Middle East Press On: IDF, Gazan, Jewish, Israel, China, Humanity, Nuclear: New Age Islam's Selection, 7 April 2025
By New Age Islam Edit Desk
7 April 2025
The IDF Must Be More Transparent When Innocent Gazans Are Killed
The Indian Jewish Journey To Israel: A Story Of Return, Not Invasion
Qatargate Raises Unsettling Questions Over Netanyahu’s Close Entourage
Not Deep State, But Dark State: When Bureaucrats Overrule Israeli Democracy
Chinese Amb. To 'Post': Israel-China Tech Collaboration Benefits All Humanity
Israel Can Boost Its Image by Using Innovation to Solve Global Issues
Is A Nuclear Weapon a Serious Option for Iran?
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The IDF Must Be More Transparent When Innocent Gazans Are Killed
By Jpost Editorial
April 7, 2025
It’s a fact that Israel is at war with Hamas in Gaza. And in every war, it’s also a sorry fact that mistakes are made, and innocent people are killed
The IDF’s zigzag on its version of what happened last month, when more than a dozen alleged Gazan medics were killed, reinforces the dramatic tragedy that is war, but it also highlights the need for transparency.
On March 23, at 4:30 a.m., as part of the IDF’s larger renewed offensives in the Gaza Strip, Golani troops set an ambush for Hamas forces near Tel Sultan in Rafah, which it said was successful.
Between then and 6 a.m., additional vehicles passed through the ambush area, including ambulances, without incident. At 6 a.m., troops identified several ambulances transporting who they believed to be Hamas terrorists and opened fire.
The IDF's investigation
The IDF opened an investigation into the incident and on Saturday released its initial findings. At least six of those killed were posthumously identified as Hamas operatives, the IDF said, adding that it planned to name the terrorists once its internal probe was completed.
The soldiers deemed the vehicles “suspicious” because they were being driven without any headlights or emergency lights, the IDF said. Furthermore, they were uncoordinated and showed up at the scene very soon after terrorist operatives were there, it said.
Throughout the war in Gaza, Hamas terrorists have been embedded inside civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and ambulances. Israeli authorities have, over the years, provided evidence, such as interviews with apprehended Hamas operatives, to bolster this claim. So, such suspicions could be considered reasonable in the heat of the moment.
Footage taken by one of the medics, and which was published by the New York Times, however, shows that the vehicles were clearly marked and even had emergency lights on when the shooting began.
The IDF acknowledged that based on the video, its initial report that the lights of the vehicles had been off was incorrect and was based on the testimonies of soldiers. The complete findings of the investigation were expected to be presented to IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir at some point on Sunday.It’s a shame that it took the Times report for the IDF to clarify the incident.
Another controversy involved the bodies of the medics, which were recovered from a mass grave in Rafah. Palestinians accused the Israeli forces of attempting to cover up the incident by burying the bodies. The IDF rejected that assertion.
The IDF denied any accounts of executions, having tied up the hands of any of the medics, or that it had intentionally targeted the medics from close range.
The IDF also rejected the assertion that the troops had attempted to hide the evidence. The UN was notified immediately about the burial spot and told to collect the bodies, the IDF said. The UN, however, said it was unable to find the site the next day.
According to the IDF’s investigation, the bodies were eventually recovered by the UN in coordination with the IDF.
Regardless of whether the IDF behaved in exemplary fashion or acted in rash fashion and attempted to cover it up afterward, the incident is a gruesome reminder of the fog of war.
It’s the role of the IDF, and Israel, to try to lift the fog and reveal what really happened. The killing of the medics and the shade surrounding it is a reminder that fighting in a war is not a blank check; there are still rules, and there are still protocols.
That the IDF had to issue a correction of its initial version of events is concerning, and it could haunt the military going forward in its justified efforts to target Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
Accuracy and transparency cannot become something that gets glossed over; it’s not who we are.
We will await the findings of the incident and reserve judgement. But giving an account of what happened and then changing it when damning evidence is provided by a media outlet is not a good look for the IDF or for Israel.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-849121
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The Indian Jewish Journey to Israel: A Story of Return, Not Invasion
By Paushali Lass
April 7, 2025
For centuries, the Jews of India have viewed Israel not as a distant, foreign land but as their ancient homeland – a place they longed to return to as the fulfillment of an age-old spiritual connection.
