tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914288593835305262024-03-12T18:08:39.316+02:00small talk 2.0On international relations and strategic communications in the age of social media and AIyaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-31556549704338911982023-12-09T22:18:00.003+02:002023-12-09T22:25:41.594+02:00מקורות הווקיזם כאידיאולוגיה של האנטישמיות החדשה <p></p><div class="separator" dir="rtl" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: right;">דור ה-Z תומך בחמאס: מקורות הווקיזם כאידיאולוגיה של האנטישמיות החדשה באמריקה</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><h4 style="clear: both; text-align: right;">הטבח בעוטף עזה והמלחמה נגד ארגון החמאס הביאו להתפרצות חריגה בעוצמתה של שנאת ישראל ואנטישמיות בארצות הברית. בין המאפיינים החדשים והבולטים של התופעה: רמת העוינות הגבוהה כלפי ישראל, ריבוי תקריות אלימות נגד יהודים, השתתפות גבוהה במחאה של הדור הצעיר (דור המילניום ודור ה-Z) שחלקים גדולים ממנו מסרבים לראות בישראל קורבן של מעשי הזוועה ומצדיקים את פעולת החמאס. מקור תופעות אלה נמצא בזרמים אידיאולוגיים שפשטו בחברה האמריקאית בעשורים האחרונים ואשר מתבססים על תפיסות אידיאולוגיות רדיקליות בנושא אי-שוויון גזעי, מגדרי וחברתי, המושפעות מגישות פוסט-מודרניסטיות בעלות מאפיינים אנטי-ליברליים. למרות היותן שנויות במחלוקת, תפיסות אלה הונחלו במערכת החינוך הציבורית ובמערכת ההשכלה הגבוהה וכיום הן מעצבות את תודעת הדור הצעיר ומשפיעות על עמדתו כלפי הסכסוך הישראלי-פלסטיני ועל יחסו לקהילה היהודית בארה״ב.</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><u>מאפייני המחאה האנטי-ישראלית</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">התפרצות של עוינות ושנאה כלפי ישראל במרחב הציבורי האמריקאי החלה מייד אחרי הטבח של ה-7 באוקטובר. בדומה למחאה אנטי-ישראלית בסבבי הלחימה הקודמים, גם הגל הנוכחי התבטא בשלוש זירות עיקריות: הפגנות במרכזי הערים, הפגנות בקמפוסים של אוניברסיטאות, ועליה חדה בפרסומים אנטי-ישראליים ואנטישמיים ברשתות החברתיות (בדגש על טיקטוק וטוויטר). עם זאת, בגל המחאה הנוכחי ניכרים המאפיינים הבאים שמבדילים אותו מהסבבים הקודמים:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">א.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>הזדהות אידיאולוגית, חד-משמעית ובלתי מתנצלת, של המפגינים עם ארגון החמאס, תוך הצגת הסיסמא לשחרור ״פלסטין מהנהר לים״ כדרישה לגיטימית;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">ב.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>נכונות גבוהה לפעול באלימות נגד יהודים ותומכי ישראל, שלעיתים קרובות הובילה לתקריות אנטישמיות אלימות במרכזי הערים ובקמפוסים;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">ג.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>שתיקה, התעלמות, תגובה מאוחרת או מטושטשת מצד הנהלות האוניברסיטאות ביחס לטבח, ובהמשך גם ביחס לאלימות המפגינים נגד סטודנטים יהודים;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">ד.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>צורת מחאה חדשה של הסרה שיטתית של מודעות חטופים שהפיצו תומכי ישראל;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">ה.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>לצד הובלת הארגונים הפלסטינים והמוסלמיים, בלטה נוכחותם של פעילי קהילות המיעוטים האחרות, כולל של היהודים האנטי-ציונים, בדגש על ארגון Jewish Voices for Peace שיזם אירועים בעלי נראות ציבורית גבוהה (בבניין הקפיטול בוושינגטון, בגשר מנהטן בניו יורק, ועוד). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXds59T8m41UNFNrHiS1eLQKXY0mvkvy4b1r-rJaF7tYPJINPkFbQxdaGfX8cXSPb8XANROZplPfSiinb7IXZJavV6SuUAP93ixDFvnfL8-HInLliflyPjjuX0cyOgh_NyjSj-3L0rG3CBAe3X-t2ClFRj9ITwAdDBX_Vtg8qAUUW7YqHUB2CBuHR_O4DG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXds59T8m41UNFNrHiS1eLQKXY0mvkvy4b1r-rJaF7tYPJINPkFbQxdaGfX8cXSPb8XANROZplPfSiinb7IXZJavV6SuUAP93ixDFvnfL8-HInLliflyPjjuX0cyOgh_NyjSj-3L0rG3CBAe3X-t2ClFRj9ITwAdDBX_Vtg8qAUUW7YqHUB2CBuHR_O4DG=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><u>״התיאוריה הביקורתית של גזע״ - רקע</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">החרפת העוינות האנטי-ישראלית והאנטישמית בארה״ב מקורה בתפיסות אידיאולוגיות רדיקליות המתפשטות בחברה ובמערכת החינוך האמריקאית מזה שני עשורים. הגופים הפרו-פלסטינים, דוגמת SJP, ידעו להתחבר ולנצל את המגמות האלה לטובת קידום האינטרסים של ארגוני הטרור הפלסטינים, אך הם לא אלה שיצרו אותן. מה שעומד בבסיס התמורות האידיאולוגיות הנ״ל הוא אימוץ ויישום מעשי של תפיסות המבוססות על ״התיאוריה הביקורתית של הגזע״ (Critical Race Theory, בהמשך CRT) ועל אידיאולוגיות רדיקליות בנושא מגדר וצדק החברתי במרחב הציבורי האמריקאי, כולל במערכות האמונות על עיצוב התודעה של הדור הצעיר: מערכת השכלה גבוהה ומערכת החינוך הציבורית. מגמות אלה מאפיינות גם את שוק העבודה בארה״ב, כמו גם תחומי עשיה נוספים, אך תחומים אלה לא נכללים במסגרת הניתוח הנכחי.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">התיאוריה הביקורתית של הגזע פותחה בארה״ב מאז שנות ה-70 ע״י אנשי אקדמיה ופעילי זכויות אדם, ובמרכזה הטענה כי הגזע איננו תופעה המבוססת על הבדלים ביולוגיים אלא הבנייה חברתית שמושרשת במערכת משפטית ואשר נועדה לשמר מצב של אי-שוויון וחלוקת הכוח הקיימת בארה״ב. לפי CRT, הגזענות אינה מקבץ של דעות קדומות של פרט ביחס לזולתו, אלא חלק בלתי נפרד של מערכת שלטונית שהקים הרוב הלבן, הדומיננטי ובעל הפריבילגיות, כדי לדכא את המיעוט השחור ומיעוטים אחרים. בסוף שנות ה-90 מספר חוקרים אמריקאים מתחו ביקורת על התיאוריה הנ״ל, חשפו את חולשתה המדעית, את היעדר ההוכחות האמפיריות התומכות בה, וכן את סכנותיה הפוטנציאליות, כולל האפשרות שתעודד אנטישמיות. למרות זאת, ״התיאוריה״ המשיכה להתפשט מחוץ לחוגים האקדמיים ופעילי זכויות אדם, וקנתה לה אחיזה במחנה הפרוגרסיבי האמריקאי הממוקם בקצה השמאלי של המפלגה הדמוקרטית.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">אחד הפיתוחים של התיאוריה הנ״ל הוא המונח ״הצטלבויות״, intersectionality, שמשמעותו המקורית היא אפקט מצטבר בין צורות אי-שוויון שונות: על בסיס גזע, מגדר, מעמד חברתי ומוגבלויות פיזיות. הגרסה העדכנית של מונח זה כוללת קביעה כי כל ביטויי אי-צדק בעולם קשורים אחד לשני. לפי תפיסה זו, דיכוי העם הפלסטיני והכיבוש הישראלי בשטחים שקולים לגזענות נגד שחורים בארה״ב, לרדיפת אנשי קהילת להט״ב, לפגיעה ואלימות נגד נשים וליתר תופעות הדיכוי בעולם. מכאן הצורך באיחוד המאבקים של כל קבוצות המיעוט כדי ליצור חזית אחידה נגד דיכוי הרוב. בפרפרזה על קריאת הקרב הקומוניסטית, תפיסת ״ההצטלבויות״ קובעת: ״מדוכאי כל העולם, התאחדו״.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><u><br /></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><u>השפעת התיאוריות הרדיקליות על החברה האמריקאית</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">למרות הבסיס המדעי הרעוע והסתירות הפנימיות, התפיסות הנ״ל התגבשו במרוצת השנים לזרם אידיאולוגי עצמתי המצליח להשפיע על השיח הפנים-אמריקאי, ובעשורים האחרונים יצר עימות אידיאולוגי חריף, יש המכנים אותו ״מלחמת תרבות״ של ממש, שקורע ומפלג את החברה. המתחים האידיאולוגיים האלה באו לידי ביטוי עוד בשנות ה-90 סביב המונח ״פוליטיקלי קורקט״, שנועד להגן על המיעוטים מפני הביקורת נגדם, ואשר עבר בהדרגה מעולם האקדמיה לשיח חברתי רחב יותר. במקביל, המבקרים של הסדר הפוליטי והחברתי בארה״ב התמקדו במונח ״פוליטיקה של זהויות״ כדי לערער את הלגיטימציה של המערכת הקיימת, שלטענתם מתחזה לליברלית ואוניברסלית אך למעשה משמרת את האינטרסים של בעלי הכוח הפוליטי והכלכלי ושל הרוב הלבן.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">גלגולה הבא של מלחמת התרבות האמריקאית החל עם הופעתה של ״תרבות הביטול״, cancel culture, כחלק מפעולותיה של תנועת ה-MeToo. במהרה ״תרבות הביטול״ הפכה לכלי שימושי של נושאי האידיאולוגיה החדשה במאבקם נגד הרוב הדומיננטי והמדכא. יתרה מזו, ״תרבות הביטול״ סימנה שלב חדש במאבק זה שהפך מעימות בעל אופי אקדמי-תקשורתי למעשי, ותורגם לפעולות חרם, נידוי, ולפגיעה תדמיתית וכלכלית במי שהפכו ליעדי פעולות ״הביטול״. בנוסף, ״תרבות הביטול״ פגעה בחופש הביטוי על-ידי שרטוט גבולות של מותר ואסור בשיח ציבורי. תופעות אלה הגבירו בצורה דרמטית את הקיטוב הפוליטי והחברתי בארה״ב בתחילת העשור הקודם, וזכו לביקורת לא רק מימין המפה הפוליטית אלה גם מנשיא אובמה שהזהיר מהשלכות ״תרבות הביטול״. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">למרות הביקורת הגוברת, האידיאולוגיות הרדיקליות המשיכו להתחזק על רקע שורה של אירועים דרמטיים, במיוחד הריגתו של ג׳ורג׳ פלויד ע״י שוטר. בשנים הבאות נרשמה עליה חדה במספר התקריות האלימות במיוחד, כולל ביזה והתנגשויות קשות עם המשטרה. התקריות האלימות האנטישמיות שהתרחשו לאחר 7 באוקטובר תואמות את המגמה הנ״ל ומעידות על מעבר לשלב חדש של המאבק האידיאולוגי, שלב האלימות הפיזית. יצוין כי בשנים אלה השם שהודבק לאידיאולוגיות רדיקליות אלה הוא ״ווק״ (woke, או wokeness, או wokism), שמקורו במאבקה של הקהילה השחורה שביקשה להגביר מודעות, או ערנות, לאי-שוויון וחוסר צדק חברתי (יש לציין כי השימוש במונח ״ווק״ נפוץ בקרב מתנגדי אידיאולוגיה זו, אך נתפס כמילת גנאי על-ידי תומכיה שמעדיפים להגדיר את עצמם כלוחמי שוויון וצדק חברתי). במקביל לעלייה במפלס האלימות, אידיאולוגיה ״ווק״ הצליחה בשנים אלה להגביר את השפעתה ואת מיסודה במערכת החינוך הציבורית ובמוסדות להשכלה גבוהה. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><u>השפעה על מערכת השכלה גבוהה</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">האקדמיה האמריקאית תרמה תרומה חשובה לפיתוחן של התפיסות הנ״ל. השפעת ״התיאוריה הקריטית של הגזע״ על השיח האקדמי הכללי ועל הנהלת האוניברסיטאות הלכה וגברה, ותורגמה לצמיחה חסרת תקדים של מסגרות לקידום סטודנטים מכל סוגי קבוצות מיעוט (למעט היהודים). אוניברסיטאות רבות הקימו מחלקות חדשות בשם DEI – ״גיוון, הגינות, והכללה״ (Diversity, equity and inclusion), כדי להגדיל את שיעור הסטודנטים בני המיעוטים ולהקל על שילובם. המחלקות החדשות הפכו לגופים ביורוקרטיים מנופחים בתוך אוניברסיטאות וזכו למעמד חשוב ולתקציבי ענק. עם זאת, התחקירים האחרונים מצביעים על תוצאות צנועות, אם בכלל, של משרדי DEI בהשגת היעדים הנ״ל. יתרה מזו, גוברת הביקורת הציבורית נוכח השפעתם השלילית על חופש הביטוי בקמפוסים, על הפגיעה במצוינות האקדמית, והחשוב מכל, על העמקת הקיטוב החברתי באוניברסיטאות, במקום החיבור והכללה, כפי שהיה מצופה מהם לפעול. אחרי הטבח של ה-7 באוקטובר משרדי DEI לא נקפו אצבע למניעת התקריות האנטישמיות בקמפוסים, זאת משום שהאנטישמיות כלל לא מוכרת על-ידם כמעשה דיכוי או אפליה. לא מין הנמנע כי אופן התגובה השערורייתי של הנהלות האוניברסיטאות על הטבח בעוטף עזה נבע מהסתמכותן היתרה על משרדי DEI בסוגיות חברתיות, שכאמור כלל לא הכירו באפשרות שישראל או היהודים ״זכאים״ למעמד של קרבן לדיכוי. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><u>השפעה על מערכת החינוך הציבורית</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">המצב במערכת החינוך הציבורית מורכב עוד יותר. מאז תחילת העשור מצטברות העדויות על הוראת התפיסות הפרוגרסיביות מדי של גזע, מגדר וצדק חברתי, על בסיסן של CRT ואידיאולוגיות רדיקליות אחרות בבתי הספר הציבוריים בארה״ב. הורי התלמידים הלינו על תוכני הלימוד הפרוגרסיביים והשנויים במחלקות, כגון האשמת הרוב הלבן בגזענות בארה״ב או הרצאות חודרניות בנושא זהות מינית. בהמשך, קבוצות הורים החלו להתארגן כדי להביא לביטול הוראת CRT בבתי ספר, והנושא עלה לכותרות במדינות רבות. באחד המחוזות של וירג׳יניה העימות בין הורים לבתי ספר אף התגלגל לפתחו של בית משפט והסתיים במאסרו של אחד ההורים המוחים. במגרש הפוליטי הסוגייה הפכה לאחד המוקדים הקשים יותר של העימות הבין-מפלגתי: המושלים במדינות שמרניות ניסו לאסור על לימוד התכנים הנ״ל; הנשיא טרמפ פרסם בשלהי כהונתו צו נשיאותי על ״Combatting race and sex stereotyping״ ואסר על מוסדרות פדרליים לקדם דעות המבוססות על CRT או לממן פעולות שמעודדות אותן. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">הנשיא ביידן ביטל את הצו הנ״ל ביום הראשון לכהונתו והעניק לאיגודי המורים תמיכה מוחלטת בקביעת תוכניות לימוד בבתי ספר (יש לזכור כי איגודי המורים הם בסיס תמיכה קבוע של המועמדים הדמוקרטיים; איגודי המורים הגדולים בארה״ב היו בין הראשונים להודיע על תמיכתם בכהונתו השנייה של ביידן בחודש אפריל). כתוצאה מכך, לימוד תכני CRT בבתי ספר חלחל למערכות חינוך ברוב מדינות ארה״ב, למעט מספר מדינות שמרניות כגון פלורידה ואריזונה. בתחילת 2023 מכון מחקר אמריקאי Manhattan Institute פרסם תוצאות מחקר המצביעות על כך שרוב הצעירים בגיליי 18-20 למדו מושגים הקשורים ל-CRT ולאידיאולוגיה רדיקלית של מגדר במסגרת בתי ספר ציבוריים. כצפוי, ההורים האמריקאים מצביעים ברגליים: בשש השנים האחרונות חלה עליה של 50% בהיקף הילדים שלומדים מהבית וירידה של 4% במספר התלמידים במערכת החינוך הציבורית. תהליך של נטישת מערכת חינוך ציבורית שהחל בתקופת קורונה ממשיך כעת בשל התכנים הרדיקליים וסכנת האינדוקטרינציה שמדאיגה חלק גדול מהציבור. יצוין כי החוגים הרפובליקאים כבר עמלים על יוזמות חקיקה חדשות שנועדו להקל על הורים המעוניינים להעביר את ילדיהם מבתי ספר ציבוריים, הנשלטים על-ידי איגודי המורים, לבתי ספר פרטיים או עצמאיים. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><u>אנטי-ציונות ואנטישמיות של האידיאולוגיה החדשה</u> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">בשנים האחרונות הופיעו דיווחים על הכנסת תכנים אנטי-ציוניים ואנטי-ישראליים במספר בתי ספר ציבוריים, כחלק מלימוד התיאוריות הרדיקליות הנ״ל. יצוין כי אחרי ה-7 באוקטובר מורים יהודים דיווחו על יחס עוין מצד תלמידיהם, ובמקרה אחד תלמידי בי״ס תיכון בניו יורק אף ניסו לתקוף פיזית מורה ממוצא יהודי שפרסמה תמונה על השתתפותה בהפגנה פרו-ישראלית. אף שממדי האלימות האנטישמית בבתי הספר עדיין קטנים יחסית להיקף התופעה בקמפוסים, המגמה ברורה. עוינות זו נובעת מאידיאולוגיה של ״ווק״ הרואה בישראל מדינת לא לגיטימית ומזהה את היהודים עם הרוב הלבן בעל הפריבילגיות. אידיאולוגיה של ״ווק״ לא רק הופכת אנטי-ציונות לכלי לניגוח פוליטי, אלא שוללת כל אפשרות שישראל או יהודים יכולים להיות קורבן להפליה ורדיפה, ובכך, הלכה למעשה, עושה דה-הומניזציה של היהודים. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">בכירים בארגונים יהודים מובילים, כגון ADL, זיהו בעוד מועד את הפוטנציאל ההרסני של התפיסות המעוותות הנ״ל, אך אזהרותיהם לא נקלטו. יתרה מזו, ארגונים יהודים פרוגרסיביים התגייסו במלוא כוחם לתמוך ולקדם את התפיסות הנ״ל, מתוך ראית עולם אידיאליסטית, אך תוך התעלמות מעמדות אנטי-ישראליות ואנטישמיות של תנועת ה״ווק״. אותם גורמים פרוגרסיביים גילו, לתדהמתם, כי אחרי ה-7 באוקטובר אף אחד מבני בריתם בתנועות אלה לא התייצב לצידם, או למצער גינה את האכזריות הבלתי אנושית של החמאס. כפי שהגדיר זאת פרשן והוגה דעות אמריקאי יהודי, ברט סטיבנס, באידיאולוגיה של ״ווק״ יש את כל המרכיבים שאמורים לעורר חשד אצל כל יהודי: האמונה שתכונות גזע קובעות את ערכו המוסרי של בן-אדם; נטייה ברורה לאנטישמית; חשיבה טוטליטרית. בעת המשבר הקשה ביותר של העם היהודי ושל מדינת ישראל מאז השואה, הקהילה היהודית האמריקאית גילתה כי מאמציה לבנות ברית עם המחנה הפרוגרסיבי העלו חרס וכי היא נותרה בודדה מול גל אנטישמיות חסר תקדים. בשבועות האחרונים מתחזקת הדרישה לחשבון נפש מצד החוגים הפרוגרסיביים של הקהילה היהודית, אך מוקדם עדיין לקבוע את תוצאותיו, במיוחד לאור העובדה שלא מעט אנשים הלכו רחוק מדיי בניסיונם להפוך לחלק מתנועת ״ווק״.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><br /></div>yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-76089541487095602662023-12-07T01:51:00.020+02:002023-12-08T18:13:12.822+02:00A new wave of Islamic terrorism in France and its impact on French politics and society<p><b>In the last two months, France has been coping with a new wave of violence that originates from ongoing Islamic radicalization. The French government's response, which was hesitant and inconsistent, increased public anger and strengthened the far-right parties. Mass demonstrations by Hamas supporters turned into anti-Semitic violence, but the attempt to present a united front in the fight against anti-Semitism was met with an indecisive position of President Macron and the refusal of the Left to condemn Hamas. Internal considerations influence President Macron's position regarding the war in Gaza in his attempt to calm the Muslim immigrant neighborhoods and prevent escalation. The trends above create a new political dynamic that requires re-examination and policy adjustments ahead of future challenges.</b></p><p><br /></p><p>Since the beginning of October 2023, France has once again faced a wave of violent incidents against the background of Islamic radicalization in the country. On October 13, a young man of Chechen Muslim origin murdered a literature teacher in the city of Arras in northern France, precisely three years after a similar attack that shocked the country. On December 2, a young man of Iranian origin murdered a tourist in the center of Paris to "avenge the death of Muslims from Gaza to Afghanistan." The attackers had been under surveillance for suspected Islamic radicalization and were marked as a threat but still managed to strike. Government representatives claimed that one of the attackers suffered from psychiatric problems, which was seen by the public as further proof of the government's incompetence. However, what angered the French citizens more than the two attacks above was a violent event that took place in the town of Crépol in the south of France on November 18 during a teenagers' party. About ten young men of Muslim descent from the nearby town, armed with cold weapons, broke into the party, shouted that they intended "to kill all the whites", brutally attacked the participants, and murdered a 16-year-old boy.</p><p>The racist and brutal nature of the event, which took place in an agricultural area in the French periphery that is less exposed to the threats of Islamization, was aggravated by another factor that angered the public: the government's response. The law enforcement authorities delayed the publication of the names of the suspects in an attempt to prevent the disclosure of their Muslim origins. The government even tried to ban demonstrations of sympathy with the murdered teenager, explaining that it was an initiative of the radical right groups and a danger to public order. For many, it looked like a bias and a double standard. Everyone here remembers the riots across France in June 2023, after the death of a young Muslim man killed as a result of disobeying police officers and the government's helplessness in the face of rioters who vandalized public property, attacked police, and terrorized residents. Instead of focusing on Islamic radicalization, the French government continues to divert the discussion to the dangers of the "radical right" - a threat that, in the eyes of the majority of the public, is seen as irrelevant.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPEcXZsxbwddt-q6lKfotD_VWMu7A2M9FLrk3JIL78_z-yUKomfTh7oiZStkPdwaaEeDQBiH6cE6bXLi7HnDmsffXncmlv6OQfSimXO9kGw7N6rHB00XjB2gSOBNyBw8PHqPk7h4nvum9eWL1AoXg8ToA_1GXQtvU2e7AH_JDsYO_gpd9DTfgXtWmd5TRD" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPEcXZsxbwddt-q6lKfotD_VWMu7A2M9FLrk3JIL78_z-yUKomfTh7oiZStkPdwaaEeDQBiH6cE6bXLi7HnDmsffXncmlv6OQfSimXO9kGw7N6rHB00XjB2gSOBNyBw8PHqPk7h4nvum9eWL1AoXg8ToA_1GXQtvU2e7AH_JDsYO_gpd9DTfgXtWmd5TRD=s16000" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caricature in Charlie Hebdo: "The art of living. To end the party with stabbing, isn't it the best proof of integration into the French boobery!"</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The French public knows what the real dangers are. According to one of the latest surveys, the absolute majority of the country's citizens - 87% - fear a civil war scenario in France as a result of a loss of control due to continued immigration and Islamic radicalization. The phrase "civil war" stars in the public discourse and comes from all ends of the political spectrum in the country, including the interior Minister in the previous government of President Macron, whose warnings on the subject were recently published. While the representatives of the extreme right, Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour, express the views of the concerned citizens, President Macron and his government seem at a loss, unable to rise to the magnitude of the hour.</p><p>Since he entered the Elysee Palace 6 years ago, Macron has not been able to present a clear and determined policy on the issues of immigration and radical Islam in France. His efforts have been focused on trying to maintain quiet in the "suburbs" and "popular towns," washed-up terms for the places of residence of the Muslim immigrant communities. Although Macron was able to overcome protests of an economic-social nature (the "yellow vests," strikes against pension reform) and was efficient in managing the coronavirus crisis thanks to his skills as an economist and manager, he showed weakness every time he had to deal with the crisis of immigration and radicalization, including the one that is happening now.</p><p>The French President, who usually cultivates his image in the media, has disappeared from the public discourse surrounding the incident in Crépol and the recent terrorist attacks. Instead of taking the reins, he let the Minister of the Interior, Gerard Darmanin, and the government spokesman, Olivier Véran, manage the media and public messaging. The President was also absent from an event of great national importance - a demonstration of solidarity with the Jewish community and against anti-Semitism initiated by the President of the Senate and the President of the French Legislative Assembly. The event took place against the backdrop of a sharp increase in anti-Semitism in France following the massacre in Israel (about 1,600 anti-Semitic incidents in the last month and a half, compared to 450 in the entire year of 2022). His non-participation in the demonstration harmed the organizers' attempt to create a unified national front in the fight against anti-Semitism and aided the efforts of the extreme Left to present the event as biased and controversial. So much so that the leader of the extreme left party, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who refuses to condemn Hamas, derives most of his electoral support from the Muslim community in France, and who himself boycotted the solidarity demonstration, complimented President Macron for not participating in it. It seems that Macron is walking a tightrope between his desire not to anger the suburbs too much and to be clear about his support for Israel and the security of the French Jewish community.</p><p>The President's absence from the demonstration damaged his image and helped his primary opponent, the leader of the right-wing party "Rassemblement Nationale" Marine Le Pen, gain legitimacy among the Jewish community. From the first days of the war in Gaza, Marine Le Pen expressed solidarity with Israel's struggle against Hamas and announced her participation in the demonstration. Government representatives declared she was not welcome to join the rally, but their position led to the opposite result. A few influential public figures, Jewish and pro-Israel, praised Le Pen for joining the demonstration, contributing to her efforts to gain broad public legitimacy. According to the latest public opinion polls, Marine Le Pen is seen as the second favorite political personality in France (the first is former prime Minister Edouard Philippe, a possible candidate for the presidency in 2027), and her party leads by a considerable margin against the ruling party ahead of the European Parliament elections next year.