George Washington U. Lectures

Posted on September 14, 2021 by admin
Thursday, September 30th 2021 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. EDT | Via Zoom
A City in Fragments: Urban Text in Modern Jerusalem with Yair Wallach and Shira Robinson

In the mid-nineteenth century, Jerusalem was rich with urban texts inscribed in marble, gold, and cloth, investing holy sites with divine meaning. Ottoman modernization and British colonial rule transformed the city; new texts became a key means to organize society and subjectivity. Stone inscriptions, pilgrims’ graffiti, and sacred banners gave way to street markers, shop signs, identity papers, and visiting cards that each sought to define and categorize urban space and people.

A City in Fragments tells the modern history of a city overwhelmed by its religious and symbolic significance. Yair Wallach walked the streets of Jerusalem to consider the graffiti, logos, inscriptions, official signs, and ephemera that transformed the city over the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As these urban texts became a tool in the service of capitalism, nationalism, and colonialism, the affinities of Arabic and Hebrew were forgotten and these sister-languages found themselves locked in a bitter war. Looking at the writing of—and literally on—Jerusalem, Wallach offers a creative and expansive history of the city, a fresh take on modern urban texts, and a new reading of the Israel/Palestine conflict through its material culture.

Yair Wallach is Senior Lecturer in Israeli Studies at SOAS, University of London.

Shira Robinson is Associate Professor of History and International Affairs at the George Washington University.
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Thursday, October 14th, 2021 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. EDT | Via Zoom
The Colonizing Self Or, Home and Homelessness in Israel/Palestine with Hagar Kotef and Elisabeth Anker

Colonizers continuously transform spaces of violence into spaces of home. Israeli Jews settle in the West Bank and in depopulated Palestinian houses in Haifa or Jaffa. White missionaries build their lives in Africa. The descendants of European settlers in the Americas and Australia dwell and thrive on expropriated indigenous lands. In The Colonizing Self Hagar Kotef traces the cultural, political, and spatial apparatuses that enable people and nations to settle on the ruins of other people’s homes. Kotef demonstrates how the mass and structural modes of violence that are necessary for the establishment and sustainment of the colony dwell within settler-colonial homemaking, and through it shape collective and individual identities. She thus powerfully shows how the possibility to live amid the destruction one generates is not merely the possibility to turn one’s gaze away from violence but also the possibility to develop an attachment to violence itself. Kotef thereby offers a theoretical framework for understanding how settler-colonial violence becomes inseparable from one’s sense of self.

Hagar Kotef is a Professor in Political Theory and Comparative Political Thought at SOAS University of London.

Elisabeth Anker is Associate Professor of American Studies and Political Science at the George Washington University.
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Thursday, November 4th, 2021 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. EDT | Via Zoom
Screen Shots: State Violence on Camera in Israel and Palestine with Rebecca Stein and Imani Cheers

In the last two decades, amid the global spread of smartphones, state killings of civilians have increasingly been captured on the cameras of both bystanders and police. Screen Shots studies this phenomenon from the vantage point of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. Here, cameras have proliferated as political tools in the hands of a broad range of actors and institutions, including Palestinian activists, Israeli soldiers, Jewish settlers, and human rights workers. All trained their lens on Israeli state violence, propelled by a shared dream: that advances in digital photography—closer, sharper, faster—would advance their respective political agendas. Most would be let down.

Drawing on ethnographic work, Rebecca L. Stein chronicles Palestinian video-activists seeking justice, Israeli soldiers laboring to perfect the military’s image, and Zionist conspiracy theorists accusing Palestinians of “playing dead.” Writing against techno-optimism, Stein investigates what camera dreams and disillusionment across these political divides reveal about the Israeli and Palestinian colonial present, and the shifting terms of power and struggle in the smartphone age.

Rebecca Stein is is Associate Professor of Anthropology at Duke University.