I’ve had the privilege of working closely with Ann Samson, an exceptionally resilient Indian-born Jewish woman living in Canada, on our new book project, Tasting Faith. Ann’s story mirrors the broader experience of Indian Jews who made aliyah to Israel.
Their migration wasn’t born of fleeing oppression but of a deep-rooted desire to reconnect to the land that had always been at the heart of their identity.
This powerful journey challenges the narrative that we often hear in antisemitic circles that Israel is a “settler colonial outpost,” offering a compelling counterpoint to the myth that the Jewish return to Israel is a modern political imposition.
For the Jews of India, Israel was not viewed as a foreign land to colonize but rather as the ancient homeland of the Jewish people. This connection, rooted in faith and history, has existed for thousands of years. Their journey to Israel wasn’t about conquering new land, but about returning to the place where their ancestors had once lived – and prayed for throughout history.
Unlike Jews in Europe or the Middle East, who often faced violent persecution and were forced to flee, the Jews of India – whether Bene Israel, Cochin, or Baghdadi – migrated to Israel as returnees to their rightful homeland, fulfilling a longing to reunite with a place they considered their own for centuries.
As in Jewish communities worldwide, in India too, it is a common tradition to end the Passover Seder with the words, “Next year in Jerusalem.” This wasn’t a mere wish – it was a prayer, a longing, and a reflection of the connection Jews felt toward Israel, regardless of where they lived. It was a longing that spanned generations and remained a central part of Jewish consciousness in India, just as it is across the globe.
For centuries, Jews in India maintained a connection to the Land of Israel. The Bene Israel, for example, believed their ancestors had come from the ancient kingdom of Israel more than 2,000 years ago. They kept their Jewish faith alive, practiced their customs, and remembered Israel as their rightful homeland, even as they lived in India. Similarly, Cochin and Baghdadi Jews knew their roots were in Israel, and their migration was driven by a desire to return, not to escape persecution.
When the State of Israel was established in 1948, it marked the fulfillment of a centuries-old dream for Jews worldwide, including those from India. The migration of Indian Jews to Israel was the realization of a spiritual connection that had always existed. The creation of Israel was not a foreign political event but a sacred return to the land of their ancestors.
Indian Jews offer counter-narrative to "Israeli colonizers"
The narrative that often surrounds Israel today, especially in some academic and political circles, describes it as a “settler colonial outpost” imposed on an indigenous population. However, the experiences of Indian Jews offer a strong counter-narrative to this claim. Indian Jews, like Ann and her family, came because they had always viewed Israel as their homeland. Their migration was driven by a spiritual and historical connection to the land, not by colonial ambition.
The story of the Jews of India, who had lived in peace and security in India for centuries, is one of return, not of invasion.
Upon arriving in modern-day Israel after its founding, Indian Jews contributed fully to the development of their ancestral homeland. Many served in the military, fought in the 1948 War of Independence, and contributed to Israel’s growth and security. Their cultural heritage, from Cochini music and cuisine to Bene Israel’s Malida ceremonies, has enriched Israel’s vibrant tapestry.
However, the integration of Indian Jews into the broader Israeli society was often challenging initially, especially for the Bene Israel. Their women, who wore saris, stood out from other Jewish groups, and their identity, rooted in customs rather than records, made recognition harder. Despite this, the Bene Israel have become a vital part of Israeli society now, their unique traditions embraced, and their contributions recognized. Today, they thrive in Jerusalem and cities such as Beersheba and Ashdod, preserving their Judeo-Marathi dialect and heritage.
For the Jews of India, their migration to Israel was not about colonizing a foreign land but about returning to a place they had always considered their own. This enduring connection between the Jews of India and the land of Israel reflects the true nature of Israel’s founding: a return to the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people, not the establishment of a foreign colonial state. It is a story of hope, heritage, and identity, deeply rooted in faith and history.