</p><p>Balancing opposing interests results in an inconsistent position in French foreign policy. After the October 7 massacre, the French President expressed support for Israel's right to self-defense. However, he was not among the first leaders to visit Israel in solidarity. On October 24, Macron visited the region and met with the Prime Minister of Israel, the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, and the King of Jordan. During the visit, Macron surprised many, including his Foreign Ministry, when he announced a French initiative to establish an international coalition against Hamas, similar to the coalition against ISIS. The initiative, a complete improvisation of President Macron, was quickly dropped and replaced by the opposite position. Two weeks after he visited Israel, in a televised interview, the French President called on Israel to immediately stop the murder of innocents in Gaza. At the COP28 conference in Dubai, he even claimed that eliminating Hamas is not an achievable goal and "could take ten years." Contradictory statements by the President aside, France focuses its primary efforts on providing humanitarian aid. On November 9, Paris convened an international conference to reconstruct Gaza, in which the countries pledged to create a one billion dollar aid fund. A few weeks ago, France sent a mobile hospital aboard a helicopter carrier to the Eastern Mediterranean and is now working to establish a field hospital south of the Gaza Strip.</p><p>It would not be an exaggeration to claim that President Macron looks at the Middle East through the prism of the explosive social situation in his country. As a result, he prefers to portray himself as someone who works for an immediate ceasefire and multiplies efforts in providing humanitarian aid to the Gaza population while distancing himself from Israel. It seems that, in his opinion, this position will help him not to be perceived as a collaborator of Israel in the eyes of the Muslim population in his country. The effectiveness of this policy is questionable, but it looks like this is the kind of advice Macron receives from his close confidants, such as the famous comedian of Moroccan origin, Yassin Belattar, who helps him, as reported in the press, to understand the prevailing mood in the suburbs.</p><p>The recent events reveal the French government's strategy for dealing with social tensions - balancing opposing interests to prevent escalation and slide into violence. This balancing act is a difficult task in a country with the largest Muslim population (about 7 million people) and the largest Jewish community in Europe (about 450 thousand people) when the security of the Jewish community and even its continued existence in France are at stake. Beyond the fate of the Jewish community, Islamic radicalization undermines the French way of living and the fundamental values of the country, first and foremost, its famous concept of secularism (laïcité). It also produces a political dynamic of social polarization and the almost inevitable strengthening of Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour, classified as extreme right, even though their positions are gaining increasing public support. Due to its central position in Europe, political and social developments in France will have effects throughout the continent and beyond.</p><p>The Israeli strategy for managing its relations with France should consider the abovementioned trends. We must strengthen bilateral cooperation with France, whose leaders appreciate Israel's technological excellence. It is crucial to support the efforts of the French government to maintain the safety of the Jewish community and fight anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism associated today with the extreme Left's alliance with radical Islam. It is also essential to be attentive to the transformations taking place in the French right-wing camp, to its position on the fight against anti-Semitism and support for Israel, and the transformation of Marine Le Pen's party into a legitimate player on the political field. These issues require new thinking and policy adjustments ahead of looming challenges.</p>yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-34784310569773623092023-12-01T01:43:00.019+02:002023-12-01T19:45:14.230+02:00Hatred of Israel and the new antisemitism through the lens of ideological transformations in American society and the education system<p>The massacre in Israel's South and the war against Hamas led to an extreme outbreak of hatred of Israel and antisemitism in many Western countries; the United States was no exception. Among the new and prominent characteristics of this phenomenon are the high level of hostility towards Israel, the number of violent incidents against Jews, and the high level of participation in the protests of the young generation (millennials and generation Z), large parts of which refuse to see Israel as a victim of atrocities and overtly justify the actions of Hamas. The source of these phenomena is found in ideological currents that have spread in American society in recent decades, based on radical ideological concepts on race, gender, and social inequality and influenced by a postmodernist anti-liberal approach. Despite their controversiality, these concepts were introduced into the public education and higher education systems; today, they shape the younger generation's mindset and influence their attitude toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Jewish community in America.</p><p><br /></p><p><u>The characteristics of the current anti-Israel protests</u></p><p>An outbreak of hostility and hatred towards Israel began immediately after the October 7 massacre. Similar to anti-Israel protests in the previous rounds of fighting, the current wave manifested itself in three main arenas: marches in city centers, demonstrations on university campuses, and a sharp increase in anti-Israeli and antisemitic publications on social media (particularly on TikTok and Twitter). However, the following characteristics distinguish the current wave of protests from the previous:</p><p>1. An unequivocal and unapologetic ideological identification of the protesters with Hamas terrorists, including with the organization's slogan "Free Palestine from the river to the sea" seen as a legitimate demand;</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>2. Determination of the protesters to act violently against Jews and supporters of Israel, which often led to violent antisemitic incidents in city centers and on campuses;<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>3. Lack of, or a delayed and vague response on the part of the university administrations concerning the massacre and the violence of the protesters against Jewish students;</p><p>4. A new form of protest, systematic removal of pictures with Israeli hostages' information. </p><p>5. Alongside Palestinian and Muslim organizations, participation of other minority groups in protests, including the anti-Zionist Jewish Voices for Peace (which initiated events with high public visibility at the Capitol in D.C., on the Manhattan Bridge in New York, etc.).</p><p><br /></p><p><u>"The Critical Race Theory" - background</u></p><p>The worsening of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic hostility in the U.S. originates from radical ideological concepts that have been spreading in American society and the education system for two decades. The pro-Palestinian bodies, such as SJP, knew how to take advantage of these trends to promote the interests of the Palestinian terrorist organizations, but they were not the ones who created them. The source of these ideological transformations is the adoption and practical application of concepts based on "Critical Race Theory" (CRT) and radical ideologies regarding gender and social justice by institutions responsible for shaping the views and beliefs of the younger generation, namely the higher education system and the public education system. These trends are also present in other domains of public life but are not part of the current analysis.</p><p>The Critical Race Theory has been developed since the 1970s by academics and human rights activists. At its center is the claim that race is not a phenomenon based on biological differences but a social construction rooted in the legal system and intended to preserve a state of inequality and power distribution in the USA. According to CRT, racism is not a set of individual prejudices but an integral part of a governmental system established by the white, dominant, and privileged majority to oppress the black minority and other minorities. In the late 1990s, several American researchers criticized this theory, exposing its scientific weakness, the lack of empirical evidence supporting it, as well as its potential dangers, including the possibility that it would encourage antisemitism. Despite this, the "theory" spread beyond human rights activists and academic circles and gained a foothold in the American progressive camp.</p><p>One of the offshoots of the CRT is the term "intersectionality," whose original meaning is a cumulative effect of different forms of inequality based on race, gender, social status, and physical disabilities. The current version of this term includes a claim that all expressions of injustice in the world are related. According to this view, the oppression of the Palestinian people and the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories are equivalent to racism against blacks in the USA, the persecution of members of the LGBT community, violence against women, and other phenomena of oppression. Hence, the need to unify the struggles of all minority groups to create a united front against the majority's oppression. Paraphrasing the communist battle cry, the slogan for intersectionality acolytes could be: "Oppressed of the whole world, unite."</p><p><br /></p><p><u>The influence of radical theories on American society</u></p><p>Despite shaky scientific basis and internal contradictions, the concepts mentioned above have formed over the years into a powerful ideological current that impacts the public discourse and, in recent decades, has created a sharp ideological conflict, some call it a full-blown "culture war," which tears and divides the society. These ideological tensions rose as early as the 1990s around the term "political correctness," intended to protect minorities from criticism against them; it gradually moved from the academic world to a broader social discourse. At the same time, the critics of the political and social order in the USA focused on the term "identity politics" to undermine the legitimacy of the existing system, which they claimed, while pretending to be liberal and universal, preserves the interests of the white majority and those with political and economic power.</p><p>The next incarnation of the American culture war began with the appearance of the "cancel culture" as part of the actions of the MeToo movement. Soon, the "cancel culture" became a valuable tool for the bearers of the new ideology in their struggle against the "dominant and oppressive majority." Furthermore, the "cancel culture" marked a new phase in this struggle that turned from a theoretical battle into a real-life conflict, with boycotts and social ostracism campaigns, causing reputational and financial damage to those who became the targets of these "cancel" actions. In addition, the "cancel culture" harmed freedom of expression by drawing clear boundaries between what is allowed and what is not in public discourse. These phenomena dramatically increased the political and social polarization in the U.S. at the beginning of the previous decade. They were criticized not only by the political right but also by President Obama, who warned of the consequences of the "cancel culture."</p><p>Despite the growing criticism, the radical ideologies continued to strengthen against the background of a series of dramatic events, especially the killing of George Floyd by a police officer. In the following years, there was a sharp increase in the number of particularly violent incidents, including looting and severe clashes with the police. The violent antisemitic incidents that occurred after October 7 are consistent with the trend above and indicate a transition to a new phase of ideological struggle, the phase of physical violence. It should be noted that today, the name affixed to these radical ideologies is "woke" (woke, or wokeness, or wokism), which originated in the struggle of the black community that sought to increase awareness of inequality and social injustice (the use of the term "woke" is common among opponents of this ideology, but perceived as a derogatory by its supporters who prefer to define themselves as fighters for equality and social justice). At the same time, as the level of violence escalated during these years, the "woke" ideology succeeded in increasing its influence and institutionalization in the public education system and higher education institutions.</p><p><br /></p><p><u>Impact on the higher education system</u></p><p>The academic community contributed to developing the radical theories of race, gender, and social justice. The influence of the CRT on the general academic discourse and the universities' administrations was growing significantly. It translated into an unprecedented expansion of frameworks for the advancement of students from all types of minority groups (except the Jews). Many universities have established new departments called DEI - "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion" to increase the proportion of minority students and facilitate their integration. The new departments turned into excessive bureaucratic bodies gaining status and sizable budgets. However, the latest journalist investigations indicate modest results, if any, of the DEI offices achieving their stated goals.</p><p>Furthermore, there are growing concerns about DEI's negative impact on freedom of expression on campuses, the damage to academic excellence, and, most importantly, the deepening of social polarization in universities instead of inclusion, contrary to what was expected from them. After the October 7 massacre, the DEI offices did not lift a finger to prevent the antisemitic incidents on the campuses since they do not recognize antisemitism as an act of oppression or discrimination. There is a possibility that the scandalous way the university administrations reacted to the massacre in Israel was due to their excessive reliance on the DEI offices, which, as mentioned, did not recognize the possibility that Israel or the Jews could qualify as victims of oppression.</p><p><br /></p><p><u>Impact on the public education system</u></p><p>The situation in the public education system is even more complex. Since the beginning of the decade, evidence has been accumulating about the teaching of the radical concepts of race, gender, and social justice based on CRT and other radical ideologies in U.S. public schools. The students' parents complained about the radical study content in the classes, such as blaming the white majority for racism in the U.S. or intrusive lectures on sexual identity. Later, parent groups began to self-organize to ban CRT teaching in schools, and the issue made headlines in many states. In one of the districts of Virginia, the conflict between parents and schools ended up in court and the imprisonment of one of the protesting parents. The issue became highly partisan and politicized. Governors of several conservative states tried to ban the study of CRT and other radical ideologies. At the end of his term, President Trump issued a presidential order on "Combating race and sex stereotyping" and prohibited federal agencies from promoting opinions based on CRT or funding actions that encourage them.</p><p>However, President Biden rescinded this order on the first day of his term and fully supported the teachers' unions in determining school curricula (it should be noted that the teachers' unions are a solid support base for the Democratic candidates; major teachers' unions were among the first to announce their support for the second term of Biden in April 2023). As a result, teaching CRT content in schools has permeated education systems in most U.S. states, except a few conservative states such as Florida and Arizona. In early 2023, the Manhattan Institute published research results indicating that the majority of young people aged 18-20 have learned concepts related to CRT and radical gender ideology in public schools. As expected, American parents are voting with their feet. In the last six years, there has been a 50% increase in the number of home-schooled children and a 4% drop in the number of students in the public education system. The process of abandoning a public education system that began during COVID-19 continues now due to the radical content and the danger of indoctrination that worries a large part of the public. As a result, Republican activists are already working on new legislative initiatives to make it easier for parents who wish to transfer their children from public schools controlled by the teachers' unions to private or independent schools.</p><p><u><br /></u></p><p><u>Anti-Zionism and antisemitism of the new ideology</u></p><p>In recent years, reports have appeared about the introduction of anti-Zionist and anti-Israeli content in several public schools as part of the study of CRT and other radical theories. Moreover, after October 7, Jewish teachers reported hostile behavior from their students. In one case, high school students in New York even tried to physically attack a teacher of Jewish origin who posted a photo of her participation in a pro-Israel rally. Although the dimensions of anti-Semitic violence in schools are still relatively small compared to the scope of the phenomenon on campuses, the trend is clear. This hostility stems from the "woke" ideology, which sees Israel as an illegitimate state and identifies Jews with the privileged white majority. "Woke" ideology is not only aggressively anti-Zionist; it denies any possibility that Israel or Jews can be a victim of discrimination and persecution, and thus, in practice, dehumanizes them.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVuLCQDjmk88BD-h4vxtSQOu4jeFRs1LNvpCHfiqG905UF3Vua2hrrtbvnmtjB7XHuNoNc9OUQ92QyPm6vaTHD-5y1JW3SnQt0lQbdLAZ4G5A_JDwSqw-GChcXOK_QJfpAJkdUgCZEvNhG8TSrAp1wGzZexj9MUp5aC6KI9ddUgY1fjh1wD62N2D96wn5M/s1000/woke%20antisemitism%20picture.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="660" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVuLCQDjmk88BD-h4vxtSQOu4jeFRs1LNvpCHfiqG905UF3Vua2hrrtbvnmtjB7XHuNoNc9OUQ92QyPm6vaTHD-5y1JW3SnQt0lQbdLAZ4G5A_JDwSqw-GChcXOK_QJfpAJkdUgCZEvNhG8TSrAp1wGzZexj9MUp5aC6KI9ddUgY1fjh1wD62N2D96wn5M/w264-h400/woke%20antisemitism%20picture.jpeg" title="Book by David Bernstein, published in 2022" width="264" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Book by David Bernstein, published in 2022</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">Senior officials in leading Jewish organizations, such as ADL, recognized the destructive potential of these distorted views as early as 2018, but their warnings did not receive due attention. Furthermore, progressive Jewish organizations, driven by idealism, wholeheartedly accepted "woke" ideology while ignoring its anti-Israel and antisemitic elements. These Jewish organizations discovered, to their astonishment, that after the October 7 massacre, none of their allies in these movements stood by their side and condemned the inhuman cruelty of Hamas. As Bret Stevens defined it, the ideology of "woke" has all the elements that should terrify any Jew: the belief that racial characteristics determine a person's moral worth, a habit of descending to antisemitism, and a quasi-totalitarian mindset. Thus, during the worst crisis for the Jewish people and the State of Israel since the Holocaust, the American Jewish community discovered that its efforts to build an alliance with the progressive camp had failed and that it was left alone in the face of an unprecedented wave of antisemitism. In recent weeks, the demand for a reckoning on the part of the progressive circles of the Jewish community has been growing more robust. However, it is still too early to determine its results, mainly because quite a few people have gone too far in their attempt to become part of the "woke" movement.</span></div><p style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><p><u>Summary</u></p><p>The above processes shape the face of American society and its future generations. Those are profound internal developments influenced by demographic, economic, cultural, and political trends. The U.S. is Israel's most important ally, and naturally, these developments are worrying, but Israel cannot influence them. However, it must be remembered that a strong and stable Israel is the primary source of strength for all Jewish communities worldwide. Israel can help Diaspora Jews face the challenges of the new antisemitism by a firm adherence to its fundamental commitments as the only state of the Jewish people: a persistent commitment to the security of its citizens, to the Law of Return and aliyah, and to maintaining its Jewish and democratic character.