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions will soon join the efforts against the pandemic and can become a significant reinforcement for the health system and society in general.

Covid-induced Boost in Appreciation 

New data from Tel Aviv University shows there has been a 50% increase in nursing students over the last two years, up from 223 students in 2019 to 327 students in 2021.

Moreover, the number of academics who decided to transfer to the nursing profession has tripled from 39 in 2019 to 102 in 2021. According to the Department of Nursing, the boost is mainly a result of the appreciation for the work of nurses during the Corona crisis.

Academics who have chosen to convert to nursing come from a variety of disciplines, including: law, education, psychology and behavioral sciences.

Job Security and Professional Satisfaction

Dr. Michal Itzhaki, Chair of the Department of Nursing, welcomes the increase, describing the incoming academics as “a high-quality workforce, which has recalculated a route following a desire for job security, managerial promotion and professional satisfaction, and which we are happy to welcome.”

“Academic nurses are engaged in a critical and vital profession, which significance has intensified in the past year and a half. Nursing students see their studies as a mission, based on the highest level of professionalism, humanity and concern for others. We’re proud of every graduate who goes on to integrate into the workforce.”

Dr. Anat Amit Aharon, Head of the Academic Transfer Program, adds: “In the retraining studies in the department, we work closely with two leading Israeli hospitals, Sheba and Ichilov. Together, we guide the students to academic excellence. Our graduates all made a brave decision, sometimes after successful careers, to transition to study nursing. They deserve appreciation.”

Like Teenagers on Vacation

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Light pollution can impair crickets’ reproductive process and threaten their survival.

A joint study conducted by researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Open University of Israel revealed that exposing male crickets to artificial light at night (ALAN) can impair their activity cycles. According to the researchers, nocturnal chirping is the male’s way of calling females to come and mate with him, and its disruption can interfere with reproduction processes and even endanger the entire species. Previous studies worldwide have shown that light pollution is harmful to many species of animals and plants. The researchers call for reducing ALAN as much as possible to enable coexistence in the night environment.

Humans are Driving Away the Darkness

Keren Levy of the School of Zoology and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University explains: “The distinction between day and night, light and darkness, is a major foundation of life on earth. But humans, as creatures of the day who fear the dark, disrupt this natural order: they produce artificial light that drives away the darkness and allows them to continue their activities at night.”

Levy explains that today, more than 80% of the world population live under light pollution, and the overall extent of artificial light at night rises by 5% every year. This negatively impacts the environment and affects natural behaviors that have developed over millions of years of evolution. The artificial light at night affects the length and quality of sleep of many animals, leads to high mortality, and changes the activity cycles of many creatures. For example, dung beetles, that navigate using the Milky Way, lose their way when light pollution increases; sea turtles hatchlings seek the brightest surface in sight – supposedly the sea, and reach the nearby promenade instead; to mention just two of many examples.

Off-Tune Crickets

In the current study the researchers examined the impact of light pollution on the field cricket, a nocturnal insect whose chirping can be heard during the nights of late summer – when males call for females to mate with them.

Prof. Amir Ayali, also from TAU’s School of Zoology and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, explains, “In nature, crickets exhibit a very regular cycle of activity. Chirping behavior, calling for females, occurs at sunset and during the night, ending in the morning. We exposed field crickets to different levels of lifelong ALAN and observed its impact on two fundamental behaviors: chirping and locomotion.”

The researchers monitored dozens of crickets that were exposed throughout their lives (from egg to adult stage) to four types of light conditions. They found that crickets whose light-dark cycle is disrupted behave like teenagers on vacation: active or asleep according to their own inner clock or lacking any rhythm whatsoever.

“In fact,” adds Keren Levy, “light pollution induced by humankind impacts the field cricket and evokes loss of synchronization within the individual, on the population level, and between the population and the environment. Our findings on ALAN-induced changes in calling song patterns may possibly impair female attraction and reproduction in this species. Our results are in accord with many other studies demonstrating the severe impacts of low levels of ALAN on nature.”

Levy urges us all to help protect our environment and surroundings by turning off the lights in our backyards, on the terrace, in parking lots, and wherever possible: “Help us bring the night and the milky way back into our lives and enable nightly coexistence with the creatures around us.”

The study was led by Prof. Amir Ayali and Keren Levy of the School of Zoology and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University and Prof. Anat Barnea of the Department of Natural and Life Sciences at the Open University. Yoav Wegrzyn from Prof. Ayali’s laboratory and Ronny Efronny also took part in the study. The paper was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, and also mentioned in Nature.

Featured image: Prof. Amir Ayali and a small friend (Photo: Jonathan Blum)

394 TAU Researchers Among World’s Top 100,000

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First in Israel in international ranking of leading researchers and articles in their field.