Today, for Jews making aliyah from India, the cultural challenges remain, as many still hold deep ties to the traditions of their upbringing in colorful India. Nevertheless, they are committed to preserving their heritage while blending the best of both these ancient cultures – creating a vibrant, dynamic identity that honors both worlds.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-849051
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Qatargate Raises Unsettling Questions Over Netanyahu’s Close Entourage
By Susan Hattis Rolef
April 7, 2025
During the morning news program last Friday on Kan Reshet Bet, MK Amit Halevi (Likud) was interviewed about what has come to be known as Qatargate.
The Qatar affair involves Qatar’s alleged employment of at least two members of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s inner circle in an advisory/public relations capacity, over which the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) opened an investigation at the beginning of last week on suspicions of serious irregularities and possible criminal transgressions.
Halevi stated that the only reason an investigation has been opened is because the prime minister is Benjamin Netanyahu, whom Ronen Bar, Shin Bet head until April 10, is determined (according to the Likud) to oust from power without elections. He added that if Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid were prime minister, or anyone else besides Netanyahu, no investigation would have been opened.
It should be noted that Netanyahu maintains there is nothing to investigate and that the two who have been detained and investigated – Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein – were being held under degrading conditions as hostages, terms that are used in connection with those taken hostage by Hamas on October 7.
I believe it is accurate to say there is more we don’t know than we do know about this rather bizarre affair, but both what Halevi said and what Netanyahu has claimed seem to be far removed from the reality.
Though until the Qatar affair broke out, Urich and Feldstein were both part of Netanyahu’s close entourage – Urich as Netanyahu’s main strategic advisor and part of the Likud’s new media network established towards the 2015 elections (which is referred to by the opposition as part of the Likud’s “poison machine”), and Feldstein as Netanyahu’s spokesperson for military affairs – neither has been on the payroll of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Feldstein was not on the payroll because he did not receive the required security clearance (the reason was never publicly revealed), and some form of payment was arranged for him through a Jewish lobbyist for Qatar in the US – Jay Footlik.
In the past, Urich was on the Likud payroll – especially during successive election campaigns – but he has always had some private clients as well and was engaged in recent years in public relations activities on behalf of Qatar. For example, before the 2022 World Cup soccer tournament held in Qatar, Urich collaborated with another former Netanyahu aide, Israel (Srulik) Einhorn, within the framework of the latter’s media agency, Perception.
Although no claims have been made to date that Urich or Feldstein caused any security damage to Israel, the irregular nature of their employment and activities – especially their apparently completely unregulated contacts with Qatar – raises further concern.
Israel-Qatar relations
Though Qatar is not considered an enemy state, Israel’s relations with it are complicated and ambivalent. On the one hand, Qatar is known to support the Muslim Brotherhood and various Muslim terrorist organizations, including Hamas. On the other hand, it has played a constructive role over the last year and a half in trying to attain a hostage deal between Hamas and Israel.
Qatar is also known to invest vast sums of money in American universities and played a major financial role in the anti-Israel/antisemitic demonstrations at many American universities last year over the Israel-Hamas War.
But going back to what Halevi said in his interview last Friday, the reason why none of Lapid’s aides, nor those of previous prime ministers, were ever investigated on similar charges is not because the Shin Bet treats Netanyahu differently. It is because never before has there been any reason to suspect that such aides were in contact with states whose relations with Israel are as complicated as those between Qatar and Israel for financial remuneration or some other perks.
It should also be noted that the sort of twisted reality that appears to have existed in Netanyahu’s office with regard to Urich and Feldstein develops over time (assuming, of course, that we are talking of a democracy). Netanyahu has been in power now for 17 years overall.
Irregularities appear in Netanyahu's conduct
Already in his first term, 1996-99, certain irregularities started to appear in his formal conduct, connected at first to financial matters – for example, the Amedi affair, in which Netanyahu and his wife tried to make the state pay for various services they had received from the contractor Avner Amedi in their private capacities. Transgressions of the sort suspected to have occurred in Qatargate appeared only in Netanyahu’s sixth premiership, which began on December 29, 2022.