</p><div><br /></div>yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-46003842714920764342023-08-20T19:09:00.000+03:002023-08-20T19:09:55.918+03:00Artificial Intelligence and its regulation, a perspective from Israel<p class="reader-text-block__paragraph" style="--artdeco-reset-typography_getfontsize: 1.6rem; --artdeco-reset-typography_getlineheight: 1.5; border: var(--artdeco-reset-base-border-zero); box-sizing: inherit; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: var(--font-size-large); line-height: 1.75; margin: 1.6rem 0px; padding: var(--artdeco-reset-base-padding-zero); vertical-align: var(--artdeco-reset-base-vertical-align-baseline);"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #444444;">Speaking at Tel Aviv University last June, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, made two headlines that caught the attention of the Israeli media. Addressing the risks of AI development, he emphasized the need to take the existential threats of AI seriously by creating an international regulatory body to ensure responsible use of it by all countries, similar to nuclear power control organizations. Complimenting the audience, Altman expressed his confidence that Israel's tech ecosystem will play a "huge role" in the artificial intelligence revolution, which will transform the world. "There are two things I have observed that are particular about Israel: the first is talent density, and the second is the relentlessness, drive, and ambition of Israeli entrepreneurs," said Altman at the event. </span></p><p class="reader-text-block__paragraph" style="--artdeco-reset-typography_getfontsize: 1.6rem; --artdeco-reset-typography_getlineheight: 1.5; border: var(--artdeco-reset-base-border-zero); box-sizing: inherit; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: var(--font-size-large); line-height: 1.75; margin: 1.6rem 0px; padding: var(--artdeco-reset-base-padding-zero); vertical-align: var(--artdeco-reset-base-vertical-align-baseline);"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #444444;">There are good reasons for Altman's words of appreciation. Israel's Artificial Intelligence sector is growing fast and places it among the leading countries in the field. According to the AI Index Report 2022 of Stanford University, Israel ranks fifth in the Relative AI Skill Penetration rate in 2015-2021 and fourth in private investment in AI in 2021, with $2.4 billion. In absolute terms, 2200 companies in the country use Artificial Intelligence, as reported Israel Innovation Authority in May. In the last months, there was a sharp increase in Israel's start-ups entering the field of generative AI. Israeli companies use AI in cyber, fintech, agrotech, and organization software. One of the critical goals of Israel's Innovation Authority and AI experts is the development of the "National LLM," a language model that will function in Hebrew and Arabic. A significant presence of big technology companies and highly-ranked academic institutions provides a solid platform for international discussions on the future of AI, like the last conference, "Data Sciences," that attracted professionals from all over the globe.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgA54fBRpHJb-ZIY1S5PikuJ1BjV3JmXlF144FjjhcCgwm0ToC59bqflg2b8zjRH754ArpClKzxX4yK9jYg_59Y_fOYN9JnN7ezUcyIwLBdbSs-sHtiDULKoVtyLGi1ss0WRabCdah0YQM--oSe7ozoZ-VjF29eAmO75jDfYe61ZyJhO_FHTOcd-P0AmoEc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #444444;"><img alt="" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="796" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgA54fBRpHJb-ZIY1S5PikuJ1BjV3JmXlF144FjjhcCgwm0ToC59bqflg2b8zjRH754ArpClKzxX4yK9jYg_59Y_fOYN9JnN7ezUcyIwLBdbSs-sHtiDULKoVtyLGi1ss0WRabCdah0YQM--oSe7ozoZ-VjF29eAmO75jDfYe61ZyJhO_FHTOcd-P0AmoEc=w400-h215" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #444444;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5hZ_wtsdqEJMD8zugUB4PALRRjxaSvcwvkpM_sxVUcg0eYTgXNG7Qib7i2dMPK--M-aj7FHspwCXpF3ZPDBoLQ3L0RJlwp1F031CEpOg9919dJDnqCgKUw1E7jV3Kgk9VgTH83LBNnd95wYHoovtVWiINic6yr7PeJ5iASeLi0QD4szsiOMPP_3IQyHRV" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #444444;"><img alt="" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="832" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5hZ_wtsdqEJMD8zugUB4PALRRjxaSvcwvkpM_sxVUcg0eYTgXNG7Qib7i2dMPK--M-aj7FHspwCXpF3ZPDBoLQ3L0RJlwp1F031CEpOg9919dJDnqCgKUw1E7jV3Kgk9VgTH83LBNnd95wYHoovtVWiINic6yr7PeJ5iASeLi0QD4szsiOMPP_3IQyHRV=w400-h215" width="400" /></span></a></div></div><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #444444;"><br /><br /></span><p class="reader-text-block__paragraph" style="--artdeco-reset-typography_getfontsize: 1.6rem; --artdeco-reset-typography_getlineheight: 1.5; border: var(--artdeco-reset-base-border-zero); box-sizing: inherit; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: var(--font-size-large); line-height: 1.75; margin: 1.6rem 0px; padding: var(--artdeco-reset-base-padding-zero); vertical-align: var(--artdeco-reset-base-vertical-align-baseline);"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #444444;">However, the central message of OpenAI leaders to the Tel-Aviv audience and the global public opinion is a need to handle the future development of Artificial Intelligence with due caution. Sam Altman and OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever compare AI's negative potential to nuclear energy, which may sound like a stern warning. In his congressional testimony in May, Altman suggested a regulatory body to oversee the licensing and use of AI "above a certain threshold." Regarding the international community, he believes a new international organization should regulate the development and use of Artificial Intelligence in the way the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) controls nuclear power. </span></p><p class="reader-text-block__paragraph" style="--artdeco-reset-typography_getfontsize: 1.6rem; --artdeco-reset-typography_getlineheight: 1.5; border: var(--artdeco-reset-base-border-zero); box-sizing: inherit; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: var(--font-size-large); line-height: 1.75; margin: 1.6rem 0px; padding: var(--artdeco-reset-base-padding-zero); vertical-align: var(--artdeco-reset-base-vertical-align-baseline);"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #444444;">As someone involved in the discussions on AI regulation a few years ago, seeing the CEO of OpenAI urging such regulation was encouraging. Sam Altman is not the first technology leader to express concern about the risks of AI - Ilon Musk did it as early as 2014, contemplating the need for national and international regulation publicly. Sam Altman takes this regulatory cause one step further. His recent road shows to Europe, Asia, and the Middle East constitute an effort to generate a more informed discussion of AI risks among decision-makers. This effort is a welcome initiative. </span></p><p class="reader-text-block__paragraph" style="--artdeco-reset-typography_getfontsize: 1.6rem; --artdeco-reset-typography_getlineheight: 1.5; border: var(--artdeco-reset-base-border-zero); box-sizing: inherit; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: var(--font-size-large); line-height: 1.75; margin: 1.6rem 0px; padding: var(--artdeco-reset-base-padding-zero); vertical-align: var(--artdeco-reset-base-vertical-align-baseline);"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #444444;">However, we should remember that AI regulation is not a new topic for international organizations and national governments. Multiple international bodies, including UNESCO, the Council of Europe, and OECD, delved into the issue, hoping to forge a broad consensus among the countries. But were they successful in finding global consensus? The debates on AI regulation started three years before Chat GPT's launch, yet those respected bodies still try to find common ground or propose a regulatory mechanism. The differences between approaches to AI regulation precluded any reasonable agreement between all member states. Concerns for human rights and privacy were at the center of the European approach to AI regulation; the United States advocated for a market-driven approach and expressed fear of over-regulation stifling innovation, while China stood up for complete government control of Artificial Intelligence. Based on observation of the current state of affairs of the UN system, it is impossible to expect global consensus on AI. The only international organization able to reach an agreement among its members is the European Union, which plans to finalize <span style="border: var(--artdeco-reset-base-border-zero); box-sizing: inherit; font-size: var(--artdeco-reset-base-font-size-hundred-percent); font-weight: var(--artdeco-reset-typography-font-weight-bold); margin: var(--artdeco-reset-base-margin-zero); outline: var(--artdeco-reset-base-outline-zero); padding: var(--artdeco-reset-base-padding-zero); vertical-align: var(--artdeco-reset-base-vertical-align-baseline);">the AI Act</span> by the beginning of 2024. This example provides an important lesson on AI regulation - reaching a consensus among like-minded countries is the right way to proceed. </span></p><p class="reader-text-block__paragraph" style="--artdeco-reset-typography_getfontsize: 1.6rem; --artdeco-reset-typography_getlineheight: 1.5; border: var(--artdeco-reset-base-border-zero); box-sizing: inherit; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: var(--font-size-large); line-height: 1.75; margin: 1.6rem 0px; padding: var(--artdeco-reset-base-padding-zero); vertical-align: var(--artdeco-reset-base-vertical-align-baseline);"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #444444;">Another vital lesson is the direct responsibility of the government to provide the regulatory framework and the equally unquestionable need to hold an open dialogue with the industry and civil society. Israel's government, for example, consulted with leading entities in the hi-tech sector and with technology experts and then published a draft policy on AI regulation in November 2022 for public comment.</span></p><p class="reader-text-block__paragraph" style="--artdeco-reset-typography_getfontsize: 1.6rem; --artdeco-reset-typography_getlineheight: 1.5; border: var(--artdeco-reset-base-border-zero); box-sizing: inherit; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: var(--font-size-large); line-height: 1.75; margin: 1.6rem 0px; padding: var(--artdeco-reset-base-padding-zero); vertical-align: var(--artdeco-reset-base-vertical-align-baseline);"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #444444;">One last lesson from the field of diplomacy: to get a consensus, we must find a compromise. Like others before him, Sam Altman discovered in his European tour that the European approach is more preventative and potentially more harmful to innovation than the American position. However, as Sam Altman did, once we realize the regulation is crucial, we can and should find a middle ground among like-minded countries. The OECD could be the best platform as it brings countries from Europe, Asia, and the Americas under the same roof who share common values but foster different cultural perspectives and traditions. Once achieved, this consensus would become a basis for an agreement on AI regulation open for other countries to join. </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFRY-ViZ59EX7PfU8WPruHkZGXLOYzMM-9gEsEuqUPnkrkeFVEij5Rp8OsfnpdRTRA60O1GyAIqQwZQjGb1NXkpc6ArJl9haM1gaDvZHEzsK_wSb8lqoZ2_AkgiT024ky1iNFTeLfDE343xMGa7B2QlfODDfTIabl03EPpGQCf1b7M2mdTrfgEf32YCEFs" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #444444;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="438" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFRY-ViZ59EX7PfU8WPruHkZGXLOYzMM-9gEsEuqUPnkrkeFVEij5Rp8OsfnpdRTRA60O1GyAIqQwZQjGb1NXkpc6ArJl9haM1gaDvZHEzsK_wSb8lqoZ2_AkgiT024ky1iNFTeLfDE343xMGa7B2QlfODDfTIabl03EPpGQCf1b7M2mdTrfgEf32YCEFs=w390-h400" width="390" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-yMsJM9aE9kMG3PL-bWfxHxKwQ2wOVajhIFIG1kVuFz63BudpAWurTfhriMIFMxpRRbyZq5sJul4ATi6SkB63GmkZwJug1Mjz3qr0tfOeGJAWRdTKeuITgXCTr4ICMdCiZIdWhJTWu0myBSP-TvkYWTXc6I23MboiyWHN6IQgnYNitmS8isP6BY0N_vzt" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #444444;"><img alt="" data-original-height="30" data-original-width="936" height="10" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-yMsJM9aE9kMG3PL-bWfxHxKwQ2wOVajhIFIG1kVuFz63BudpAWurTfhriMIFMxpRRbyZq5sJul4ATi6SkB63GmkZwJug1Mjz3qr0tfOeGJAWRdTKeuITgXCTr4ICMdCiZIdWhJTWu0myBSP-TvkYWTXc6I23MboiyWHN6IQgnYNitmS8isP6BY0N_vzt" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #444444;"><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #444444;"><br /></span><p class="reader-text-block__paragraph" style="--artdeco-reset-typography_getfontsize: 1.6rem; --artdeco-reset-typography_getlineheight: 1.5; border: var(--artdeco-reset-base-border-zero); box-sizing: inherit; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: var(--font-size-large); line-height: 1.75; margin: 1.6rem 0px; padding: var(--artdeco-reset-base-padding-zero); vertical-align: var(--artdeco-reset-base-vertical-align-baseline);"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #444444;">What could this consensus look like? In Israel, the emerging approach is that of a "soft" regulation, as explained in the draft policy papers prepared by the Israel Innovation Authority. Instead of a comprehensive legislation framework, the various regulators working in different specializations examine the need to promote concrete regulation while maintaining a uniform government policy. In addition, the regulation will be carried out in appropriate cases using advanced regulatory tools such as voluntary standardization and self-regulation. Thus, Israel's approach combines elements of the European (uniform government policy) and the American position (voluntary steps and self-regulation). The policy paper draft also suggests using a modular format and regulatory experimentation tools (such as "sandboxes") and the public's participation in the deliberation process.</span></p><p class="reader-text-block__paragraph" style="--artdeco-reset-typography_getfontsize: 1.6rem; --artdeco-reset-typography_getlineheight: 1.5; border: var(--artdeco-reset-base-border-zero); box-sizing: inherit; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: var(--font-size-large); line-height: 1.75; margin: 1.6rem 0px; padding: var(--artdeco-reset-base-padding-zero); vertical-align: var(--artdeco-reset-base-vertical-align-baseline);"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #444444;">A doomsday scenario of AI technologies is probably exaggerated, but the need for its regulation is not. Given the current pace of AI development, procrastination could prove too dangerous. </span></p>yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-55878200593917004722021-10-03T22:53:00.002+03:002021-10-03T22:53:51.381+03:00 Between Chernobyl and Covid-19, Dr. Alla Shapiro calls for reflection<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Book review for “Doctor on Call: Chernobyl responder, Jewish refugee, radiation expert”, by Dr. Alla Shapiro. Mandel Vilar Press, 2021.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The cover illustration of the "Doctor on Call: Chernobyl responder, Jewish refugee, radiation expert", includes two distinct images. In the bottom image, we see the 4th reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear station and the abandoned buildings of Pripyat, the closest town to Chernobyl power station that housed its employees before the explosion. The top picture is a peaceful view of the American capital dominated by the iconic Washington Monument. Young pediatrician Alla Shapiro from the Hematology Unit of the Kiev Children Hospital couldn't have imagined on the morning of April 26, 1986, that her life would irreversibly change and the rest of it will revolve around those two places: Washington, D.C. and Chernobyl, Ukraine. Washington will become her second home after she leaves the turbulent Kiev of the 1980s; the Chernobyl chapter of her life will manifest itself throughout her work as a radiation expert, and as a patient of radiation-induced cancer, a sinister reminder from April 1986.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ag8jBBVneAm5S8IZcY2Gh-10PaXIqmRF9doqYJoPyqZELsJLA-U1G7hzoWmo8NVEwsp1bEwL61bX8Ot1FzYTzYNpwj3kMAbCNw_PgIFEMSyR_1xCbiIHUWWF2gSB1lxjI_UgTDEYqxE_/s400/doctor+on+call+cover.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ag8jBBVneAm5S8IZcY2Gh-10PaXIqmRF9doqYJoPyqZELsJLA-U1G7hzoWmo8NVEwsp1bEwL61bX8Ot1FzYTzYNpwj3kMAbCNw_PgIFEMSyR_1xCbiIHUWWF2gSB1lxjI_UgTDEYqxE_/s320/doctor+on+call+cover.jpeg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-size: 12px; white-space: pre;"> </span>With breathtaking simplicity and sincerity Dr. Shapiro unfolds her odyssey from her native city, Kiev, which began when she was called to treat the children evacuated from the town of Pripyat in the immediate aftermath of the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear station. The journey starts more than 30 years ago in the Soviet Union, still a superpower, whose imminent collapse is not being envisaged even by the most audacious Sovietologists. Dr. Shapiro’s scrupulous description of the first days and weeks after the disaster reconstructs the harsh realities of the Soviet Union after the explosion. In the first part of the book, we see dreadful images of the ongoing tragedy, with Chernobyl patients overcrowding Kiev hospitals, and medical personnel’s heroic but all too often hopeless efforts to help them. These pictures are intertwined with the author's own desperate and at times futile struggle to keep her own family safe. The scene of Alla Shapiro detecting radiation on the stuffed toy animals of her daughter, or the story of author’s mother Nelly, a scientist herself, who tried to bring her daughter home-made “radiation clean” food from Kiev to Narodichi, are simply unforgettable.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>But beyond the pictures of the unfolding tragedy in the country caught by an absolute surprise and emergency unpreparedness, Dr. Shapiro makes her vigorous diagnosis on the reasons for the failure of the first response to the Chernobyl disaster. The Kiev pediatrician, who out of necessity became a first responder in the unprecedented nuclear catastrophe, reveals how the Soviet policy of secrecy, deliberate hiding of scientific information and absence of transparent communication with the population severely aggravated the crisis causing it to lose control. This simple but powerful insight will forcefully resonate again in the last part of the book that deals with critical preparedness and handling of the world crisis of our time, the Covid-19 pandemic. </p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>One of the more powerful passages about the Soviet “web of lies and deceit” in dealing with the Chernobyl disaster, in my eyes, appears in the chapter named “A Radioactive fallacy”. During her deployments as the head of the medical team to the radiation-contaminated areas, she became fully aware of the insuperable contradiction between the facts, data, scientific analysis, and the directives of the Soviet government whose interest was to downplay the danger and hide the real situation from its own citizens. As a doctor, she was forced to be part of this mechanism she aptly calls “the ladder of lies'', under the threat of losing her job forever.