Israel in the News Apr/May 1993
Spy Satellite Sale To Arabs—Threats To Israel
From Dispatch from Jerusalem
Israeli officials are outraged over the possible sale of an American super-secret spy satellite to the United Arab Emirates. For years Israel has begged Americans, with out success, to receive detailed satellite pictures of the region. They were even refused this information when Iraqi Scud missiles were raining down on Tel Aviv. America has also denied help to Israelis as they have attempted to build a satellite of their own. Many believe that if the Emirates gets their own satellite, they will be in the business of selling detailed photos and data gleaned from their new satellite to other Arab countries.
Israel’s Scientific Performance
from The Near East Report
Science is a global and communal enterprise, but all countries do not participate equally in it. The United States’ scientific endeavor is manifold that in any other country, and the U.S. has relationships with scientists throughout the world. Israeli scientists are tied into international collegial networks centered in the U.S.
Israeli science is quite substantial, despite the small size of the country. Israel ranks 17th among all nations in terms of articles published in the world’s mainstream journals in the natural, medical, and technological sciences. The U.S. leads in scientific research …
Israeli scientific performance gets even higher marks when considering the country’s small population and economy. Israel ranks first among all the market economies in the world in terms of scientific articles relative to Gross National Product. Israel also ranks first in the world in terms of scientific articles relative to population …
Scientific integration between Israel and the U.S. is exceptionally strong. Israelis are influenced more by U.S. science than by all other foreign science, and they collaborate more often with Americans than the rest of the world.
Record Tourism Year
from The Jerusalem Post
A record 1.75 million tourists visited Israel in 1992, Tourism Minister Uzi Baram said recently. According to the estimate, which is 60% more than 1991’s total, tourists spent close to $2 billion in 1992.
Plowshares Beat Swords
from The Jerusalem Post
Industrial cooperation with foreign companies resulted in more civilian than defense exports in 1992 for the first time, according to acting director-general of the Industrial Cooperation Authority Zvi Allon. Particularly noteworthy was the contribution of the Israel Electric Corporation. Allon said about 20% of Israel’s high-tech industrial exports stem from cooperation agreements. He also noted that $200 million of the $800 million in exports achieved through industrial cooperation consisted of computer products.
Never Too Late
from Dispatch from Jerusalem
Katarina Keshayev, at 108 believed to be the oldest person ever to immigrate to Israel, arrived on August 16 from the Caucasus Mountains in the southwestern part of the former Soviet Union. Settling down in her daughter’s mobile home in Beersheba, she declared that “I have realized my dream,” but carped mildly: “it’s a bit hot here.”
IBM Comes To Town
from The Jerusalem Post
IBM, facing drastic cutbacks internationally, is opening a computer software company in Jerusalem. The joint venture of IBM, the Jerusalem Development Authority and Leumi and Co., Bank Leumi’s investment bank, will be called Softel Software Technologies Ltd., and will open soon in the Har Hotzvim industrial park.