It should be noted that Lapid’s premiership lasted for only six months, and even if it had lasted longer, it is unlikely that it would have deteriorated to the levels of moral depravity and loss of normative values that the current government has done.
How history will judge the current government and its drifting away from the values and norms of a relatively well-functioning liberal democracy in the direction of an increasingly chaotic illiberal democracy, future generations will find out.
I do not think one can fully blame the right/religious nature of the government for the current situation. I believe that the fact that we have a prime minister whose personal political survivability is more important than what exactly is being done and how has led us to where we are today with regard to Qatargate and to other regrettable events.
Incidentally, it is not clear whether Netanyahu was aware in real time of his aides’ sideshow with Qatar. His quick response last Tuesday with regard to the investigations involving Urich and Feldstein – just before leaving for an official visit to Hungary, followed by a brief visit in Washington – appeared to be driven more by concern that one or both might turn state’s witness against him than by the case itself.
In his evidence, Netanyahu denied any knowledge of contacts between the two and Qatar.
Today Netanyahu will be meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington about the unexpected 17% customs duties imposed on Israeli exports to the US within the framework of the latter’s universal trade war. Let us wish him good luck in his endeavor to reverse the decree.
Over the years the writer has written both journalistic and academic articles and several books on a large variety of subjects, including international relations, Zionism, Israeli politics, and parliamentarism. In the years 1994-2010, she worked in the Knesset library and the Knesset Research and Information Center.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-849045
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Not Deep State, But Dark State: When Bureaucrats Overrule Israeli Democracy
By Yisrael Medad
April 7, 2025
I fear we have reached a stage in Israel’s political life whereby its democratic system is being threatened. The threat stems from non-elected appointed officials and employees of state institutions. The so-called “Deep State” is now a very popular term. However, a 1964 book by David Wise and Thomas Ross, The Invisible Government, is more relevant.
The book provided insight into concerns about the pervasive, ongoing influence of the military, intelligence services, and entrenched bureaucratic bodies and officials on democratic governance.
Perhaps the most insightful presentation we citizens were provided regarding how this ruling structure works was the Yes, Minister BBC series of the 1980s. In one episode, Principal Private Secretary Bernard Woolley asks, “But surely the citizens of a democracy have a right to know,” with Sir Humphrey Appleby, permanent secretary for the fictional Department of Administrative Affairs, replying, “No. They have a right to be ignorant.”
Here in Israel, most of the citizens actually do know much about the workings of government but, except for voting, have no real democratic power to assure the government follows through on its platform. Worse, those who are elected are constantly stymied and, in a growing development over the past two decades, administrative officials are proactively opposing government policy.
While this situation made for great comedy in England, Israel’s reality has mutated more into a “Dark State.”
Dark State: The alleged bureaucratic manipulations of Israeli democracy
By “Dark State,” I refer to network structures and governance that coordinate their respective responsibilities in a collaborative manner as devices to attend to public management problems and to pursue political, social, and economic action. What is at the core of this is whether these officials are following the letter of the law or pursuing personal and/or ideological agendas.
Are they attempting to monopolize the authority granted them instead of simply assisting the enactment of government policy? Are they deciding by themselves and for themselves how the government is to be run, or do they accept the framework of bureaucratic limitations?
To recall another exchange, Minister Jim Hacker berates Humphrey, “You’re supposed to enact my policies… why [do] you seem implacably opposed to them? I must know where you stand on all this.” Sir Humphrey counters, “Where one stands, minister, depends upon where one sits.” However, there is something more particularly dangerous to our democracy.
What we should be observing is that bureaucrats manipulate not only the police and the secret intelligence services but also the judicial arm of government, which should be equal to the executive branch, even in a parliamentary democracy.
Meanwhile, a supposedly independent media mostly ignores the ramifications of these bureaucrats’ actions, such as the arrest of a journalist, and at times, cheers encouragingly. Channel 12’s Guy Peleg repeatedly announcing, “Netanyahu is a danger to the state, more than any of its enemies,” comes to mind.
Yes, Minister highlighted a “creaking old bureaucratic machine”. In Israel, it is a quite well-oiled multiplex conglomerate and functions very well.