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>As a result, total disappointment with the Soviet system, even a sense of betrayal, felt by Dr. Shapiro and millions of her fellow citizens was one of the main psychological fallouts of Chernobyl. This fresh trauma coincided for her and her family with another wound inflicted on the Jews of the Soviet Union. The second part of the book opens with Dr. Shapiro’s recollection of her and her family’s experience with the “established fact of life” in the Soviet Union, namely the persecution of the Jewish people. Decades before the Chernobyl disaster, the Jewish population of the USSR had already learnt first-hand about the falsehoods of the Soviet propaganda, the insurmountable gap between the communist slogans of brotherhood of nations and the despairing reality of discrimination and antisemitism in USSR. Dr. Shapiro is not trying to answer the question why this happened. She only describes the facts of the discrimination and its psychological impact. But following this endless story of humiliation and prejudice, we, as readers, cannot resist asking those questions. How did it happen that a country who fought and defeated Nazi Germany ended up with the state-supported antisemitism of its own? Why the Jews were systematically persecuted and discriminated against since Joseph Stalin’s rule and almost till the final collapse of the Soviet Union? And what comparisons and lessons can we draw from the Soviet model of antisemitism today, in the year 2021, when physical violence against Jews and all other types of antisemitism, from conspiracy theories to digitally promulgated slanders, are on the rise in Europe, US and in the Middle East? </p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Chernobyl tragedy and the trauma of antisemitism would be a sufficiently hard life experience for one person, but in 1989 Alla Shapiro was up for another challenge: immigration. The hardships of her family exodus from the Soviet Union, the time they spent in the temporary refugee camp in Italy and the pains of adapting to a new life in the United States will be familiar to any person who underwent immigration. Those of us who had this experience would agree that the life of an immigrant oscillates between periods of despair and uncertainty with time of accomplishments and success, mingled with amusing moments of confusion and silly mistakes. Alla Shapiro eagerly shares with us such comic and incredible situations, like hitchhiking in the car of the Italian movie star Michele Placido or her unsuccessful “escape” from the highway police on Wisconsin Avenue. The immigrant life, with all its ups and downs, looks suddenly less stressful, less tragic, more manageable experience; it also has a logic of gradual adjustment, of settling down, of taking root, particularly in the country that is built on immigration ethos. It is by all accounts a more bearable challenge than a nuclear disaster or antisemitism. </p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>With determination and resolve, Alla Shapiro had succeeded to overcome the language barrier, to pass recertification exams and to establish her medical credentials in America, opening for her a career path in pediatric oncology. But very soon her Chernobyl experience was required by the United States government and U.S. defense agencies involved in research on anti-radiation drugs. She joined a fellowship at the National Health Institute, was invited to speak at scientific conferences, and at the same time volunteered to work with children of Chernobyl suffering from different types of cancer. Subsequently Dr. Shapiro became deeply involved in research and development of drugs to be used in radiological or nuclear incidents. And one day she went to Kiev, as representative of the FDA’s Office of Counterterrorism, to speak at the international conference dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. During her flight she heard from another passenger about the new “hot” tourist destination in Ukraine, the ghost town of Pripyat... But enough with spoilers, I will leave it for you to discover if Alla Shapiro eventually came back to Chernobyl. </p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This visit to Kiev, 20 years after the Chernobyl disaster, could probably be an ideal ending for a book of fiction. But the life of Alla Shapiro had one more dramatic twist of fate. A sinister personal reminder from Chernobyl. While working on the development of the medications that can help fight radiation, she was herself diagnosed with cancer - radiation-induced cancer. 25 years after the explosion she was again in the oncological department, this time as a patient. After her first chemotherapy treatment session she starts to write this book. </p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The readers will like “Doctor on call” for different reasons. First and foremost, it is a truly incredible personal story of a courageous woman, as we say in Hebrew “Eishet Chayil”, the Women of Valor. The eyewitness authentic accounts of the Chernobyl tragedy and of the antisemitism in the Soviet Union are a valuable contribution to our understanding of those phenomena, both for professional and ordinary audiences. No doubt, many people will enjoy the cultural and historical references abundant in the book and will smile while reading about the adventures of Alla Shapiro the immigrant. But in my eyes, the greatest value of the book is the inducement to reflect on the current realities through the prism of past experiences. I believe this is the book’s major message, that is why the author shares her concerns, assessments, and recommendations on the best response to the Covid19 pandemics, which she argues must be based on data, science, and transparency. </p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-indent: 36px;">As an American citizen, Dr. Shapiro is primarily concerned with US critical preparedness, and I am sure the readers will appreciate her thoughts on how the government should better tackle the pandemic in the country. However, the topics raised in the book have global implications, far beyond the United States. The Chernobyl tragedy demonstrated that by hiding information from its own population any government will run the risk of a crisis that gets out of control. Was this lesson learned when coping with the Covid-19 pandemic? Definitely not. Just look at the phenomenon of “infodemics” around the coronavirus. At the anti-vax conspiracy theories spread on social media. Or the fact that in this age of information, a year and a half after the outbreak of the pandemic, we still don’t have a clear picture about the origins of the virus. </p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Dr. Shapiro tells how back in 1986, scientists from neighboring countries alerted the international community about the nuclear explosion in the Soviet Union. 35 years later, we see global campaigns destined to undermine the vaccination efforts, to spread false information and to deliberately discredit efforts of rival countries to struggle with pandemics. Be it the “prestige” of the superpower, as was the case in the USSR, or some obscure geopolitical calculations as might be the case today, the lesson of transparency was not learned. The Chernobyl crisis management by the Soviet leadership revealed how the policies of information manipulation could backfire and be self-destructive. When it comes to the Covid-19 pandemic, democratic countries might have difficulty in resorting to lockdowns and other harsh measures, but they could swiftly accommodate social and political pressures and change leadership to cope with the crisis. The story is different for authoritarian regimes. The Chernobyl disaster overwhelmed the people in the Soviet Union and led to the USSR's inevitable collapse 5 years later, a result of a pervasive and insurmountable loss of trust in the system. As to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is too early to say what would be its long-term political fallout but judging by the past events it is unavoidable.</p><p class="p4" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-indent: 36px;">Those are my first personal reflections after reading “Doctor on call”. At heart, this is a book of reflection, not just a memoir, and a significant dose of reflection is what we all need today. No less than an effective vaccine.</p><p class="p5" style="font-family: Carlito; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-10956497431523307992021-05-13T14:13:00.000+03:002021-05-13T14:13:16.717+03:00Multilateral diplomacy and AI: between ethics and geopolitics (recording)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxh8TbfIjhcEVFTohM965jlHsHnQxTfxRUWsk7xaEWAOxycjdlA1fWm1WFgUaG1_z4BTlAZro4NDLklhAKejw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /> Briefing I gave on May 12, 2021. <p></p>yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-71425491781051016072021-01-27T18:11:00.002+02:002021-01-27T18:11:30.280+02:00In “geopolitics of bits and bytes”, Europe takes an independent approach on AI <p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></p><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span> </span><span> </span>The outbreak of Covid19
a year ago intensified the debates about regulation of Artificial Intelligence.
Given the role of AI technologies in fighting the pandemics, the attention of
all stakeholders to its impact, both positive and negative, was all too
obvious. As a result, the extensive use of these technologies by some
governments to control the propagation of coronavirus brought to light
controversial and disturbing aspects of AI. Human rights advocates and experts
sounded the alarm about large-scale use of the facial recognition AI
technologies for surveillance purposes. Beyond the pandemic situation, concerns
were also raised about military use of Artificial Intelligence and other AI
applications that could endanger privacy, amplify the polarization of societies
and empower the autocrats. </span><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> <span> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Those concerns are
raised periodically by members of the expert community and leaders of the
hi-tech industry. Take for example Elon Musk, who already in 2014 said to MIT
students: </span><span style="background: white; color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">“I
think we should be very careful about artificial intelligence... I’m
increasingly inclined to think that there should be some regulatory oversight,
maybe at the national and international level, just to make sure that we don’t
do something very foolish.” However, the conference organized last week by the
Council of Europe showed that now senior government representatives of the
continent add their voices to those concerns, sending a clear message: Europe
will not sit idle in face of this challenge. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> <span> </span></o:p></span><span style="background: white; color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The
conference’s title “Human rights in the era of AI: Europe as an international
standard setter for Artificial Intelligence” embodies the essence of Europe's
ambitious goal. The conference was organized by Germany who took over the
presidency of the Council of Europe last November and announced that the
question of human rights and technologies will be one of its key priorities in
this role. German minister of Foreign Affairs, Heiko Mass, who opened the conference
set the tone for the discussions that followed when he declared, loud and
clear, that </span><span style="background: white; color: #191919; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">it is
for democratic parliaments and governments to decide on AI regulation. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> <span> </span></o:p></span><span style="background: white; color: #191919; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Minister
Mass emphasized two major elements of the European strategy of AI. First, he
stressed the importance of developing Europe’s own capabilities in AI
technologies and announced that to achieve this goal the EU budget earmarked
200 billion euro for digitalization. The second element of the plan is to
establish European standards of Artificial intelligence that </span><span style="background: white; color: #191919; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">“</span><span style="background: white; color: #191919; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">can create benchmarks worldwide”. According to
him, the Council of Europe, working with European Union, possesses a
significant legal framework and instruments to address the problems of AI
regulation. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> <span> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Beyond the operational
items of its AI strategy, the European vision of the “geopolitics of bits and
bytes” and “digital bipolarity” merits attention. German Minister of Foreign
Affairs describes the emergence of two poles of power around Artificial
Intelligence: the Chinese digital model that prioritizes surveillance, and the
heavily market-oriented Silicon Valley model. Instead of choosing one side in
this rivalry, Europe will be open to all partners who share the conviction that
AI technologies should reinforce democracy and human rights, not erode them.
Mr. Mass also had a message for the new US administration: while expressing
hope that President Biden will be a partner to his vision, he asserted that</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“... we shouldn’t wait
for Washington. </span></i><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Our ambition
must be to continue building our own European digital model that puts humans at
the center, remains open to the world and protects our values and democracy.”</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">( </span></i><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Speech by Federal Foreign Minster Heiko Maas
at the virtual conference “Human Rights in the Era of AI: Europe as an
international standard setter for Artificial Intelligence”, </span><a href="https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/newsroom/news/maas-human-rights-artificial-intelligence/2435928"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/newsroom/news/maas-human-rights-artificial-intelligence/2435928</span></a><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> <span> </span></o:p></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The contours of the
European digital model for AI regulation were first formulated in European
Union’s Strategy for AI in 2018. In November 2019 the Council of Europe,
another European multilateral organization, headquartered in Strasbourg and
whose raison d'être is to safeguard democracy, rule of law and human rights in
Europe, entered the fray and established a special ad-hoc Committee on
Artificial Intelligence (CAHAI). Aside from expertise in human rights
protection, the Council of Europe’s additional advantage in
forging all-European consensus around AI regulation comes from its
significantly larger membership. All European states, with exception of
Belarus, are members in the Council, including Russia and Turkey; countries
outside Europe also joined CAHAI as observers, among them USA, Canada, Japan
and Israel. In December 2020 the CAHAI published a feasibility study, which
provides concrete recommendations to the Council of Europe on regulation of AI
technologies. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> <span> </span></o:p></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The major conclusion
of this feasibility study, which was also presented in the conference, is that “an
appropriate legal framework will likely consist of a combination of binding and
non-binding legal instruments that complement each other”. The report further
elaborated the role of binding regulations:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Any binding document,
whatever its shape, should not be overly prescriptive so as to secure its
future-proof nature. Moreover, it should ensure that socially beneficial AI
innovation can flourish, all the while adequately tackling the specific risks
posed by the design, development and application of AI systems.” </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(</span></i><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ad-hoc Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAHAI)
Feasibility Study, </span><a href="https://rm.coe.int/cahai-2020-23-final-eng-feasibility-study-/1680a0c6da"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://rm.coe.int/cahai-2020-23-final-eng-feasibility-study-/1680a0c6da</span></a><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> <span> </span></o:p></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">In my conversations
with representatives of national delegations to the Council it was quite clear
that most of them agree with the emerging approach on AI regulation, even if
some had some mild reservations. This impression was reinforced also at the
conference where an absolute majority of the panelists, including CAHAI
experts, agreed on the need to establish binding regulation. Interestingly, the
only voice of dissent came from a representative of Japan who expressed concern
about the negative impact of regulations on innovation. And yet, the prevailing
opinion of the experts refused to see the contradiction between ethics and
innovation, spoke in favor of binding regulations, while admitting that
socially beneficial innovation should enjoy more flexible regulation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The work of the Committee will
continue throughout 2021 with the goal to complete its mission by the end of
the year. The Council’s goal of setting European standards for AI is ambitious.
However, its determination to establish a European digital model looks stronger
than ever. Its sense of direction and destination is admirable. Considering
this, it would be sensible for like-minded countries outside of Europe to join
the discussion and address together legitimate concerns and differences of
opinion. Time is of the essence.</span></p></div>yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-61314416537392468322020-04-04T19:32:00.000+03:002020-05-14T19:27:32.770+03:00Artificial Intelligence - Between ethic concerns and geopolitics<b>What can we learn from international organizations’ resolve to regulate AI</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Part I</b><br />
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I planned to write this article long before the global outbreak of
COVID-19. When I started six months ago my new diplomatic position representing
Israel at international organizations based in France, I was surprised to
discover how much importance all of them - OECD, Council of Europe, UNESCO -
relate to Artificial intelligence, and especially to its regulation and ethics.
As I embarked on more extensive research, I realized that this issue has become
for multilateral diplomacy both an unavoidable item on their agenda and a
reputational gold mine.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As I contemplated this, I suddenly found myself in a new reality
of “confinement” decreed in France and almost elsewhere in Europe. A reality of
social distancing, of closed restaurants, cafes and theaters (in Paris - can
you imagine that?), of frightening reports of the numbers of infected and dead,
of attempts, sometimes contradictory, sometimes desperate, by governments to
fight the pandemics. A reality where your only hope is for it to be over. What
sci-fi movies and dystopian literature showed us with such precision, is now on
full display as our everyday life. And the questions about AI and its ethics
are part of this reality, not just a fruit of sci-fi imaginary world. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So, I decided to go on with my article. After all, the best way to
deal with the quasi-dystopian present we live in is to focus on things that
will last beyond it. William Shakespeare wrote his immortal King Lear, Macbeth
and Anthony and Cleopatra during 1606 plague in London and Titian painted his
masterpieces in 16th century Venice stricken by plague. Let’s be inspired by
them. And of course, let us not forget that when humanity will turn the
coronavirus page in its chronicles, most of the challenges we dealt with before
the crisis will stay with us. Some of them will become even more compelling.
Artificial intelligence is probably one of them.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Three Laws of Robotics | Letterpress poster of Isaac Asimov'… | Flickr" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/423/32408639736_17cc5fd585_b.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Three laws of robotics", devised by the American science fiction author Isaac Asimov in 1942 story "Runaround"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Just look at the role of AI technologies during the ongoing
crisis. Using AI as well as other technologies of mobile surveillance Chinese
authorities were able to spectacularly enforce their confinement efforts. AI
was used by Chinese, Taiwanese and South-Korean governments to encourage
medical research and testing, while US, UK and other countries followed suit.<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> In my home country, Israel,
the technology was used, among other things, by Public Health funds to predict
the spread of COVID-19.<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Recruiting AI technologies to
fight the virus was welcomed and at the same time met with growing concerns.
What implications will it have on our privacy, freedoms and rights as
individuals </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: 0.5in;">and on our society in general</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> ?</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In this context it is worth paying attention to the observation
made by Yuval Noah Harari, best-selling Israel’s historian, that many decisions
and social experiments that at normal times would have entailed long deliberations
and debate, were enforced on us during the COVID-19 crisis in a blink of an
eye. His assessment is that at least some of those decisions and experiments
would stay with us long after - due to their contribution in fighting the
virus.<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> There is absolutely no
doubt, AI technologies have the potential to be one of those irreplaceable
tools to deal with future pandemics and other crises of global proportions.
Their success and efficiency during the cataclysmic spring of 2020 (and
beyond?) will inexorably strengthen the appetite of governments, companies,
researchers and ordinary people for promising technology-based panacea. The new
push for AI technologies given an ever-growing recognition of its advantages
will predictably re-energize efforts to regulate it.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The need for regulation of AI technologies had come under the
attention of different players already 4 years ago, resulting in multiple
documents of principles and guidelines. We can expect that the upcoming debate
on AI will be informed by the work that has been done so far, so it’s worth
looking at it. Civil society and non-profit organizations, universities and
private companies were the first to identify the importance of AI regulation.