Leading academic publisher Elsevier has published its Stanford ranking, announcing the 100,000 researchers (whose articles Elsevier publish) who are among the top 2% in their fields. Tel Aviv University is the first among Israeli universities, with 394 of its researchers included on the list, The Hebrew University on a second place, with 283 researchers.

An impressive 13 TAU researchers are ranked among the top 50 in their field, among them Prof. Noga Alon of the School of Computer Science who is number one in his field. Prof. Alon, an expert in combinatorics (an area of mathematics primarily concerned with counting, both as a means and an end in obtaining results, and certain properties of finite structures), has won many awards, including the Gödel Prize for his pioneering work on Big Data, the Israel Prize in mathematics (2008) and the Israel Security Prize.

Prof. Ariel Rubinstein and Prof. Itzhak Gilboa from The Eitan Berglas School of Economics were ranked 5th and 6th in their field. Prof. Ariel Rubinstein received the Israel Prize for economics (2002) and has, among else, published “Perfect equilibrium in a bargaining model”, an important contribution to the theory of bargaining. Prof. Itzhak Gilboa is an Israeli economist with contributions in decision theory and other fields in economic theory such as game theory and social choice. His main interest is in decision under uncertainty, focusing on the definition of probability, notions of rationality, non-Bayesian decision models, and related issues.

Prof. Jiska Cohen-Mansfield from the Department of Health Promotion at the School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine ranked in 7th place in her profession. Prof. Cohen-Mansfield co-directs TAU’s Minerva Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of the End of Life. Her areas of research include: Psychology, Gerontology and Health Promotion.

Prof. David Schmeidler from the School of Mathematical Sciences and the Coller School of Management was ranked in 10th place. Prof. Schmeidler is a mathematician and economic theorist with important contributions, among else in the theory of individual decision making under uncertainty (decision theory).

TAU studies in the fields of life sciences, medicine, exact sciences and engineering stood out, the most represented field being clinical medicine with an impressive 139 researchers, followed by 59 from physics and astronomy, 36 from information and communication technologies and 35 from engineering.

In 2020, 333 TAU researchers were ranked among the top 2% in their respective disciplines, 12 of which were among the world’s top 50. Prof. Itzhak Gilboa was ranked 6th in the world in the field of theoretical economics, Prof. Jiska Cohen-Mansfield 12th in the world in the field of geriatrics and Prof. Emeritus David Schmeidler was ranked 12th in his discipline. 

Read the full ranking here: https://elsevier.digitalcommonsdata.com/datasets/btchxktzyw/3

TAU 5th in World for Entrepreneurship

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Right after leading American universities – Stanford, MIT, UC Berkeley and Harvard.

Tel Aviv University was ranked fifth in the world in the ranking of Startup Genome (a world-leading innovation policy advisory and research firm) for 2021. The prestigious ranking reflects the involvement of alumni of the world’s leading universities in entrepreneurship, and in the establishment of scale up companies (companies that have advanced beyond the startup stage and their worth is estimated at $50m or more).

Remarkable Academic Achievement

The top four institutions in the ranking are leading American universities – Stanford, MIT, UC Berkeley, and Harvard, with Tel Aviv University coming right after. In fact, Tel Aviv University is the only non-American university in the ranking’s top 10, which also include Cornell, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University.

According to the ranking, about 1,300 TAU alumni have founded active companies in a vast range of areas over the last decades, and about 40 of these have attained the status of scale up companies.

This designation joins the PitchBook’s, which annually places TAU among the top 10 institutions producing venture capital-backed entrepreneurs. Here too, TAU is the only non-American university ranked in the top 10     .

Prof. Moshe Zviran, Dean of the Coller School of Management and Chief Entrepreneurship and Innovation Officer at TAU: “This is a very significant achievement for both Tel Aviv University and the State of Israel. The Startup Genome ranking is a standard of entrepreneurial excellence of the highest level in the world. Israel in general, and TAU as its leading entrepreneurial university, form fertile ground for uniquely creative young entrepreneurs who establish independent companies and hold      key positions in the world’s leading corporations. The rich toolbox which our students acquire during their studies serves them well when they enter the job market. We are proud of our alumni and students for this achievement and will continue to fortify TAU’s position in the top echelons of global entrepreneurship.”   

Link to the full ranking: https://startupgenome.com/articles/scaleup-founder-university-education

Israel-Indian academic ties boosted by visit of Indian Minister of External Affairs

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(Left to right): President of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, Minister of External Affairs of India ,
Dr S. Jaishankar, and President of Tel Aviv University, Prof. Ariel Porat.

All photos by Shlomi Amsalem, Courtesy of Tel Aviv University

Meeting of Israeli university presidents and senior leadership with Dr S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India.