To illustrate this, let’s reconsider the case of Eyal Yaffe. He is a prominent member of an affiliate of the anti-Netanyahu Kaplan Camp protestors called Lochamei Kippur 73 (Fighters from the Yom Kippur War in 1973) and has even met and been photographed with President Isaac Herzog at the latter’s mansion.
Following his arrest for sexually assaulting a border policewoman, a search of his home was conducted. A small arms cache was allegedly discovered.
If the cache had been found in the house of a prominent leader of the Yesha Council (the umbrella organization representing communities in Judea and Samaria) or a haredi (ultra-Orthodox) rosh yeshiva (yeshiva head), we would have been reading headlines claiming that a new underground had been uncovered.
Not only the police but the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) would have become involved. Anyone else who had spoken words that could have been construed as threatening or inciting would have been called in to an investigation at the minimum.
In the case of Eyal Yaffe’s arms cache, the Shin Bet Jewish Department did not raid any of the anti-judicial reform leaders. Even those who have called for violence and even “war” were not detained, arrested, nor questioned; not Ehud Barak, not Ehud Olmert, not Dan Halutz, nor any other of a dozen leaders whose violent statements have been recorded over the past several years.
As attorney Adi Ben-Hur wrote last week, “If it were just one ‘settler,’ all of Yitzhar would be in lockdown.” Yet, not a peep was heard from the Shin Bet’s Ronen Bar, who can be very vocal, and Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara has not issued any instructions to the police – a matter of selective investigation and prosecution.
Consider, too, the hullabaloo over the links between two of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s aides and Qatar. In the first instance, news reports were full of suspicions that they were in touch with an enemy agent. But Qatar is not defined as an ”enemy state,” which is especially fortuitous for National Unity chair Benny Gantz.
In September 2024, Gantz, an opposition MK, met with Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister to promote the release of Israel’s hostages. As this paper noted at that time, “Gantz is believed to have a close personal relationship with the Qatari prime minister, which goes back to the former’s days in the Defense Ministry.”
Back in August 2021, then-defense minister Gantz said he had been in touch with Qatar, with full permission, to ensure a mechanism for money coming into Gaza. Additionally, there’s also the Fifth Dimension affair and Gantz’s business links with John R. Allen, who was under investigation for secretly lobbying on behalf of Qatar.
Yes, it’s all a matter of where one sits.
Could the suspicions of treason have been a smokescreen aimed more at Netanyahu, who employed the supposed “traitors” in his office? Were they also bandied about to increase support for Baharav-Miara to declare incapacity charges against the prime minister? Is this QatarGate, or will it be a QatarFake?
The Sir Humphrey character deserves one more quotation: “Bernard, if the right people don’t have power, do you know what happens? The wrong people get it: politicians, councilors, ordinary voters!” To which Bernard responded, “But aren’t they supposed to, in a democracy?”
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-849006
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Chinese Amb. To 'Post': Israel-China Tech Collaboration Benefits All Humanity
By Xiao Junzheng
April 7, 2025
China and Israel share a deep foundation for friendship, having achieved substantial results in friendly exchanges and cooperation across various fields. In March 2017, the two countries established the Innovative Comprehensive Partnership, which has fostered mutual advancement in the realm of scientific and technological innovation, continuously benefiting the peoples of both countries.
Before I took up my post in Israel, I visited Changzhou Innovation Park and Shanghai Innovation Park, both jointly built by China and Israel, and experienced first-hand the strong momentum of China-Israel innovation cooperation. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of Changzhou Innovation Park.
With nearly 300 Israeli enterprises and China-Israel joint ventures and about 60 projects of bilateral technological cooperation, Changzhou Innovation Park will continue to provide more comprehensive and in-depth support and services for Israeli companies in China.
Shanghai Innovation Park has developed into an innovation cluster of 208 enterprises from China and Israel in a variety of sectors, with 867 intellectual property rights of various types put into use, forming an industrial cluster of medical health, artificial intelligence (AI), Internet, and information technology.
With the support and impetus of intergovernmental projects, people-to-people technological innovation cooperation between China and Israel has flourished. Chinese enterprises have established R&D centers and incubators in Israel, while Israeli hi-tech companies have successively set up operations in China. Close collaboration has also been forged in the fields of clean energy, seawater desalination, and biomedicine.