Among the first were Partnership on AI founded by Amazon, Facebook, and IBM; Future of Life Institute; Union Network International; and Tencent Institute
(China). These initiatives were followed by national governments’ reports
like “Preparing the future of AI” by US National Science and Technology Council
(2016) and “White paper on AI standardization” by Standards Administration of
China (2017). By 2018 it was finally the turn of international
organizations to embark on the issue and since then various multilateral
bodies added AI regulation to their agendas.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
was apparently faster than others, not only adopting AI Principles (May 2019)<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> but also moving towards
implementation of some of them. Thus, in February 2020 OECD’s AI Policy
Observatory was established with purpose to provide “<span style="background: white;">evidence and guidance on AI metrics, policies and practices to help
implement the Principles, and constitute a hub to facilitate dialogue and share
best practices on AI policies</span>.”<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftn5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5;" title="">[5]</a></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">OECD was not the first multilateral heavyweight to rise to the
challenge of AI regulation. In 2018 the European Union presented the European
strategy for AI, followed by the adoption, last February, of the White Paper on
Artificial Intelligence. UNESCO, the UN-affiliated organization based in Paris
and mandated to promote cultural and scientific cooperation, indicated its
interest in the subject publishing in 2019 a “Preliminary Study on the Ethics
of Artificial Intelligence” and launching in March its ad-hoc experts group to
draft “global recommendations on the ethics of AI”. Council of Europe (CoE), an
organization based in Strasbourg and convening 47 countries of European
continent (sometimes confused with European Union with its 27 members), opted
for establishing its own group of experts in December 2019; simultaneously the
Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE commissioned a few reports on the ethics and
impact of AI technology in the domains of labor force and health system.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Quite predictably, each one of these organizations aims
at highlighting its own vantage point or unique contribution it could make on
regulating AI technologies. OECD’s focus on “implementable and sufficiently
flexible” set of standards was devised to allow governments of its
member-states, representing the most advanced economies, to formulate better
policies on AI.<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
The European Union's White Paper emphasized the need to define its own way,
“based on European values, to promote the development and deployment of AI”.<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftn7" name="_ftnref7" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">[7]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> UNESCO, who joined the
discussion only recently and is aware of the work done by other bodies, argues
in its “Preliminary study” report that “there was a great heteronomy in the
principles and in the implementation of the values promoted” in documents
prepared by other organizations. According to UNESCO’s document “AI has
implications for the central domains of UNESCO’s work” and therefore its
“approach could be complementary at the international level to the OECD’s”. But
the goal set by UNESCO is far more ambitious: “by initiating a Recommendation, UNESCO
would be able to distinguish itself not only in terms of ethical content but
also through specific proposals to Member States”. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, is the argument about “heteronomy”of guidelines and principles correct? And how significant are the differences between the
values formulated in them? Do they indeed necessitate the
growing number of principles and guidelines documents to regulate the use of AI
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Let’s have a closer look at these documents and check their recommendations. The OECD recommendations highlight five basic principles for AI policies, namely they should promote inclusive growth, sustainable development and wellbeing; human-centered values and fairness; transparency and explainability; robustness, security and safety; accountability.<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftn8" name="_ftnref8" style="color: #888888;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">[8]</span></span></span></a> The European Commission’s 7 principles that laid the ethics basis of the EU’s White Paper are: human agency and oversight; technical robustness and safety; privacy and data governance; transparency; diversity, non-discrimination and fairness; societal and environmental well-being; accountability.<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftn9" name="_ftnref9" style="color: #888888;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">[9]</span></span></span></a> Out of fear to overwhelm the readers with reiterations, I will only add the third and last example of the set of AI </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">principles from the UNESCO’s Preliminary Study: human rights; inclusiveness, flourishing; autonomy; explainability; transparency; awareness and literacy; responsibility; accountability; democracy; good governance; sustainability.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftn10" name="_ftnref10" style="color: #888888; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">[10]</span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> The AI principles from all three organizations could not look more coalescing, or even identical. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">In fact, the consensus looks even more significant when we compare all known documents produced by other organizations and countries. One of the studies published in “Nature” last September made an inventory of 84 documents on AI principles and ethics (incidentally or not, the absolute majority of those documents originated in the USA and UK). The central finding in the research showed that in most of the documents the recommendations focused on “11 overarching ethical values and principles”.<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftn11" name="_ftnref11" style="color: #888888;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">[11]</span></span></span></a> The list of these principles is almost identical to those of OECD, EU and UNESCO. Another more recent study published by researchers from Harvard University have identified only 8 such principles, concluding that “the conversation around principled AI is beginning to converge, at least for communities responsible for development of these documents”.<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftn12" name="_ftnref12" style="color: #888888;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">[12]</span></span></span></a> In the world torn by geopolitical rivalries, could we expect that at least on AI ethics the global agreement is just around the corner?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"> As a matter of fact, a concern that it is rather a divergence, not convergence, that is underway was raised in both studies. In one of them the researchers wondered, in somewhat subtle form, why “despite the increasing visibility of AI in human rights'' the data they have gathered does not reveal a trend toward increasing emphasis on human rights. In a second article, the researchers have made an even stronger assertion: even though the numerical data indicates convergence between the values, in fact there are “substantive divergences among all 11 ethical principles in relation to four major factors: (1) how ethical principles are interpreted; (2) why they are deemed important; (3) what issue, domain or actors they pertain to; and (4) how they should be implemented”.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftn13" style="color: #888888;" title="">[13]</a></span></span><a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftn13" style="color: #888888;" title=""></a></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">The discussions on AI ethics and principles taking place at international organizations reveal the same differences that exist at any other discussion between representatives coming from different countries, cultures, faiths, practices, traditions and languages. The interpretation of values and their importance, as well as their context and ways of implementation are always dependent on these factors. When it comes to relations between states, all the above-mentioned differences are being complicated even more by competing national interests and by geopolitical considerations. States disagree on so many issues - on climate change, on immigration, on human rights, on democracy. How and why could they all agree on principles of use and development of Artificial Intelligence, one of the most promising technologies with a potential to change our lives almost in any aspect?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Therefore, UNESCO’s argument about “heteronomy” of principles is essentially correct, even though the true sources of it were misidentified in the organization’s report on AI. This source of divergence is not “the consequence of the definition chosen for AI or the objectives being sought”, as UNESCO contends, but rather of competing national interests, ideologies and geopolitics that prevent reaching such a consensus. It must be said, to UNESCO’s credit, that its report correctly recognizes those hindrances: it refers, for instance, to a political climate created by “non-transparency, biases or ways of acting by big companies, or the rise of popular mistrust in the face of cyber-attacks”<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftn14" name="_ftnref14" style="color: #888888;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">[14]</span></span></span></a>; furthermore, it alludes to tensions between the US and China, two major digital powers, that should be taken into account. These revealing remarks are valuable (especially given the fact that all the other documents discussed above ignored those concerns) in understanding how difficult - maybe impossible - will it be to reach consensus on AI principles. Consequently, the fundamental question is whether UNESCO, or any other international organization, can forge a global consensus on AI?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">To answer this question, we should have a closer look at the functioning of international organizations today. They are considered as platforms where states promote their interests by creating coalitions and getting legitimacy for their acts and policies. Sometimes, states are not able to achieve their goals in existing organizations, so they create new organizations. Let's recall that in some periods of history, we had highly competing, or even hostile organizations - think, for instance, about the Cold War confrontation between NATO and the Organization of Warsaw Pact. The United States itself and its Security Council was a place of diplomatic warfare between the capitalist and democratic West and the socialist and authoritarian East. But even when the level of hostility in the world is relatively low, the competition between states still exists, and international organizations are just one of the battlegrounds. In fact, the recent years have indicated ever growing tensions as the US-centered system is being challenged by other players turning the international organizations, again, into the places of political confrontation.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">From this perspective, the chance for the international organizations to find a common ground on AI looks dubious. UNESCO itself, who aptly emphasized the gravity of geopolitical concerns in this ethics driven endeavor, is not sufficiently equipped with international legitimacy to overcome the inevitable obstacles, as it lacks the membership of the US in its own ranks: two years ago the US and Israel left UNESCO precisely for its... excessive politicization. To overcome this hurdle the UNESCO expert group that was launched in March includes an American scientist. But the AI consensus there is still a very far cry. By contrast, OECD’s recommendations have better chances to serve as the policy basis for its member-states and other countries who joined the initiative. However, absence of China and Russia from OECD limits this effort only to the Western countries. The same constraint is shared by EU’s principles since its emphasis on European values will probably not make it an easy sell in other parts of the globe. The fact that the Council of Europe launched its own expert group on AI, a separate effort from that of the EU, could also potentially highlight the differences existing between western and eastern parts of the European continent.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">It may well be that the efforts to reach a global agreement on AI would fail, as it happened with cyberspace regulation a few years ago. Therefore, the most effective way to proceed will be by consolidating the principles among like-minded countries and organizations associated with them. The example of OECD and EU indicates that it is possible to reach a consensus on recommendations and to start acting upon them. These organizations should engage other countries willing to endorse the AI principles, as it happens already with OECD’s recommendations. The urgent need for AI regulation cannot be dependent on reaching a global consensus - a noble, but thus far an elusive goal.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">© 2020 Yaron Gamburg. All rights reserved</span></span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="color: #888888;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.2667px;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Maia Hunt, </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;">“Governments turn to AI in fight</span></span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;">against coronavirus”, 27.03.2020</span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://www.globalgovernmentforum.com/governments-turn-to-ai-in-fight-against-coronavirus/" style="color: #888888;"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.globalgovernmentforum.com/governments-turn-to-ai-in-fight-against-coronavirus/</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="color: #888888;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.2667px;">[2]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> Ronny Linder; “Artificial Intelligence in the fog of war”, The Marker, 25.3.2020 (Hebrew).</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.themarker.com/news/health/1.8708713" style="color: #888888;">https://www.themarker.com/news/health/1.8708713</a></span></span></span> </div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" style="color: #888888;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.2667px;">[3]</span></span></span></a> <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Yuval Noah Harari, “The pandemics compels unprecedented social experiments which will change the world” (hebrew), 26.3.2020, Haaretz </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.haaretz.co.il/magazine/.premium.highlight-MAGAZINE-1.8710074" style="color: #888888;"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.haaretz.co.il/magazine/.premium.highlight-MAGAZINE-1.8710074</span></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" style="color: #888888;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.2667px;">[4]</span></span></span></a> <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Recommendations of the Council on Artificial Intelligence, OECD website: </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/en/instruments/OECD-LEGAL-0449" style="color: #888888;"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/en/instruments/OECD-LEGAL-0449</span></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5" style="color: #888888;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.2667px;">[5]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">OECD website, </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://www.oecd.org/going-digital/ai/principles/" style="color: #888888;"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.oecd.org/going-digital/ai/principles/</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.oecd.org/going-digital/ai/principles/" style="color: #888888;">https://www.oecd.org/going-digital/ai/principles/</a></span></span></span> </div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6" style="color: #888888;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.2667px;">[6]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">“Recommendations of the Council on Artificial Intelligence”, OECD website: </span><a href="https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/en/instruments/OECD-LEGAL-0449" style="color: #888888;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/en/instruments/OECD-LEGAL-0449</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftnref7" name="_ftn7" style="color: #888888;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.2667px;">[7]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> “White Paper on Artificial Intelligence - A European approach to excellence and trust”, 19.2.2020, </span><a href="https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/white-paper-artificial-intelligence-european-approach-excellence-and-trust_en" style="color: #888888;"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/white-paper-artificial-intelligence-european-approach-excellence-and-trust_en</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftnref8" name="_ftn8" style="color: #888888;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">[8]</span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"> Recommendations of the Council on Artificial Intelligence, OECD website: </span><a href="https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/en/instruments/OECD-LEGAL-0449" style="color: #888888;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/en/instruments/OECD-LEGAL-0449</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftnref10" name="_ftn10" style="color: #888888;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.2667px;">[10]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> “Preliminary Study of the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence”, 26.2.2019, Unesco website: </span><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000367823" style="color: #888888;">https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000367823</a></span></span> </div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftnref11" name="_ftn11" style="color: #888888;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.2667px;">[11]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> Anna Jobin, Marcello Ienca and Effy Vayena, “The global landscape of AI ethics guidelines”, in Nature Machine Intelligence, Vol. 1, September 2019. </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42256-019-0088-2" style="color: #888888;"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.nature.com/articles/s42256-019-0088-2</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftnref12" name="_ftn12" style="color: #888888;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.2667px;">[12]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=3125827" style="color: #888888;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Jessica Fjeld</span></span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=2206485" style="color: #888888;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Nele Achten</span></span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=3144798" style="color: #888888;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Hannah Hilligoss</span></span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=3329052" style="color: #888888;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Adam Nagy</span></span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=1874003" style="color: #888888;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Madhulika Srikumar</span></span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, “Principled Artificial
Intelligence: Mapping Consensus in Ethical and Rights-based Approaches to
Principles for AI”, Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard
University. </span><a href="https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/42160420" style="color: #888888;"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/42160420</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftnref13" name="_ftn13" style="color: #888888;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.2667px;">[13]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> “The global landscape of AI ethics guidelines”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/gamya/Documents/AI/Between%20ethic%20concerns%20and%20geopolitics%20-%20AI%20regulation.docx#_ftnref14" name="_ftn14" style="color: #888888;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.2667px;">[14]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="color: black;">“Preliminary Study of the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence”</span></span></div>
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yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-37011825839737080932019-03-07T12:45:00.001+02:002019-03-12T16:01:55.230+02:00Innovation in Israel: to the moon and beyond<br />
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It’s hard to avoid a jubilant tone in speaking about Israel
and innovation when the first lunar spacecraft, made in Israel, is making its
way to Earth’s natural satellite. In the last 20 years Israel has become a
world leader in new technologies and science and there is no better proof to
this claim that the flight of “Bereesheet” (“In the beginning” in Hebrew, the
first words in Genesis) that started on February 22 and made Israel the 4<sup>th</sup>
nation in the world, after USA, USSR and China, who sent a spacecraft to the
Moon.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE77ln8zZQGyitz9caWCX1dbupPwaOi22OYF38hinFXI694cmDj0FyTeSlGs7lherI0P4Uxz6oLemHu9Bio3keqYm658dMQizttJzS6fx74SlrDw2F2jiZZWDkSQ3fW_Ty48BgGp6SADio/s1600/beresheet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="174" data-original-width="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE77ln8zZQGyitz9caWCX1dbupPwaOi22OYF38hinFXI694cmDj0FyTeSlGs7lherI0P4Uxz6oLemHu9Bio3keqYm658dMQizttJzS6fx74SlrDw2F2jiZZWDkSQ3fW_Ty48BgGp6SADio/s1600/beresheet.jpg" /></a></div>
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Some experts argue that the turning point for Israel’s
innovation was in the beginning of the 1990s, thanks to a successful professional
integration of the highly educated immigrants from former Soviet Union and as a
result of a new form of collaboration between academia and industry encouraged
by government. But the truth is that already in the first years after its
establishment Israel embarked on innovative solutions to problems that faced
many developing countries after the WWII and laid the foundations of its
successful journey to innovation… and to the moon.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRakKx_4-n6lfy9QTETAVWuKoGdq9U1HWTFZGWhNM0K8EvtrlFO_HXoFAisTacxJfHuguHa5if6bhyiuZnXw3Hhzl1M1Wf4tg_HeS8XuB_DpRD6yp-zvzEbIf00LzZ9yv2WEmbyAKMQlfL/s1600/israel+innovation+authority.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="177" data-original-width="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRakKx_4-n6lfy9QTETAVWuKoGdq9U1HWTFZGWhNM0K8EvtrlFO_HXoFAisTacxJfHuguHa5if6bhyiuZnXw3Hhzl1M1Wf4tg_HeS8XuB_DpRD6yp-zvzEbIf00LzZ9yv2WEmbyAKMQlfL/s1600/israel+innovation+authority.jpg" /></a>Instead of looking back, let’s get a glimpse at new innovative
trends and solutions being developed in Israel these days. “An Overview of Innovation
in Israel 2018-2019” that was recently published by Israel Innovation Authority
and which I came across recently, could serve as a perfect guide. Here are a
few examples that caught my eye in this document:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Brain Therapy</b></div>
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The Israeli consortium “Brain Stimulation and Monitoring
Toolbox”, funded over the course of the past five years by the Innovation
Authority, was established in order to develop technological and scientific
infrastructure combined with neurological stimulation and monitoring to enable
personalized and improved treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwT-8sbqC2bJYyTBus_gYJfPh_i6hecoJ8Olr3UF9Szf-kUxmh-yaE7esxNf-2hI2lFO0Wsz7K5Ackir_v_ojOYkCB_UxB4-BYbHpBv5Sp3uwrhjKa3NORb4JqPXvGWPZsAs-_OX2Cj9zu/s1600/brain+stimulation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwT-8sbqC2bJYyTBus_gYJfPh_i6hecoJ8Olr3UF9Szf-kUxmh-yaE7esxNf-2hI2lFO0Wsz7K5Ackir_v_ojOYkCB_UxB4-BYbHpBv5Sp3uwrhjKa3NORb4JqPXvGWPZsAs-_OX2Cj9zu/s320/brain+stimulation.jpg" width="320" /></a>The
consortium has had several groundbreaking achievements, some of which have led
to technological maturity and clinical execution. HaGuide, for example,
software developed by Alpha Omega and researchers from the Hebrew University
and Hadassah Medical Center, is used in DBS procedures (Deep Brain Stimulation)
performed on patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease or other disorders. </div>
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Another
technological and commercial achievement is a digital platform, for functional
brain imaging for psychiatric patients. The integration of the platform in
therapy is slated to advance personalized medicine and to offer support for
doctors’ treatment modalities.</div>
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<b>Broadcasting sport events</b></div>
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The Pixellot startup established in 2013 has developed an
innovative system that allows production and broadcasting of a variety of
sports events with almost no human intervention. The system it developed
includes cameras, tracking capabilities, content manipulation through the
cloud, broadcasting to different devices, and exclusively automatic live-streaming,
allowing spectators to perform simple move manipulation – all at a low
production cost. Since its establishment, the company has already sold roughly
2,500 systems producing 20 thousand broadcasting hours a month. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>AI at the service of public health<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The national Digital Health Plan is striving to make Israel
a key player in the field of digital healthcare. To this end, in 2018, the
Authority launched a program for supporting pilots in the field of digital
healthcare that are either performed in Israeli healthcare organizations, or
that are based on capabilities or the data at their disposal. The Digital
Robotics pilot, which stands out among the pilots approved, has developed a
computerized system based on AI – the first of its kind – aimed at cutting
healthcare costs and improving service. The system, which is designed to be
used by medical teams, includes a personalized recommendation engine for
patients based on a broad clinical picture. In the context of the pilot
program, the system will first be implemented in two healthcare organizations:
Meuhedet Health Fund (one of the four Health Funds operating in Israel) and at
the Soroka Medical Center’s emergency center in Be’er Sheva. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Remote monitoring of cardiovascular diseases <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Vectorious Medical Technologies was conceived in 2011 in the
RAD BioMed technological incubator backed by the Innovation Authority. The
company offered a groundbreaking solution for remote, continuous, precise, and
safe monitoring of patients suffering from cardiovascular disease – one of the
leading causes of death worldwide.The inimitable technology enables the implantation of a
microcomputer for battery free communication. Thus far, the company has raised
over $10 million, including a $2.25 million grant from the European R&D
program Horizon 2020 and the Innovation Authority. The exclusive grant has
helped the company recruit additional investors and accelerate development and
clinical trials. The company is currently conducting trials on human subjects
in Germany, England, Italy and Israel, on its way to receiving the necessary
regulatory approvals and to market the product. The company projects that the
development will reach the European market within roughly six months.</div>
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<b>Operation of smartphones and tablets with head movements<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The Sesame Enable startup, established in 2013, has
developed an exclusive app that allows people with mobility disabilities to
operate smartphones and tablets using head movements alone, using the device’s
front-facing camera. The company was awarded a substantial grant by the
Innovation Authority in collaboration with the national Insurance Institute, to
encourage the development of assistive technologies for people with
disabilities. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirWe4kkrcbqzir0dSm9LxxD6PMYEf5cZbadiyKsOL3MHRx_4MlnfJzdgs7qsMSp7e4JF67DZPGrX7RxO0RNX4XjeOgXNtXGCilPJfeyJeONsdk0uXkFzuZf_ueG2jC65LnHZPOfJLjThIq/s1600/sesame+enabled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="861" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirWe4kkrcbqzir0dSm9LxxD6PMYEf5cZbadiyKsOL3MHRx_4MlnfJzdgs7qsMSp7e4JF67DZPGrX7RxO0RNX4XjeOgXNtXGCilPJfeyJeONsdk0uXkFzuZf_ueG2jC65LnHZPOfJLjThIq/s320/sesame+enabled.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Solutions offered by the company are already in wide use
throughout the US, where the company receives government subsidies. Their
technology serves an audience with a wide range of mobility disabilities such
as spinal cord injuries, neuromuscular diseases, MS, and cerebral palsy.