Tel Aviv University hosted a meeting of Israeli university presidents with Dr S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India. The Minister met with university presidents and senior leadership from Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Technion, Ben Gurion University, Haifa University and Bar Ilan University to discuss opportunities for expanding and deepening academic ties between the two countries. The Minister also met with a group of Indian students studying in Israel to hear about their experiences and suggestions for how to expand student mobility.

The Minister noted that universities play a significant role in strengthening bilateral relations and whilst there has been increased cooperation in the higher education field in recent years, there is much potential to boost ties in many fields, including technology and innovation. Currently there are around 1,000 Indian students studying in Israel, around half of them post-doctoral students. The Minister said that India is “committed to finding new ways to expand our relationship”, and “the challenge before us is how to scale it up and shift it to the next gear”.

Professor Ariel Porat, President of Tel Aviv University, noted the significance of the Minister’s visit in the context of the upcoming 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations and growing ties between the two countries. Professor Porat stressed that “TAU sees India as a strategic priority and we see great potential in expanding our partnerships with leading academic institutions and industry in India”. Professor Daniel Chamovitz, President of Ben Gurion University said “The strong academic collaboration between India and Israel is built on common values which facilitates the personal interactions”. The Israeli university leaders called for the establishment of more bilateral mechanisms to support joint research and student mobility.

Roohi Chaudry, PhD student in the field of cancer biophysics at TAU, reflecting on her experiences studying in Israel said “studying at TAU and Israel has helped me to gain insight into so many diverse cultures and take a giant leap out of my comfort zone to unravel endless opportunities. The well-equipped research labs with world class infrastructure and the most advanced innovative learning techniques assisted in reinforcing my desire to take up research as my line of work”. She applauded the Minister’s visit and called for the “more student exchanges in the future which will prove to be a testimony in strengthening Indo-Israel relations”.

Meeting of Indian students studying in Israel with Dr S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India.

 

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“In Wars, there are Winners and Losers. In Peace, Everyone Wins”

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Commemorating Yitzhak Rabin, 26 years after his assassination.

Hundreds of students and faculty members gathered to show their respect to late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, 26 years after his assassination. The speakers at the event were Prof. Eyal Zisser, Vice Rector of Tel Aviv University; Prof. Simha Goldin, Historian and Head of the History Teaching Profession Committee and father of Hadar Goldin (Lieutenant in the Givati Brigade of the IDF who was killed during the military Operation Protective Edge in 2014, his body still held in Gaza by Hamas terrorists) and Lior Hazan, Chairwoman of Tel Aviv University’s Student Union.

“Violence is not an order. It is a choice”

Prof. Eyal Zisser called on the TAU community to take on the task of changing the discourse in Israel and to displace the growing culture of violence. “Rabin wanted to forge a path for peace,” said the professor, adding that Rabin “experienced something which many of those involved in state security had experienced. Those who had experienced wars, fought fiercely and made significant sacrifices acknowledged the futility of wars and their destructive impact on every good part of the social, political and human fabric. In his remarks, which he repeated in many of his speeches, Rabin noted that in wars there are winners and losers. In peace, everyone wins.“

Professor Zisser added that Rabin’s assassination was a painful and traumatic event for Israelis, that still resonates today. “We still haven’t stifled the fire of fanaticism and hatred. We have allowed intolerance and brutality to fill the gap [which has worsened since Rabin’s assassination]. Thus, the longing for Yitzhak Rabin is overshadowed by concern for the society he left behind,” said Prof. Zisser.

TAU students and faculty members honor late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on the Memorial Day services held on campus (Photo: Michael Plotno, Tel Aviv University’s Student Union)

“Violence challenges social values and moral norms, and threatens to undermine the foundations of the state. Violence is not an order. It is a choice. Let us not put up with it. It is important to listen to minority opinions with utmost attention, and take into account the hardships, fears and the inhibitions experienced by the individual as well as by the many.”

“We, the TAU community and its alumni, have a responsibility to decisively change our daily, social and public discourse.” He called for another discourse that brings back “moral boundaries, based on the principle that someone who holds different opinions is not thereby a traitor. 26 years after the murder it is right to return boldly and emphasize that there must be no tolerance and understanding when it comes to manifestations of racism, violence and fanaticism. We must take a strong stance in the face of fanaticism, which has intensified in recent years, so that democracy is not destroyed.”

Filling the Void that Was Created

Prof. Goldin spoke about Rabin’s courageous path, noting that the former prime minister was not afraid to pioneer change. The professor asked this generation of students to assume responsibility and establish a new, honorable and courageous leadership.

“A generation has passed, and we’ve learned nothing. I expect you to fill the void that was created and save this wonderful country from itself,” said Prof. Goldin, urging the participants at the event to behave like Rabin. Instead of looking for culprits, they should take responsibility.

 

Prof. Simha Goldin (Photo: Michael Plotno, Tel Aviv University’s Student Union)

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