China’s new energy vehicles, equipped with intelligent driving systems developed by Israeli companies, have been warmly received in global markets. Meanwhile, Israel’s drip irrigation technology has been introduced to China, significantly enhancing the quality and yield of crops, such as potatoes in Inner Mongolia and blueberries in Yunnan. Such examples are too numerous to mention individually.
China and Israel deepen innovation ties
China-Israel cooperation in technological innovation is also forward-looking. The two countries jointly established the Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, enhancing the cultivation and exchange of talents in the field of technological innovation, thereby sowing the seeds for future China-Israel technological innovation.
Recently, certain countries have adopted many policies against China, seeking decoupling, severing global industrial and supply chains, and building “small yards with high fences” in international scientific and technological cooperation. Meanwhile, the Taiwan (a province of China) authority has deliberately sought to disrupt and undermine China-Israel innovation cooperation. There are even calls for a “democratic chip alliance,” intentionally creating rifts in China-Israel technological collaboration.
Such actions arbitrarily label technology as “democratic” or “non-democratic” and attempt to determine whether or not certain technologies can be accessible to specific countries or groups based on cultural, racial, religious, or gender criteria. This challenges the universally recognized principle of technological equity in the international community. It not only contravenes the interests of both China and Israel, but also undermines the common interests of humanity.
China advocates for the common values of humanity, which include peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom. International scientific and technological cooperation serves as a vital way to realize these common values. It is a fundamental principle of human rights and a manifestation of the democratic ideal that all people, regardless of nationality, race, ethnicity, culture, or language, should equally benefit from advancements in science and technology. The development and cooperation in science and technology must be in line with ethical standards, but should not be politicized with labels masquerading as democratic principles.
China-Israel cooperation in technological innovation is not targeted at any third party and should not be subject to interference from any third party.
Science and technology should not be tools for weaving iron curtains. Rather, they should be wealth that is universally accessible and shared. They should not be weapons in geopolitics. Instead, they should be the hope for humanity’s progress.
The drip irrigation and seawater desalination technologies developed by Israel, China’s hybrid rice cultivation, and the Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT) for malaria treatment pioneered by China are vivid examples of how technological innovation benefits all of humanity. At present, humanity needs international cooperation and open sharing more than ever before. Through cooperation in technological innovation, we can jointly address the challenges of our era, promote sustainable development, and solve global issues.
A “small yard with high fences” cannot block innovative thinking, and decoupling and severing industrial and supply chains will ultimately isolate oneself. Strengthening scientific and technological openness and cooperation has always been a consistent principle of the Chinese government.
China has proposed the International Science and Technology Cooperation Initiative, advocating and practicing the principles of openness, fairness, justice, and non-discrimination in international scientific and technological cooperation, and adhering to the belief that “science has no borders and benefits all mankind.” China is willing and ready to enhance scientific and technological cooperation with all countries, including Israel, to foster an open innovation ecosystem, promote the sharing of innovation achievements, and achieve common development.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-849040
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Israel Can Boost Its Image By Using Innovation To Solve Global Issues
By Jonathan Menuhin
April 7, 2025
Since October 7, Israel’s brand equity has been tested. Even as exits like Wiz make the headlines, the juxtaposition of images of war coming out of Gaza is challenging for some international audiences to contextualize and can drown out the positive connection with the Israeli brand.
In some frameworks, the presentation of October 7 as an Israeli security failure might cast doubt on the country’s technological capabilities, especially when there is no differentiation between the government and private sector. Additionally, advancements in the hot AI space have not been directly associated with Israel, leaving the country, in some sense, out of that game.
In a reality where relevance and positioning are dictated by the latest news cycle, Israel finds itself in a situation that necessitates consistent efforts to reposition itself as a leader in the world of innovation.
To achieve this, the discourse surrounding Israel needs to be refocused toward values: innovation, addressing global challenges, and positioning Israel as a country of forward-thinking when it comes to future global needs.