Recently, the municipality of New York chose the company’s product as a
preferred solution for children with disabilities in the city’s public
education system, and negotiations are taking place with other US
municipalities and states to expand this activity.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Golan Heights Winery’s innovative wine water <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Golan Heights Winery ventured to develop a completely new
product: Wine Water. The project led to the construction of a concept based on
innovative technology: extracting grape waste reduced in the wine manufacturing
process and diluting it with water, so that the nutrients in grape peels and
the unique aroma and smell of wine are absorbed by the water. The product made
its world debut in July 2018 at the Fancy Food Show in New York and gained
unprecedented success, with hundreds of distributors from across the globe
seeking marketing rights for the product. It is already being sold by leading
chains in the US.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I gave you only a glimpse of the report, and you are welcome
to learn much more here: <a href="https://innovationisrael.org.il/en/report/innovation-report-2018">https://innovationisrael.org.il/en/report/innovation-report-2018</a> . More than any particular piece of technology, it shows a
deep commitment in Israel to ”perception that innovation is a key engine for
economic growth and wellbeing.”</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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…And if you don’t like reading reports, look up for a great book
by Avi Jorish, “Thou Shalt Innovate” (<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/thou-shalt-innovate-15-earthshaking-israeli-technologies/">https://www.timesofisrael.com/thou-shalt-innovate-15-earthshaking-israeli-technologies/</a>). Enjoy! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-81269078664280304502019-01-22T13:44:00.000+02:002019-03-12T16:26:59.109+02:00Upcoming crisis of social networks and what governments should do about itThe word “upcoming” at the title of this post is quite
misleading. In the last 2 to 3 years the problems associated with the
functioning of the existing social networks turned into a real snowball, or
even snow avalanche. A fusion of important political events (US Presidential
elections 2016, to take the most conspicuous example), as well as decisions
taken by the management of social networks themselves, exacerbated situation
and created a crisis. As a result, governments of many countries have taken
actions against the social networks practices, ranging from demands to change
the privacy policies to restrictions on access or complete ban of networks. But
the apex of this crisis is ahead of us.<br />
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I will argue here that while governments will try to exert a
greater control over the contents published on social networks, and while
social networks will be willing (or forced) to adopt their policies to these
demands, this one-sided, restrictive and “correctional” approach, will not be
able to solve the problems we face today. Governments should consider more
complex solutions, because this crisis is not only about social networks, but
about our society in general and democratic nature of our institutions and
political life. I will suggest one such solution further. But, of course, there
are more than one to envisage.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In fact, the problems with social networks began before the attempts
of meddling in elections or the role of social networks in phenomenon of “fake
news” were exposed. It started about 6-7 years ago when teenagers and even
younger kids started to complain about digital harassment they’ve experienced
on Facebook from their peers. Today we call this phenomenon cyber-bullying, but
back then nobody spoke in these terms. Back then, it was a problem for kids,
for their parents, and for teachers, but not something that was considered a
national or global problem. The next surprise we became aware of was our (lost)
privacy on the networks. That was already a reason for grown-ups to be
seriously concerned, but things got only much worse since then. After a short
period of grace and photo-ops with world leaders who were courting them, CEOs
and senior managers of Facebook, Twitter, Google and other companies, are now
being called to testify to US Congress and conduct nasty negotiations with governments
unhappy with their policies. In some countries there were no negotiations: they
were plainly banned.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CzqvJNwlqTDoXjrev-WNTNXBXUjvQH00rF-ctLN_M5CUgtiQ-YE90LhLsgehKLEgAEKQ9OswP79HWy_uVMZGIB0OwWx-AkCmEiV5NT9lWFr3qW-LYVagGn3a31kzAZupQ8mry43XKSDP/s1600/digital-government.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CzqvJNwlqTDoXjrev-WNTNXBXUjvQH00rF-ctLN_M5CUgtiQ-YE90LhLsgehKLEgAEKQ9OswP79HWy_uVMZGIB0OwWx-AkCmEiV5NT9lWFr3qW-LYVagGn3a31kzAZupQ8mry43XKSDP/s320/digital-government.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>What are the main areas of concern with social networks?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Social networks today are platforms for circulation of
hatred, incitement to violence, racist, xenophobic and antisemitic posts and
other versions of bigotry. Of course, it is not deliberate. Of course, it is
not their goal and design. Do you know the expression “the road to hell
is paved with good intentions”? Against their will, social networks became
global vehicles of hatred. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Last 5 months I spent in France. I could see firsthand how
social movement of "Yellow vests", that had legitimate demands from the
government, received massive support of the public (70%), and which organized
itself through Facebook, was hijacked by extremists, professional rioters and
thugs, as well as by provocateurs, racist and anti-Semites of all kinds. This
crisis proved once again (as if after the "Arab spring" we needed more proofs) the
power of networks to facilitate grass-roots protest movement, but at the same
time it exposed the levels of hatred, misogyny and antisemitism you wouldn’t
like to believe exist in France. Social networks were helpless in face of the
extremely violent discourse taking place on them. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Let’s refresh our memory: two years ago,<a href="https://www.wired.com/2017/05/community-zuck-longs-build-remains-distant-dream/"> Facebook founderwas talking about the new ambition for the network: to build more communities,rather than just encouraging connections between family and friends.</a> Algorithms
went through a change, and the new approach implemented. Result? The infamous
“echo chamber” effect, that was already taking place in the world of partisan
media, was now in a full swing. Of course, nothing wrong if you have a community
of astronomers or poetry fans. But what about a community of bigots or
anti-Semites? They probably will not report “abusive posts” with racist and antisemitic
content, will they? By the way, the situation with other networks is not
better. You can easily find racist posts on Twitter or VKontakte. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This uncontrolled circulation of hate speech, bigotry and
incitement on social networks provided food for thought for some bright, but
vicious about using those networks to meddle in national elections campaigns, to
make “fake news” and to manipulate public opinion. These and other versions of
special operations on internet and social networks represent a new, digital
form of information warfare and are used by states against other states. In an
attempt to defend themselves in this digital jungle, social networks are trying
to develop better prevention policies. Facebook opens centers of moderation,
outside United States (one such center works in Barcelona) with help of experts who know foreign languages and are aware of local cultural
specifics which enables them to decipher complex social and political realities. But in the world of 196 states (and counting), hundreds of languages, of
growing complexity and diversity, of conflicting interests and contradictory
definitions of freedom and rights, how many moderation centers will they need
to open? And even then – how to moderate two billion Facebook users? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>“There is no great thing that
would not be surmounted by a still greater thing.”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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One of my favorite Russian poets, Kozma Prutkov (who was, in fact, a
fictional author), known for his satiric aphorisms and nonsensical expressions,
said : “Nobody will embrace the unembraceable”.
Social networks should become more modest about their ability to serve as a global
platform for creating communities; and they should be more thoughtful about
their social responsibility, when they act de-facto as media channel. I
believe, If they won’t adapt themselves, they will be simply forced by governments to do so.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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But governments, and states in general, should understand
that this coercion will not help fix the problems of social media. At the end
of the day, social networks are platforms where modern societies function.
Social life is happening today also on social networks, more and more each
day, and this is irreversible. Social networks of today will disappear in the
future, only letting way for new networks to take their place. Therefore,
coercion and restrictions won’t solve the problem of social media.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This will also not solve another crisis, which is even more
important: the crisis of democracy and government in the digital age, where
social media plays such a central role. The governments should reinvent themselves
in order to stay legitimate in the eyes of their citizens, which means they
should better serve them. The modern technologies, including social media
technologies, provide tools to increase efficiency of governments. I believe governments
should create national public social networks. They will allow citizens
interaction between themselves and their government, where they are not
manipulated by anonymous players and secret influence operations. This network
will not be for profit, but only for the benefit of its users. Information about them
will not be sold to other companies. Users will be protected against hatred and
violence. Governments will be able to address the needs and concerns of citizen
through interacting with them on this network; and governments will also be responsible
for protecting the freedom of expression and a proper functioning of the
network, through public institution and other instruments under public
supervision.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The model of this network should be elaborated in more
details, but it’s clear to me that this is the future of any government if it
is determined to solve a crisis of its legitimacy and governance. Recognition
of this reality is imminent, and, of course, better sooner than later. Social media
is a good idea, but with crisis of private social networks we should take this
idea to a completely new level. As Kozma Prutkov said, “There is no great thing
that would not be surmounted by a still greater thing.”<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
_____________________________________________<br />
<br />
This article is available in French here: <a href="https://www.europe-israel.org/2019/01/reseaux-sociaux-ce-que-les-gouvernements-devraient-se-preparer-a-faire-par-yaron-gamburg/">Europe-Israel news</a></div>
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<br />yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-89125486547992886452018-10-30T14:49:00.001+02:002018-10-31T09:52:53.627+02:00Digital Diplomacy Revisited: Why Ministries of Foreign Affairs hit the “digital” glass ceiling and how to break through it<br />
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A few days ago I re-watched a video that I was using
extensively in my presentations 8-9 years ago to promote the concept of digital
diplomacy. The name of the video was “Is social media a fad?” Apparently, since
2009, when this video was produced for the first time, the updated versions of
it, under the same title, were produced almost every year. When you watch those
videos, the bottom line is obvious: social media is not a fad. It is a new way
of communication, much more now than in
2009 (even though some of the social networks have proven to be a fad). </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6azGMTYRg2k/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6azGMTYRg2k?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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But is digital diplomacy a fad? When I asked this same question on
this blog 8 years ago, rather rhetorically, I truly believed it was not. Today
I think I should correct my opinion, and here is why.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Diplomatic outreach on social networks: numbers that show
nothing?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Digital diplomacy came into existence about 10 years ago
with the invention of social networks and appearance of a small group of
diplomats that wanted to introduce them into diplomacy. This innovative effort
has got different fancy names, among them Diplomacy 2.0, ediplomacy, digital
diplomacy, and that all sounded like a promise of a better diplomacy, of a new
way of conducting international relations and reaching out to new audiences.
Back then, in 2008, I was one of those enthusiasts who tried to introduce this
concept and encourage diplomats to adapt to a new – digital - world. After
returning from a post in California where I had my first experiences with
Facebook and My Space, I believed that the social media will open new
opportunities for diplomats and at the same time will revolutionize diplomacy
itself. Well, whenever you try to revolutionize something, you shouldn’t be surprised
that the first reactions to your ideas will be somewhere in the range between skepticism
and mockery. Some of my colleagues-diplomats look at the digital diplomacy as a
kind of a game that has nothing to do with diplomacy. Since then many of them
have changed their view. What was even of greater significance, Ministries of
Foreign Affairs of so many countries embraced digital diplomacy in their work. And
yet, 10 years into digital diplomacy “revolution”, it’s my turn to express some
skepticism about Diplomacy 2.0 and its unfulfilled promise.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To be absolutely frank, my first self-reflection was that
this attitude of mine could be one of the first signs of my aging… But when I
started to make a research on current status of digital diplomacy, I realized I
was not alone in this growing skepticism and the understanding that something
went wrong between diplomacy and social media. In fact, this concern is shared
by many practitioners and researchers of digital diplomacy. Look, for just one
example, what wrote in February Ilan Manor, one of the more prominent
researchers of digital diplomacy:<o:p></o:p></div>
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“<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Last week, when participating in a digital diplomacy
conference, I felt as if I had encountered the Battered Bastards of social
media. The conference, which was organized by the Dutch Foreign Ministry,
brought together diplomats and academics from numerous countries. Over the
course of two days, the participating diplomats repeatedly expressed their
frustration and disillusionment with social media and its possible utilization
in diplomatic activities. Understaffed, ill-equipped and facing growing expectations,
these diplomats are still active on social media yet without any strategy in
mind. They are online simply because one has to be online, they post because
everyone else is posting and they are communicating with that familiar, yet
unknown entity called “the public”. - </span><a href="https://digdipblog.com/"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">https://digdipblog.com/</span></a><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">, February 8,
2018<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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From personal experience I know that
if feels really good to use statistics about Facebook page or Twitter handle,
especially when it comes to reporting to the headquarters. I know how exciting
it is to see one of your posts or tweets going viral. The networks themselves
are going out of their way to provide you with accessible statistics about the
“influence” of your accounts, how many likes, interactions, impressions you did
on this post and on that picture. All those impressions look indeed very impressive.
But after 10 years of tweeting, “facebooking” and “instagraming”, how much diplomatic
goals where really achieved thanks to digital diplomacy? What are the new
audiences that were successfully reached out through social networks and did
you succeed to change their attitudes towards the country you represent? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you really improve international
reputation of your country or its perception in the world with the help of your
digital diplomacy projects? And you know what - what about the minimalistic
goal of all – were you better-equipped and successful at least in informing the
foreign public about your country’s policies using social media presence? On
all these accounts, digital diplomacy will get a “Fail” grade, with minor
exceptions here and there. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Beyond this shared feeling – which is
so different from the excitement and enthusiasm of the first years of digital
diplomacy – there are real concerns, behind the numbers and statistics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is important to say that these concerns
are coming primarily from diplomats and ministries that were the first-comers
into the field and who, till today, uphold the leadership positions in the digital
diplomacy world: US, Canada, Australia, Britain, Holland, to name a few. While
they are happy to report about growing numbers of the social media accounts of
their embassies and consulates there is also an understanding that these
numbers are not representing much. (For more explanation on problems with
Facebook and Twitter metrics read here:<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk528664148"></a><a href="https://www.americansecurityproject.org/ASP%20Reports/Ref%200112%20-%20Challenges%20of%20the%20Internet%20and%20Social%20Media%20in%20PD.pdf"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528664148;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">https://www.americansecurityproject.org/ASP%20Reports/Ref%200112%20-%20Challenges%20of%20the%20Internet%20and%20Social%20Media%20in%20PD.pdf</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528664148;"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528664148;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">)</span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">.</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">T</span>he metrics can show you some general trend
about your audiences, but they don’t measure your real influence with them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Why this does not work?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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If you ask any diplomat today what
digital diplomacy means in practical terms he or she will tell you this: we should
have a Twitter account, a Facebook page and Instagram profile (and the more
advanced will add also LinkedIn), and we should post as much as we can and of
course keep in mind that we should “target” the right audiences. (It is
interesting to analyze why we are using a word from military jargon in this context,
but maybe in another article). To sum up this attitude – foreign ministries use
3 to 4 major social networks as a principal and, in most of the cases, the only
tool of their digital diplomacy. Is it the essence of the digital diplomacy,
really?<o:p></o:p></div>
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We tend to forget that private social
networks, such as Facebook, were created for social interaction between people,
not governments, some of them for more business-like communication, most of
them – for amusement. They suggested a new mode of communication, and gradually
started to replace traditional media as a source of information. But as private
enterprises they needed a successful business model that will allow them to
make money. So, they wanted everybody to enjoy free platform for communication,
amusement and information, while providing other businesses with information
about us as potential customers for businesses. Governments, that were not the
primary targets for the networks expansion, created their own profiles, both
institutional and individual, and discovered multiple advantages in their
presence on the networks. <o:p></o:p></div>
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With this understanding, suddenly,
foreign ministries have fallen in love with digital diplomacy. Opening account
on Facebook or Twitter is so easy and - free of charge! Every embassy,
consulate, ambassador, every diplomat and international agency should open it! And
of course, Instagram – the more the merrier! Some foreign ministries, like in
UK, even encouraged their ambassadors to write blogs, which is a much more
complex and sophisticated operation than managing FB or Twitter account. And
the fact is that this symbiosis between diplomacy and major social networks is
coming to its full realization. This is so much so that in the near future we
can envisage in some foreign ministries establishment of Facebook departments,
Twitter bureaus, or offices for Instagram affairs. After all, governments are
bureaucracies that need to institutionalize their own activities. As a result, digital
diplomacy is preoccupied today with expanding audience and influence on
existing networks, using tools provided by those networks and within the rules
set by the networks; therefore, the emphasis is on sustaining presence, on writing
more attractive posts or tweets, on streaming more live videos, and on trying
to decipher the ever-changing and elusive algorithms of the networks. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The current model of digital diplomacy,
namely using major social networks, isn’t working and here is why:<o:p></o:p></div>
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First, the factor of freshness and
innovation was important when all this started. Foreign ministries and
embassies who were the first to open its pages benefit today from greater
numbers of followers and general attention, more than those who joined the club
later. Today, the effect of opening new diplomatic page for consulate or
embassy will be relatively insignificant among millions of accounts and
billions of posts and tweets.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Second, and more important factor was
that over the years the governments and foreign ministries began to realize
that this new mode of communication was not only about strengthening
democratization, expanding transparency, improving public services, about
branding and reaching out to new audiences. It was also about hate language and
obscenity, about security concerns and threats, about social protests and
violence, about reputational blows on the international arena, and lately about
fake news and meddling in elections. The major social networks became platforms
for spreading false information and are struggling to find mechanisms to deal with
defamation, radicalization, hate language, Holocaust denial and recruitment of
terrorists. There is no doubt, the major networks’ image and reliability is
compromised on too many levels, and, according to my assessment, we are just in
the beginning of this process, not in its end.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Third point: social networks encourage
a simplistic, superficial and emotional engagement that is beneficial to celebrities,
provocateurs and politicians, but is detrimental to diplomats or any other kind
of expert community. Diplomats will never be able to outwit on social media
those people or groups whose language is not limited by norms and national
interests, unless diplomacy will compromise its own goals. <o:p></o:p></div>
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And last point: in the current model of
digital diplomacy there is a hidden assumption that the major social networks
of today are eternal entities. Do you really think they are here forever? If
so, see all those networks that have disappeared in the last ten years. Fashions
change, trends reverse: social media is here to stay, but social networks
will fade away and give way to new ones. Look for example for a generational
change that is taking place today:<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jun/01/facebook-teens-leaving-instagram-snapchat-study-user-numbers">https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jun/01/facebook-teens-leaving-instagram-snapchat-study-user-numbers</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Before we move to the next chapter, I want
to make it clear: I am not against the presence of foreign ministries on
Facebook or Twitter and I <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>don’t even want
to say anything bad about social networks (I mean, I could, but not now), I
just want to say, very diplomatically, that governments in general, and
diplomacy in particular, simply cannot limit their embrace of the social media
to the major social networks. Their capability to have an impact there is
decreasing, and what is even more troublesome in my eyes - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>this pursuit after a better tweet and a “cooler”
post will have grave consequences and could compromise status of diplomacy as a
profession. If we agree about this common denominator between us, let’s have a
discussion about new models for digital diplomacy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Looking through the "digital" glass ceiling<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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For the reasons stated above,
ministries of foreign affairs should carefully revisit their vision of digital
diplomacy and its implementation. They should keep their presence there, but
not dedicate its dwindling budgets and all of its digital work to the major
networks. They should rethink how goals of public diplomacy could be achieved
on the existing platforms, and at the same time to think how they could bypass
these platforms and bring the digital diplomacy to a broader digitalization, or
as Matthew Wallin hinted in his article: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">“It may prove that a government’s best use of social media might
not be to instigate or create, but rather to guide, facilitate and moderate.
While a government may often be unable to generate viral content in a manner
consistent with its principles, it can still use its influence to help steer
conversation, and it can still help provide the tools or forums that allow
conversation to happen.” (</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><a href="https://www.americansecurityproject.org/ASP%20Reports/Ref%200112%20-%20Challenges%20of%20the%20Internet%20and%20Social%20Media%20in%20PD.pdf">https://www.americansecurityproject.org/ASP%20Reports/Ref%200112%20-%20Challenges%20of%20the%20Internet%20and%20Social%20Media%20in%20PD.pdf</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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What should be done to increase effectiveness
of digital diplomacy?<o:p></o:p></div>
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First, foreign ministries should not
use their accounts as bulletin boards while avoiding conversations with the
audiences they want to engage (“Australian digital diplomacy developments 2016”,
by Danielle Cave). When you look for new audiences you don’t bombard them with
your messages. Rather you start listening and respond to their concerns.
However, as I already explained, to do so on major social networks is becoming
more challenging. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Second, think outside the American networks.
Go to WeiBo or VKontakte, but don’t forget you have to be fluent in these
languages. Also, search for niche social networks, less-commercialized, more
community-oriented. Heard about Diaspora or Letterboxd? Check them out. As
PCMag puts it, “The future is in drilling down into niche social networks…
Instead of sites that are all things for all people, these networks are happily
staying small and serving only the folks who want to be there.” (<a href="https://www.pcmag.com/feature/353300/9-niche-social-networks-to-use-instead-of-facebook">https://www.pcmag.com/feature/353300/9-niche-social-networks-to-use-instead-of-facebook</a>)<o:p></o:p></div>
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And finally, here is my central
suggestion: Ministries of foreign affairs should create their own social
networks - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>platforms for supporters of
their countries around the world. I think all of us will be surprised how much
support countries can get from the international audience. Many countries have big
diasporas worldwide and this phenomenon keeps growing. This is but one major
group of potential supporters for your country, many others you will be able to
discover when engaging them through social network dedicated to your country. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Today, all countries are competing for
better reputation internationally to attract investments and tourism, but also
to explain their policies and positions. Private social networks are not making it easier to implement these goals, quite the opposite. So, instead of working
only on major networks that became too monstrously big, attract both supporters
and detractors, and above all, set their rules, countries can establish virtual
platforms on the international scale, on its own terms, allowing engagement and
raising support for their policies.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The advantages of these networks are
obvious, but the opposition to this idea, of course, will be enormous. Some
people will say that the governments cannot allow a free dialogue about their
own policies, without being suspected of greater surveillance. I beg to differ.
The networks of today are already a kind of a Big Brother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Setting up some norms and rules will not
damage but rather help prevent inappropriate behavior that became so common on
existing networks. How can you trust the information on the networks that became
the very tools of “fake news” and manipulation? On the other hand, democratic
governments should put to test their ability to engage public in a transparent
and democratic way if we want to preserve the principles of democracy in the
age of social media. <o:p></o:p></div>
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By the way, there is nothing new about
niche social networks developed for or by public sector. Ten years ago, Govloop
and Ozloop were the first great examples of how public employees can engage
socially and professionally through the social media platform. Inspired by them
I tried to create the social network of the Israeli public sector (what was
good 10 years ago still makes sense - Workplace social network platform, that
was developed by Facebook, by the way, is now being used by the ministry of
social welfare in Israel). Back in 2010 I even had an idea of creating a social
network “My Israel” in several foreign languages, having the same model in
mind, but I just did not have time to dedicate myself to this project on my own.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This post is already too long, so let
me conclude it: I don’t think every ministry of foreign affairs would or could
launch international social network, even though technologies are already at
hand and the time is ripe. Why? Because such a move will entail a deeper institutional
reorganization, which of course will require courage and vision. However, given
a slippery road towards superficiality paved by social networks, more courageous
and sophisticated digitalization of the foreign ministries could be one of the
ways to overcome the ongoing crisis of modern diplomacy. <span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-69858234042377708082018-05-26T21:27:00.002+03:002018-05-26T21:29:11.505+03:00What this blog is aboutAll predictions about the "end of history" or a gradual withering away of the state so far proved to be wrong. International affairs are there to stay in a foreseeable future. The relations between the states are still crucial for the future of each one of us and all of humankind.<br />
<br />
But the ways the states interact have changed. Classic diplomacy is no longer able to satisfy the needs of the states and promote their interests. The impact of international organizations, sub-state players, corporations and even individuals is growing and challenging the whole system of international relations. One of the major reasons behind this change is a mix of technology and a new form of mass media which we call social media.<br />
<br />
The last 19 years I was a practitioner of international relations, being a member of the Israel's foreign service and working in Moscow, Los Angeles, Paris and Washington. From the beginning of my diplomtic career I paid a special attention to Internet. At my first assignment in Moscow, between 2000-2003, as a spokesperson I was working not only with traditional media, but dedicated a lot of time to internet news sites and participated at the internet press-conferences. One of my best interviews (from my point view) I gave to the website jewish.ru: unlike newspaper, on the website the physical place is not limited and I could answer all the questions without any concern for space (<a href="http://jewish.ru/ru/events/israel/181311/">http://jewish.ru/ru/events/israel/181311/</a>).<br />
<br />
But invention of social networks was even bigger game changer, even though at that time it was not so obvious. I consider myself an early adapter and enthusiast of Diplomacy 2.0: I initiated a training program on digital diplomacy that became mandatory for all diplomats within the Israeli Foreign Service, was strongly involved in international initiatives promoting Digital Government like Govloop.com, and was invited to speak at the O’Reilly GOV 2.0 online conference. <br />
<br />
In this blog, that I originally created at 2009, I continue to analyze and discuss international relations, central topics of the global diplomatic agenda and the impact of social media on it.yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-81531715525410087822012-02-17T15:39:00.000+02:002012-02-17T15:40:10.952+02:00On quasi-periodic crystals and self-confidence<br />
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Last week I had an
opportunity to learn about the Quasi-periodic crystals. I am sure that like
most of you, these words do not mean much, even if you check its definition on
Wikipedia. It was the same for me, till last Friday. On that day I was at the
Maison de la Chimie in Paris, where I heard the explanation by a person who
discovered quasi-crystals – Professor Dan Shechtman from Technion. Even this
complicated question could be explained I very simple terms, even I could
understand it (Ihope!) But it took to professor Shectman about 10 years to convince
the academic community that his discovery was real. And 20 more years to get
the Nobel Prize in November 2011…</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2fVcjodwq87K7l7ptHQmjcr5n4hNP0lV0kLWXTLsW3ItW88eFIoPHPGHsNUPmsy9pawojxJZPOieG3TnGdzTMcBxkT7vh72wExm8NwejmIRHaEtoDxu1c1FmLt_PlbNTJEDGjrTMw5qT/s1600/IMG_4204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2fVcjodwq87K7l7ptHQmjcr5n4hNP0lV0kLWXTLsW3ItW88eFIoPHPGHsNUPmsy9pawojxJZPOieG3TnGdzTMcBxkT7vh72wExm8NwejmIRHaEtoDxu1c1FmLt_PlbNTJEDGjrTMw5qT/s320/IMG_4204.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Professor Shechtman at the Maison de la Chimie</td></tr>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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What he discovered in
1982 was that the not all crystals are periodic, meaning that their atoms are
ordered in a periodic structure. The community of crystallographers refused to
accept his finding that would hatter the scientific “truth” that was hold for
70 years. The explanations of Prof. Shectman were crystal clear, not
quasi-clear. However, the most prominent experts preferred for many years to
reject his discovery, blaming him for quasi-science. While he was trying for
years explain that his discovery was made possible thanks to the new tool he
used in his work: electro-magnetic microscope instead of X-rays.<o:p></o:p></div>
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At the end of his
lecture at Maison de la Chimie, he shared his own conclusion about the 5 most
important things that made possible his discovery: electro-magnetic microscope,
professionalism, tenacity, self-confidence and courage.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And I just thought to
myself that with the exception of microscope, the four other elements are
required in any endeavor… <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkHZYE6ydpBdsPFqdaR5ajpzmyG_YSr8fyg7nEzCFG8K1H2dfE2mvGnj0fS2_isRFEpLyE-_aWd8aiBaOohokMINqZA_dw9sBicszF67InTwHUHHExA6x95u4p31DJoKvC57EuKbM51Xt/s1600/IMG_4211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkHZYE6ydpBdsPFqdaR5ajpzmyG_YSr8fyg7nEzCFG8K1H2dfE2mvGnj0fS2_isRFEpLyE-_aWd8aiBaOohokMINqZA_dw9sBicszF67InTwHUHHExA6x95u4p31DJoKvC57EuKbM51Xt/s320/IMG_4211.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Needless to say, I was proud to have this picture...</td></tr>
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And one last word
about Technion, who celebrates 100 years since its establishment in 1912 –
Shectman’s Nobel Prize was third for Technion, in the last 7 year. In Technion,
they definitely may have something to teach us about tenacity, professionalism
and self-confidence!<o:p></o:p></div>yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-208639596784053112012-02-15T12:12:00.000+02:002012-02-15T12:18:13.606+02:00Digital diplomacy in Paris – workshop and panel<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKwixfk1oQjh5PoQAiOZx9KQvPmu9k-5HjpxXsSDwDHNX55Q4DvtaDgw48givVFAFhK-AJSAATcrDHHlCLtcSMm3tCj3xElG3fc-AyWfyWmo6h3-g4Jc4lYMbMXBaswLNLNqtT0fjdlQb/s1600/IMG_4184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKwixfk1oQjh5PoQAiOZx9KQvPmu9k-5HjpxXsSDwDHNX55Q4DvtaDgw48givVFAFhK-AJSAATcrDHHlCLtcSMm3tCj3xElG3fc-AyWfyWmo6h3-g4Jc4lYMbMXBaswLNLNqtT0fjdlQb/s200/IMG_4184.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bernard Valero, Spokesperson <br />
French Foreign Ministry</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Last week the embassy of Israel in Paris, France, hosted an
international workshop on the digital diplomacy. It was first such experience
for us in the Israeli embassy, but what I learnt from our guests during the
workshop was that it was also the case for many of them. While diplomats
discuss this topic with their counterparts occasionally, the idea of workshop
was to create the </span><span style="line-height: 21px;">platform</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> of professional discussion and exchange between
diplomats, web-specialists, journalists and bloggers.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MtPKOUpdrV81113mkt58TVrThTxP-zDXBrqLA0UTtn59cO34kzz2mndTYhAi7EMFxr9eDcUxwCGr-bm42VQn17blngx8cpUpjoCK_TGh00Fkc27HdRfM8DiabmMqzxmG6NMnEr0kTFnO/s1600/IMG_4187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MtPKOUpdrV81113mkt58TVrThTxP-zDXBrqLA0UTtn59cO34kzz2mndTYhAi7EMFxr9eDcUxwCGr-bm42VQn17blngx8cpUpjoCK_TGh00Fkc27HdRfM8DiabmMqzxmG6NMnEr0kTFnO/s200/IMG_4187.jpg" width="150" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Richard Volodarski<br />web-agency Linkeo</span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since I came to Paris year and half ago, I contacted many of my
counterparts, spokespeople from different embassies to learn how they use
social media in their communication work in France. I discovered that while a
few embassies are quite active in this field, like the US and Estonian
embassies, others were hesitant, either on the personal level, or because of
their headquarters’ lack of encouragement. At the same time, many diplomats
expressed their interest to learn from the experience of others.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That’s how I realized there’s a potential for this workshop. My Estonian
and US colleagues supported the idea and became partners in this project.</span></span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM73pCvyNH8WrDEv6uLlSnt2XVd-oJ9TwRSxK67f_Y0GsYH7UvEc4JiOlKCimt014TM_torV_vCBqOsR7szxJa6pEXRWXoifOaUsJpkFU9QCCgjaXStr09KxfyJPRh5ry_PfUteUPvp24p/s1600/IMG_4190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM73pCvyNH8WrDEv6uLlSnt2XVd-oJ9TwRSxK67f_Y0GsYH7UvEc4JiOlKCimt014TM_torV_vCBqOsR7szxJa6pEXRWXoifOaUsJpkFU9QCCgjaXStr09KxfyJPRh5ry_PfUteUPvp24p/s200/IMG_4190.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul Patin, Spokesperson<br />
US embassy in France</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what did we have on February 8 in our embassy? It was an honor for to
host our first speaker, Bernard Valero, the Head of the Communications’
Department and Spokesperson of the French Ministry of Foreign and European
Affairs. The Quai d’Orsay is one of the most advanced ministries of Foreign
Affaires in the digital diplomacy, I know this firsthand: more than 100.000
twitter followers, internet-conferences for journalists every two days, state
of the art website of the Ministry… <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRFtkq5VBgMndMiyq351ckEF3dh-Kgh7in1jmMdLBTBeOynOIyGkZy2x9P-1YRsljNzZ_7lhaWkM-_BydLSaXOvq-aCPzCGGyfEWzJE5_8tsrYbh0NdKuW-v5HS9-Mx7nIwfBH-MX91Qk/s1600/IMG_4188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRFtkq5VBgMndMiyq351ckEF3dh-Kgh7in1jmMdLBTBeOynOIyGkZy2x9P-1YRsljNzZ_7lhaWkM-_BydLSaXOvq-aCPzCGGyfEWzJE5_8tsrYbh0NdKuW-v5HS9-Mx7nIwfBH-MX91Qk/s200/IMG_4188.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sigrid Kristenprun<br />
Spokesperson, embassy of Estonia</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our second speaker was Richard Volodarski of the Linkeo web-agency.
Richard shared with some insights about the social media in France and in
general. How many people use social media in France? How we look after target
audiences? What is the importance of digital presence for embassies? How make
it successful? All these questions were discussed, and even if not answered,
the participants were intrigued by some of the dilemmas and perspectives he
introduced.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhi4HiWmefzkC-pJTg-AdjlvZWVAUR0GmRYy2eUdILmMwY_rZ6IKsfOqDUddBvHfHiQ8P0KzNhXl9SrHgiYXxka4BFMrdak9SCwu3oYYLLGoPEUiAJ4QrMPLtO6SJWOKBTSKzgJkU4jA7/s1600/IMG_4179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhi4HiWmefzkC-pJTg-AdjlvZWVAUR0GmRYy2eUdILmMwY_rZ6IKsfOqDUddBvHfHiQ8P0KzNhXl9SrHgiYXxka4BFMrdak9SCwu3oYYLLGoPEUiAJ4QrMPLtO6SJWOKBTSKzgJkU4jA7/s200/IMG_4179.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this is me</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After it three presentations were done by the Estonian, US and Israel
embassies. We’ve learnt that the Estonian embassy is exploring Facebook, the US
embassy is working also on Twitter and is especially pro-active in Youtube, and
we are making inroads into the blogosphere. While we could see differences in our
approaches, it was clearly the conclusion of all the speakers: we need more
independence from HQ and more immediate responses if we want our embassies’
digital presence to be efficient and significant.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I believe it was first, but not the last workshop on digital diplomacy:
the best way to learn is by sharing practices and methods. </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-62636563111272234912012-02-06T13:08:00.001+02:002012-02-06T13:45:13.164+02:00Diplomacy in the age of social media - My interview to RFI<br />
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
On Friday I was interviewed to the Radio France International about Digital Diplomacy. The interview is in English.Thank you to my host, Vladimir Smekhov</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.english.rfi.fr/sites/english.filesrfi/rfi_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Home" border="0" src="http://www.english.rfi.fr/sites/english.filesrfi/rfi_logo.png" /></a>Enjoy:<br />
<a href="http://www.english.rfi.fr/europe/20120205-social-media-and-diplomacy">http://www.english.rfi.fr/europe/20120205-social-media-and-diplomacy</a>
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.yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-80790706998749537562012-01-27T14:27:00.001+02:002012-01-27T14:27:07.627+02:00Arab revolutions and its impact on Israel<br />
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In January 2012 Tunisia and Egypt marked the
first year since the beginning of the civil uprising. <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Libya</st1:place></st1:country-region> is still
longing for return to the normal life after civil war. Syrian regime is waging
war against its own people, and the outcome is still unclear. Despite the fact
that all these developments are still underway, one thing is obvious: Middle
East is becoming a different place from what it was. And what is even more
important: it becomes different place from how we used to think about it.</div>
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In <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> we were and still are quite
concerned with these developments. After all, it's our neighborhood. So, where
do we stand today regarding the impact of the Arab spring on us in Israel?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.lesechos.fr/medias/2012/01/26/280175_0201863322803_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.lesechos.fr/medias/2012/01/26/280175_0201863322803_web.jpg" width="223" /></a>I remember that in the first months after the
events in Tahrir square, some experts were talking about the silence of Israeli
officials in the face of the democratic revolutions taking place throughout the
<st1:place w:st="on">Middle East</st1:place>. Some of them even accused Israel
of being insensitive to the democratic aspirations of the Arab people and of preferring
the pseudo-stability of autocratic regimes. Many diplomats, especially in
Europe, were saying to us that Israel better adapt to the new reality, solve
quickly the conflict with the Palestinians and embrace the democratic
aspirations of its neighbors.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Well, actually we did it. President Peres, PM Netanyahu
and other officials welcomed the spirit of openness and democracy that
characterized the first months of these movements. However, our declarations
were not heard, and instead the media highlighted the fears of the Israelis and
presented Israel as lagging behind the developments.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And where do we stand now? After the impressive
victories of the Islamic parties in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Tunisia</st1:country-region>,
then in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
many people started to raise their concerns. It's not that the Arab countries
cannot become democracies. Today it’s obvious that this process could take much
more time, may be decades, and that the elections are only the beginning of the
process, not the final stage.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After the violent takeover of the Israeli
embassy in Cairo and the calls "Death to the Jews!" greeting the
arrival of Hamas leader to Tunisia, we definitely are reminded that in the new Middle
East the old hatred of Israel and the Jews did not disappear. Old habits are
the most difficult to get rid of. Arabs were educated and brainwashed for 60
years that there is only one source for all their problems: it's <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The
same regimes that were ready to have "cold peace" with Israel,
allowed internally the anti-Semitic propaganda against Israel in order to
release the social and economic pressure.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And at this point we can realize the major
breakthrough in this vicious circle of the Middle-eastern politics: Arab
revolutions symbolize the first departure from the totalitarian logic of the
scapegoat. It's this realization of the Arab people that the source of their plight
is not external, but internal. It's the autocratic regimes, their corruption
and complete lack of sound social and economic policy that are to be blamed,
and not a small country of 7 million people that struggles for its survival.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The second positive change was that the forces
that try to utilize the Israel-Palestinian conflict for their domination today
are coerced to deal with the real problems of the <st1:place w:st="on">Middle
East</st1:place>. Hezbollah has retreated into the shelters; Syrian regime is
struggling with unprecedented protest from within and isolation in the Arab
league from outside. And Iran is afraid to loose its last Arab ally. Hamas who
was smart to dissociate itself from Assad's regime, is looking for new sponsors,
between Egypt and Qatar, and in a meantime, prefers to keep quite.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course, the situation is far from ideal. The
instability in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on">Libya</st1:country-region> has created zones that are not fully
controlled by the authorities, which led to the smuggling of weapons and the
terrorist acts from <st1:place w:st="on">Sinai Peninsula</st1:place>. The
collapse of Syrian regime could result in transfer of unconventional weapons
and missiles to Hezbollah. And <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
despite the sanctions and the threat to loose an ally, is coming closer to the
nuclear ability. All these considerations lead us to the same conclusion we
made a year ago: we need patience and prudence. To make dramatic steps during
the regional turmoil, before we could see the light in the end of tunnel, is
irresponsible. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The chances to make miscalculation during this
period are higher. Wrong decisions based on bad estimation could lead to another
crisis in this vulnerable situation. An example for this kind of miscalculation
is the decision of the PA to not negotiate with Israel, in the hope that in the
future they can get better bargaining position. Why? Arab countries are going
to deal with their social and economic condition and political stabilization
which they consider their first priority. <o:p></o:p></div>
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However, the unilateral strategy of PA is
seduced its leaders to make multilateral diplomacy instead of bringing the
independence to their people. Well, maybe they feel they can allow this little
privilege, since the socio-economic conditions of Palestinians are much better than
that of their brothers in the neighboring countries. After all, the only place
where people did not have any incentive to go to streets and protest is the
West Bank. <o:p></o:p></div>yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-67971785526586261422011-09-20T19:21:00.000+03:002011-09-20T19:21:25.497+03:00No conditions, no taboos - Let's just sit down and talk<div>Yigal Palmor, spokesperson of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, uses Youtube to explain why Palestinian unilateral bid for statehood is wrong and leas nowhere.</div><div><br /></div><iframe width="480" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eQ0oE_dbhSo?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-49835400980523314612011-09-13T18:40:00.001+03:002011-09-13T18:40:16.866+03:00Israel as a scapegoat of the Arab World: Nothing new under the sunEditorial Board Opinion of Washington Post. There is no better way to explain the September initiative of the Palestinian Authority.<br />
<h1 property="dc.title"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Once again, Israel is scapegoated</span></h1><h3 property="dc.creator"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-X05WN-qOCsCh8FK5OsjMyKPMhCwPOChnB_Uyivfl1SKzZPHCAbsz3uP5XFrD6d6weIW9duZ3cVmCgjU8UrKQpUqR-V7seJM1hdxbO9svsunHG11DcH8WqZW3coJUV-bDysXVRxGvlBl/s1600/Wapo040811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-X05WN-qOCsCh8FK5OsjMyKPMhCwPOChnB_Uyivfl1SKzZPHCAbsz3uP5XFrD6d6weIW9duZ3cVmCgjU8UrKQpUqR-V7seJM1hdxbO9svsunHG11DcH8WqZW3coJUV-bDysXVRxGvlBl/s200/Wapo040811.jpg" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">ISRAELIS WORRY that the Arab Spring is turning from a popular movement against dictatorship into another assault on the Jewish state, and their worry is not unfounded. Last week in Cairo <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/egypt-cracks-down-after-israeli-embassy-attack/2011/09/10/gIQA78JIIK_story.html">a mob attacked the Israeli Embassy</a>, forcing the evacuation of the ambassador and most of his staff; the previous week the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/turkey-expels-israeli-ambassador-over-flotilla-incident/2011/09/02/gIQABI6bwJ_story.html">Israeli ambassador to Turkey was expelled</a>. Later this month Palestinians are expected to introduce a<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/us-envoys-press-palestinians-to-drop-un-statehood-bid/2011/09/06/gIQAQnlT7J_story.html">resolution on statehood at the United Nations</a>, and Israel could be further isolated if, as expected, a large majority of the General Assembly votes in favor of it.</span></h3>There’s little doubt that plenty of Arabs and Turks are angry at Israel. But it’s worth noting that, as often is the case in the Middle East, those passions are being steered by governments.<br />
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who aspires to regional leadership, has directed a campaign against the government of Benjamin Netanyahu and stoked it with incendiary statements. Mr. Erdogan is furious that a <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/checkpoint-washington/post/un-panel-concludes-israeli-raid-on-gaza-flotilla-was-legal-but-excessive/2011/09/01/gIQApkWsuJ_blog.html">U.N. investigation concluded</a> that Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip, and thus its intervention to stop a Turkish-led flotilla last year, was legal. He also finds it convenient to lambaste Israel rather than talk about neighboring Syria, where daily massacres are being carried out by a regime Mr. Erdogan cultivated.<br />