Addressing climate change
We must build the narrative around Israel’s role in the global effort to address climate change by sharing our story. Promoting the country’s technological advancements and their use as climate adaptation solutions, much as we actively promote our cyber solutions, is one step.
Climate change presents significant challenges worldwide in sectors including transportation, which leads all sectors as the largest source of emissions; water safety; food scarcity; agriculture, which is highly sensitive to climate change and is already experiencing declining crop yields in some geographies; and energy and infrastructure, where supply and demand is highly influenced by the climate situation; as well as in increasing climatic resilience in response to events such as the fires in California, floods in Spain and France, and hurricanes on the East Coast of the US and especially in Miami.
In each of these areas, Israel’s global leadership can be demonstrated.
Doing our part
At the Israel Innovation Institute, we have focused our activities on specific sectors: agriculture, aquaculture, climate change, and transportation. The communities within these sectors collaborate to rebrand Israel as a hub, birthing solutions to global challenges.
And while branding is not the end in itself, it is the means to bring forth the knowledge, resources, and connections that advance Israeli industry. With this in mind, there are several avenues of action we should be taking to nurture the Israeli climate-tech story.
Centralizing efforts under one body: The country should establish a governmental body, such as the European Institute of Innovation Technology, to connect incentives, academia, regulation, and the ecosystem while ensuring each sector grows and flourishes both domestically and globally.
Strengthening offices and bodies to act: We should be investing resources in developing solutions, facilitated by the Israel Innovation Authority and the Economy and Industry Ministry; Agriculture and Raw Food Security Ministry; Transportation Ministry; and the Environmental Protection Ministry. However, cutting the budgets of chief scientists in government ministries could harm this effort.
Promoting cooperation from within: Encouraging cross-niche cooperation between academia and industry, civilians and business, education and consumers, is critical to success.
Living lab activities: We should be promoting the transformation of governmental agencies and public organizations into innovation hubs to support development, encouraging a new approach to doing business.
Investing in the Israeli brand: We should be doing justice to the exceptional accomplishments taking place within the Israeli climate-tech industry by sharing success stories of the many Israeli companies that have become global leaders in this field.
Connecting the ecosystem to global partners: Participation in events and conferences, international tech accelerators and incubators, nurturing academic and research cooperations, and building the infrastructure around these are integral to growing the country’s international reputation.
Ensuring our presence at events such as the UN COP climate change conference and Climate Week NYC, as well as hosting events in Israel such as December 2025’s planned agriculture, food, and environment conference, are all part of the effort to strengthen our standing with colleagues worldwide.
Israel may be small, but it has big potential. By investing in our greatest resource – our knowledge and ability to innovate – we can build out a new and solid foundation for future generations. It is both possible and important that we achieve these goals.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-849064
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Is A Nuclear Weapon A Serious Option For Iran?
Hassan Al-Mustafa
April 06, 2025
The deadline set last week by US President Donald Trump for the Iranian government to engage in negotiations with Washington regarding its nuclear program, as well as related issues such as its ballistic missile program and Tehran’s influence and alliances in the Middle East, seems to have exerted pressure on the Iranian political leadership and even on the elites surrounding Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran submitted its response to Trump’s message through Omani mediators, who conveyed it to the White House. The Iranian foreign minister stated that responding through the sultanate is a natural course of action, given the trust that Iranians place in Omani leadership and the experience Muscat has gained as a mediator over many years. Furthermore, the Iranian leadership believes that any future discussions between the two countries will prominently involve Oman, especially since Iran continues to reject direct negotiations and prefers discussions to be conducted through intermediaries.
In parallel with this development, it is worth noting the remarks made by former Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani, who was appointed as an adviser by Khamenei. Larijani stated that “the leader’s fatwa prohibits nuclear weapons; however, if America makes a mistake, the Iranian people may feel compelled to demand their production.” He further added in a television interview: “Their (the Americans’) wise individuals recognize that, if they attack Iran, it will drive the country toward nuclear armament.”