The assault on the embassy in Cairo has been condemned by the leaders of Egypt’s popular revolution and by some leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood. Both they and Western diplomats blame the ruling military for failing to secure the embassy, and they suspect the omission may have been part of an effort to divert rising public unrest toward a familiar target.<br />
In the West Bank, polls have shown that President Mahmoud Abbas’s U.N. statehood initiative is regarded as a low priority by the majority of Palestinians, <a href="http://www.pcpo.org/polls.htm">60 percent</a> of whom said the better option was resuming direct negotiations with Israel. But Mr. Abbas fears he may be the next target of popular uprising; the U.N. gambit appears aimed in part at preempting that.<br />
This is not to say the trend is benign. Israel is looking more isolated than at any time in decades. It is more than a hapless bystander: Mr. Netanyahu’s government could have avoided a crisis with Turkey had it been willing to apologize for the deaths of nine Turks during the interception of the flotilla, which the U.N. panel rightly judged to be an excessive use of force. An incident in which five Egyptian guards were killed when Israeli forces pursued terrorists crossing the border helped to trigger the upsurge in tensions with Cairo. And Mr. Netanyahu’s slowness to embrace reasonable parameters for Palestinian statehood provided Mr. Abbas with a pretext for his U.N. initiative.<br />
It nevertheless is in the interest of Western governments, as well as of Israel, to resist the counterproductive and irresponsible initiatives of Mr. Abbas and Mr. Erdogan. In Egypt, the military has cited the attack on the Israeli Embassy as a pretext to apply emergency laws and censor the media; those, too, are steps in the wrong direction. The core demands of the Arab Spring have nothing to do with Israel: They are about ending authoritarian rule and modernizing stagnating societies. Scapegoating Israel will not satisfy the imperative for change.yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-27498791473459871092011-08-30T18:16:00.000+03:002011-08-30T18:16:24.397+03:00Waka Waka in Zion: "This time for Israel!!"<div>
<br /></div><iframe width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nEp_-FN4SSQ?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-26533246361722886332011-08-01T12:18:00.002+03:002011-08-01T23:05:39.586+03:00"Get Well Soon!" from Hadassah Hospital in JerusalemDoctors can also play, sing and dance at the Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem. Very nice use of Youtube, how you'd call it, Health 2.0?<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9p2ogM7uaaU?fs=1" width="480"></iframe>yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-64626986901357329162011-07-22T14:23:00.003+03:002011-07-23T11:37:22.793+03:00Web 2.0 is a "fait accompli" in France. But what about the French version of Gov 2.0?"France succumbed to Twitter" - this is today's headline in one of the most popular French newspaper "Le Parisien". Two million French are using Twitter as of today. This number is nothing compared to the true success of Facebook on the French soil. Half (!) of the population in France are using the biggest social network in the world.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVo6gpylbB2JN18l9cNdyidIee7jP9NI45MrZnDo9uDRdfUHHEDqwFcVebeJpt0Cnph5vIlrq5vC-Cfv7ukXPwAJp5GQkK66AzBk5d59E50zqiJZM7oAV0CFkTj02KF21LoHudMhNkEFj/s1600/le+parisien+twitter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVo6gpylbB2JN18l9cNdyidIee7jP9NI45MrZnDo9uDRdfUHHEDqwFcVebeJpt0Cnph5vIlrq5vC-Cfv7ukXPwAJp5GQkK66AzBk5d59E50zqiJZM7oAV0CFkTj02KF21LoHudMhNkEFj/s320/le+parisien+twitter.JPG" width="320" /></a>The success of social media in France is undoubted. In addition to the global networks, like Twitter and Facebook, there are other networks that have rather French or European flavor and are also quite popular, to mention Daily Motion (a version of Youtube) for exchanging videos, or Viadeo (a version of LinkedIn) that is used for professional purposes.<br />
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The boom of the social media is being felt especially strong in the last few month, due to an extraordinary event that happened in Mai: the arrest of the president of IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn. The French media was reporting about this event in an obsessive way, only reflecting the shock that struck the public and the political class in France. But what was of particular importance in the aspect of social media is that the first to report about the event was a french student who tweeted the information on his personal account.<br />
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The sudden explosion of interest for Twitter was unprecedented. All major newspapers provided Twitter's user guide, as if inviting their readers to follow the reports about the DSK affair on Twitter. Needless to say, most of the French journalists covering this affair in New York were tweeting about it on their personal accounts! This trend, however, was not met with much enthusiasm on the part of the traditional media. Some of them, like TV channel Canal+ asked their correspondents to stop tweeting.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVJZRfomZGxOnbHHUVVJIZkONPmNXCqUJdo5rRIJka4UVBJ6Lss_YPGw0M6Efjw5AEoZxbfoIGcpehtybO0Y_5tgbyGTCyJGEy4QTsvyLHVULRitpHIJRK_eXM2H45qwki28ZpjvcaImzM/s1600/twitter1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVJZRfomZGxOnbHHUVVJIZkONPmNXCqUJdo5rRIJka4UVBJ6Lss_YPGw0M6Efjw5AEoZxbfoIGcpehtybO0Y_5tgbyGTCyJGEy4QTsvyLHVULRitpHIJRK_eXM2H45qwki28ZpjvcaImzM/s320/twitter1.JPG" width="320" /></a>The Web 2.0 revolution is in full swing in France. But what about Gov 2.0 of the French Government? It's true that many politicians opened Facebook and Twitter accounts. The President of the Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy, has the bigger number of fans on his Facebook page than any other European leader. And even Martin Aubry from the Socialist Party, his probable rival in the next elections, who was quoted saying: "Facebook et Twitter, j'ai horreur de ca" (Facebook and Twitter, I'am horrified by it), recently opened her Twitter account.<br />
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However all these examples don't change the reality. One of the French experts of social media whom I met recently, put it this way: "There is no Gov 2.0 in France. It's still Gov 1.0". Unfortunately, the french ministries (with some rare exceptions), state and public employees, representatives of local government still haven't discovered Gov 2.0 - the idea that the modern government could - and even should - use the social media to improve its services and to have direct dialogue with citizens. The idea that social media could be incorporated into the functioning of the government is far from being explored and conceptualized. One of the rare examples is the <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/francediplo">French Ministry of Foreign Affairs that opened an official Twitter account</a>. However, I've never seen french diplomats tweeting for professional purposes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6wd4ibigUEwA_93jh3IjaT9bax2nes7HBLASQajcXrxY5l18KapGoU9bWoFfVic0D5KBGfZak7k9jWU64r3GOXw20PqvQSAdwMfnOlcCYp7u6CkBmzbSUgnwPzyaG-TRYJk6BSlavUPg/s1600/twitter2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6wd4ibigUEwA_93jh3IjaT9bax2nes7HBLASQajcXrxY5l18KapGoU9bWoFfVic0D5KBGfZak7k9jWU64r3GOXw20PqvQSAdwMfnOlcCYp7u6CkBmzbSUgnwPzyaG-TRYJk6BSlavUPg/s320/twitter2.JPG" width="168" /></a></div>What is the reason for this reticent attitude of the government towards social media? From the meetings with my colleagues, diplomats from other European countries, I learned that this attitude exists in other countries as well. At the bottom line, there is a fear of loosing control over official information when state and public employees will enter the social media. These concerns are common for all state bureaucracies, however it doesn't prevent many countries to allow and even encourage Gov 2.0, like in USA, Canada, UK and Australia, Japan and Israel. It looks like in most of the Europe there exist cultural barrier which is very difficult to overcome.<br />
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This difference in a mindset was felt during the last G-8 summit in May, that was hold in France, the current president of the Club. The French presidency invited to the forum the most important players of social media, among them Marc Zuckerberg and Eric Schmidt. While the French President highlighted in his speech the need of more control of the governments over the Internet, his invitees tended to stress the dangers of the excessive regulation, and repeated their conviction that Internet can be regulated by itself.<br />
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I think that the states can have some limited role in regulation of the Internet or social media. However, what is more important is that Governments will play its role not as a regulator, but as an active participant in the social media. Governments should be present there and conduct direct dialogue with their citizens. The time of one-way communication is over: the governments must join Web 2.0. This idea is called Gov 2.0. If it doesn't sound well in French, we can think about better translation.yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-11236338675037526072011-07-19T16:28:00.000+03:002011-07-19T16:28:46.256+03:00Look how Israel Deputy Foreign Minister uses Youtube to explain some basic facts about the conflict<iframe width="480" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XGYxLWUKwWo?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-76098791427171119122011-07-05T19:26:00.002+03:002011-07-05T20:32:21.464+03:00Why Palestinian unilateral bid for UN recognition is way to nowhere<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">“It’s hard to understand, but Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is heading full force into his own collapse, and that of his Authority, in September”, wrote a<a href="http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4089380,00.html">n Israeli commentator Guy Bechor a few days ago.</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It’s one thing to make declarations; it’s another thing to bring to their implementation. It’s one thing to use strong expressions like “Israel will face diplomatic tsunami in September”. However in reality, the vote in the UN, if it will happen (with strong emphasis on “if”), could hardly be described even as an “aftershock”. Rather it will prove to be void of any significance, like most of the communication spins promoted by Palestinian Authority and their supporters in the media.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-RGiUVOD86fNH5RgkegT85wmBkxpOWTDryeru63AtFxCEbMPKdAS1uF2ED-tMK0qxK9H7BdIuNhmDg9V-KcE_eD0Sd5d4A5c5Fp4mmlTA6wREMIAB3zwvrcleCNkwcW5k7W9AdHE4Uzo/s1600/occupation_Cartoon.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-RGiUVOD86fNH5RgkegT85wmBkxpOWTDryeru63AtFxCEbMPKdAS1uF2ED-tMK0qxK9H7BdIuNhmDg9V-KcE_eD0Sd5d4A5c5Fp4mmlTA6wREMIAB3zwvrcleCNkwcW5k7W9AdHE4Uzo/s400/occupation_Cartoon.gif" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We don’t have to be prophets in order to understand why this outcome of the UN bid is almost inevitable. We just have to be good listeners.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Let’s first listen to somebody who probably has better understanding than the average person, why the unilateral declaration in the UN is useless and counterproductive. Person whom the President of the Palestinian Authority Abbas wants to keep as his Prime Minister -the acting Prime Minister Salam Fayad.<a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/COGRA/2e515285f07040df999bd6b670db791c/Article_2011-06-28-ML-Palestinians-Fayyad-Interview/id-2e272b713acb45ddad21cf85c17136b6"> In an interview to the AP on June 28</a>, asked what would change on the ground after the UN recognition, he said: “Nothing, unless Israel is part of that consensus”. Fayad also warned against raising false expectations among the Palestinians.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He is, of course, right. Once the Palestinians will see their expectations unanswered, the situation can get out of control. Israel, no doubt, will be the target of this frustration – but also the Palestinian authority. Because PA and its leaders will be blamed for this failure, and Hamas will have another chance to strengthen its influence in the West Bank. This scenario would be hardly welcomed by the population of the West Bank, after 3 years of economic growth and improved conditions of life. They don’t want to see the green flags of Hamas waving over Ramallah and Bethlehem.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In the Israeli-Palestinian equation there are of course much more players. Let’s listen to our neighbor from East. Here is what <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">said <a href="http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4088927,00.html">senior Jordanian official to the UAE-based Al-Bayan newspaper</a>: "Jordan’s</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">top national interests will be in danger if the Palestinian Authority declares statehood unilaterally – especially in everything related to the issue of refugees, water, Jerusalem, and the borders". <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">And of course it’s not only Jordan who is very skeptical about the new Palestinian initiative. We also hear voices from the Persian Golf, like the one of <a href="http://alwatan.kuwait.tt/ArticleDetails.aspx?Id=120302&YearQuarter=20112">Abdallah al-Hadlaq in the Koweiti newspaper Al Watan</a>: “</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">All those who hope for real peace in the region must reject these reckless unilateral Palestinian moves that block the negotiation process. The Palestinians must be made to understand that the only way to a permanent peace </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">treaty will be through direct talks”.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">Palestinian strategy of unilateral recognition won’t work. United States, Germany, Italy, Holland and other European countries already stated that they will not support it. We are sure that France and Great Britain will follow the same path. The position of Russia and China are still not clear, despite the spin the Palestinians are </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">trying to make.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">All these strong expressions like “diplomatic tsunami” or diplomatic isolation of Israel are no more than spin whose goal is to pressure Israel. A political tsunami did happened in the Middle East – it started last December in Tunisia, made its way to Egypt, and nowadays takes place in Syria. However, the UN vote on Palestinian State in September won’t even make an “aftershock”. It would be just another vote in UN that will change nothing. Mahmoud Abbas went to the other part of the world to get recognition for his state. He forgot that the distance from Ramallah to Jerusalem is less than 20 kilometers, and that the two-state solution is a way to solve our conflict, not to perpetuate it.</span></div>yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-76566601210463400882011-05-16T16:59:00.000+03:002011-05-16T16:59:42.202+03:00Israel Wants Peace, Do You?<iframe width="480" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/co2VxiUXt0o?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3691428859383530526.post-47626449261335063382011-05-14T11:27:00.002+03:002011-05-14T11:36:25.005+03:00Palestinian reconciliation as the first result of Arab revolutions<div class="MsoNormal">When 3 weeks ago, on April 22, I wrote about unpredictable things that can happen before September 2011 and change the dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I never thought that the change can come that fast. But on April 27 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas">Hamas</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatah">Fatah</a> already declared about their reconciliation deal.</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgpO_g3LbbobBnKWo9shVLYBPWfXxHMHWPCQ1IoqJyLkPu4dQsFGPDW8621SjW2NQkBxv-hZdMHqoSq75gCvrZqcoRDoI4yDQoIsrla62wLH8ZnsLUc99AiZkvN6761BImGd_KtL1Rddh/s1600/hamasfatah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgpO_g3LbbobBnKWo9shVLYBPWfXxHMHWPCQ1IoqJyLkPu4dQsFGPDW8621SjW2NQkBxv-hZdMHqoSq75gCvrZqcoRDoI4yDQoIsrla62wLH8ZnsLUc99AiZkvN6761BImGd_KtL1Rddh/s320/hamasfatah.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fatah and Hamas symbols</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">Let’s analyze how this event became possible, once again without slogans or emotions, and try to see what could be the consequences of such a move.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">First of all, why Abu Mazen should have accepted the deal? As some reporters and commentators said this “reconciliation” with the organization that is regarded as terrorist by the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region></st1:place> and the EU could, in fact, have negative effect for his own image and threaten his “UN recognition” project. Here are the explanations:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<br />
a. Abu Mazen didn’t really have a choice – he gave his consent to this agreement already a year ago, when the Egyptians tried to bring the two Palestinian factions to table of negotiations.</div><div class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">b. He didn’t have choice because the new <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s transition government was pushing for the reconciliation. He could not say "no" to his most important Arab ally.</div><div class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">c. Abu Mazen also estimated that given his perfect image of the peacemaker among the European countries, he can use his reputation to silence the concerns about Hamas. His gamble was correct. Just look at the declarations of <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region> and the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region> (to mention the main players) that expressed their satisfaction with Palestinian reconciliation. This fashion of legitimizing Hamas will of course play against Abu Mazen in the near future; I’ll elaborate on this later.</div><div class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">More intriguing question is why, out of the blue, Hamas, decided to “reconcile”? Experts provided us with different estimations, so let’s summarize it briefly.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">a. In the wake of the revolution in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Syria</st1:country-region> and some anti-Iranian slogans among the protesters, Hamas realized that his presence in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Damascus</st1:place></st1:city> is not safe anymore. The reports about transfer of its headquarters to <st1:country-region w:st="on">Qatar</st1:country-region> and even <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region> came 3 days before the news about reconciliation. A mere coincidence? You bet. Hamas was pressed and had to respond quickly to a sudden change of the new balance of powers in the <st1:place w:st="on">Middle East</st1:place>.</div><div class="ListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">b. A few days after the reconciliation <st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region> declared about opening the Rafah crossing that will put an end to an Egyptian-Israeli blockade of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>. This would be an achievement for Hamas which they can present to the population of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>, that started to express its dissatisfaction both with the blockade and the the Palestinian division.</div><div class="ListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">c. The new <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region>, without Mubarak and with the growing influence of the Moslem brothers, the ideological alma mater of the Hamas, is much more comfortable for Hamas.</div><div class="ListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">d. The new Israeli anti-missile Iron Dome system serves as a new deterrence for Hamas which they still have to overcome.</div><div class="ListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So, Hamas’ position has been weakened, especially because of the new geopolitical equation. Situation in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Syria</st1:country-region></st1:place> weakens not only Hamas, but also Hezbollah. According to reports from there, in the middle of April Hassan Nasrallah secretly visited <st1:city w:st="on">Damascus</st1:city> to discuss the situation in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Syria</st1:country-region></st1:place>. Some other reports mention the transfer of Hizballah’s weapons from Syrian bases to Hezbollah's own bases in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:country-region></st1:place>. When we add to this possible transfer of Hamas headquarters from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Damascus</st1:city></st1:place> to other countries, we understand that the situation is really bad for Assad’s regime.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So far, about the reasons why Hamas and Fatah decided to sign the agreement. Now let's turn to the question what could be the consequences of a Hamas-Fatah deal.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">First of all, it should be clear that Hamas didn’t change <a href="http://www.mideastweb.org/hamas.htm">its nature and goals</a>. It’s only about tactics, and this is definitely is not forbidden, from their point of view, by any religious or political authority. They can speak about 1967 borders, but at the same time to increase the smuggling of weapons through Sinai, as was reported last week. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Second, they are going to enjoy greater legitimacy at least from some parts of the international community. They will probably even stop – temporarily - firing missiles at Israel, and will send “moderate” messages about 1967 borders and the “national responsibility”, so some countries will see them as legitimate partners, not to mention the European media.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Third, Abu Mazen will continue with his UN recognition project, especially as he can say that he represents both <st1:place w:st="on">West Bank</st1:place> and The Gaza strip. He will try to keep his own reputation of peacemaker and the reputation of his new government in order to gain support from the West and increase international pressure on <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region></st1:place>. He already makes all the efforts to keep Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in the government, since Fayyad is highly respected in the West.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Is there any chance for Hamas to reform itself, as some experts assert? Can Hamas go through the same transformation as Fatah 25 years ago? Hard to believe. It’s true, Hamas is experiencing similar loss of ally in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Syria</st1:country-region>, as in the 80’s the Yasser Arafat saw the weakening of <st1:place w:st="on">Soviet Union</st1:place>, and had to choose another path. However, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region></st1:place>, the "bigger" brother of Hamas, is still there. Moreover, unlike Fatah, Hamas is a religious fundamentalist movement. They are religious fanatics. It would be foolish on the part of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region></st1:place> to build on option that they will change themselves.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And once again, we should remember many things will happen before September. May be even next week, when American president will deliver his vision on the <st1:place w:st="on">Middle East</st1:place>. And Israeli Prime Minister will do the same a few days later. </div>yaron gamburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361033089483727638noreply@blogger.com0