These statements are significant because they come from a prominent figure within the Iranian elite, who is also categorized as a moderate rather than a hard-liner. Larijani previously expressed critical views regarding the fundamentalist approach in Iran. This suggests that a perspective advocating for the acquisition of a “nuclear bomb” as a deterrent is gaining traction in discussions, especially in light of the Israeli strikes against Iran following the Al-Aqsa Flood operation on Oct. 7, 2023, as well as the shifting balance of power and Tehran’s loss of military strength with respect to its two main allies: Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The military and security exposure faced by Iran has prompted some of its elites to adopt a more rigid approach, rather than pursuing more flexible diplomacy and direct negotiations with the US.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and former Foreign Minister Javad Zarif were among the figures who advocated for a more pragmatic approach, encouraging direct negotiations. However, Khamenei has taken a different stance. While he did not outright reject the idea of negotiations and indicated a willingness to make specific concessions to mitigate the escalating losses, the election of Trump prompted Khamenei to reassess his position. He opted for indirect negotiations instead, rejecting direct talks and adopting a rigid stance against what he perceives as negotiations under duress or harsh preconditions.
Revisiting Larijani’s perspective on nuclear bomb manufacturing, he asserts that “the people will push to defend the country” and that “Iran has the capability to produce nuclear weapons, but it emphasizes that there is a fatwa prohibiting this.” However, he notes that “the fatwa is distinct from political decisions,” even though the fatwa issued by Khamenei is recorded with the UN.
These statements elicited a range of both supportive and opposing reactions. Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Abbas Salehi stated that “the leader’s fatwa regarding the prohibition of nuclear weapons is not merely a legal opinion on branches of jurisprudence, but rather is based on immutable religious principles that are not subject to change and are not merely interpretative branches that can be altered.”
Iranian Middle East conflict researcher Mostafa Najafi said: “We should be skeptical about whether this threat will be effective, especially since he (Larijani) announces an attack on the country as a condition for manufacturing weapons.” He added: “I don’t know of any country in the world that is like that. They usually manufacture weapons so they won’t be attacked. Who knows if there will be anything left to build after an attack?” He believed that “Larijani’s remarks will intensify the threat rather than diminish it.”
Ali Hashem, a Lebanese researcher specializing in Iranian affairs, stated that “Mr. Larijani’s threat to pursue nuclear bomb production if the US attacks Iran is quite similar to the threat made by the late Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian at the onset of the Gaza war to escalate the conflict.” Hashem emphasized that “the reality that the Iranians fail to grasp is that threats are ineffective; rather, they indicate weakness rather than strength.”
This rejection of Larijani’s statements reflects the views of a significant segment of the reformist movement in Iran, as well as those aligned with former President Hassan Rouhani and some supporters of the late Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. However, a notable figure from the Construction Party founded by Rafsanjani, former Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ataollah Mohajerani, endorsed Larijani’s position. He stated that “the announcement regarding a shift in Iran’s nuclear doctrine, which was articulated in a thoughtful and timely interview with Dr. Ali Larijani, appears to be a clear and explicit decision by the regime aimed at safeguarding the country, the nation, the system and the Islamic revolution.”
Yadollah Javani, head of the political bureau of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Joint Command Council, affirmed that “we will reconsider our defense doctrine if the enemy carries out its threats.”
This raises the question of whether these statements are merely a bargaining chip in negotiations to avert any potential military action by the US and Israel, or if they clearly indicate that the Iranians now believe that acquiring a nuclear weapon has become a national necessity.
If Iran’s nuclear doctrine were to change and it pursued the acquisition of a nuclear bomb, as stated by Larijani, this would negatively impact its relations with its Arab neighbors, particularly the Gulf states. Iran has recently adopted a policy of openness toward these countries, which have engaged in diplomatic efforts, led by Saudi Arabia, to alleviate tensions. Therefore, proponents of the nuclear military option should not only focus on deterring Washington and Tel Aviv, as they often claim, but also consider the adverse consequences such a decision would have on its relations with the Gulf states, which require trust-building, cooperation and the enhancement of economic, tourism and security partnerships.
There are numerous diplomatic alternatives that could be more beneficial for Tehran than pursuing a nuclear bomb that could effectively safeguard it from potential attacks. Smart and long-term diplomacy remains the safest approach, even if it is a challenging and protracted process.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2596113
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