Imani Cheers is Associate Professor of Media and Public Affairs at the George Washington University.
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Turkey’s Back to the Future Agenda

Posted on April 4, 2021 by admin

Can Erimtan argues that AKP’s goals for a new Turkey basically amount to replacing the Kemalist Republic with a retro (and futuristic) “Anatolian federation of Muslim ethnicities,” thus reproducing the pre-1923 reality of Anatolian identity politics. A fairly long read, and fairly persuasive.

New Turkey’s Agenda 2023: The End of the Republic and the Return of Sharia Law

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WWI Lecture — Selim Deringil

Posted on January 29, 2021 by admin

https://www.facebook.com/events/877874922998247/

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This is a lecture set for Wednesday, Feb. 17, 11 am EST.

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Turkey Recap:

Posted on January 28, 2021 by admin

https://www.turkeyrecap.com/

No Meze-ing Around
Jan. 28, 2021

What better way for Turkey and Greece to resume exploratory talks Monday after a long pause since 2016 than with fish and meze, because if there is one thing Greeks and Turks agree on, it’s the joy of eating local cuisine. Just don’t mention who certain foods belong to. We don’t want to open a new front just as tensions eased somewhat.

As expected, there was no breakthrough Monday except an agreement to keep talking, but even that, after last year’s dispute, is something to appreciate. Yet as MEI’s Gönül Tol writes, “Not everyone is happy though. (Turkish Pres. Recep Tayyip) Erdoğan’s nationalist allies worry that Ankara might make concessions to Athens on what they view as a national cause.” And Tol points out there are many areas of disagreement between the two from the Aegean to Cyprus.

The talks were also a chance for Ankara and Athens to show off the act of discussion to their Western partners, as maritime delimitation law expert Yunus Emre Açıkgönül suggests in one tweet from an insightful thread. On the same day the NATO allies’ senior diplomats met, Greece signed a $2.8bn deal with France, who offered to sell 18 Rafale fighter jets to Athens last year.

There’s been talk in Europe about Erdoğan’s “charm offensive”, especially after Turkish Foreign Min. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu’s visit to Brussels. What does it mean for European Union sanctions threatened last month? Well, the bloc’s top diplomat Josep Borell said work was “ongoing”, adding, “The list is not ready, but has not been put aside.” Çavuşoğlu was more blunt in his remarks to Politico: “I told everybody that any restrictive measures against Turkey will ruin everything.”

Going beyond the calls for “concrete” action and “positive” developments, the EU-Turkey relationship is not what it was at the peak of optimism in 2005, when accession negotiations began. However, as Israel-Turkey trade numbers show, political disagreements can exist while maintaining strong economic ties. Turkey needs the EU. In 2019, the bloc was Turkey’s number one import and export partner, while Ankara was the bloc’s fifth largest trading partner. As recent events and history might indicate, money talks louder than words.
The Turkish and Greek delegations met Monday where fish and mezes were served, which the Athens side apparently “really liked,” according to a CNN Türk journalist. © Turkish Foreign Ministry
7-day breakdown
‘The invisibles’

In an incident that rekindled memories of security operations in the 1990s, Gökhan Güneş, a 23-year-old electrician, alleged he was abducted and systematically tortured over six days this week. On Jan. 20, four men forced Güneş into a car near his workplace in Kayaşehir, İstanbul, in a scene captured on surveillance footage.

Speaking at a press event hours after his release Tuesday, Güneş claimed he was held in an undisclosed location where he was beaten, doused in cold water and given electric shocks by abductors that called themselves “the invisibles.” The Turkish state has yet to make official comments on the accusations, but Güneş alleged the abductors tried to recruit him as an informant on a small Marxist group allied with the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).

After he went missing, Güneş’ family organized daily protests in front of İstanbul’s Çağlayan courthouse to demand information on his whereabouts. Güneş’ lawyer credited public outcry and media coverage for his release Tuesday, adding a legal team would apply for investigations with Turkey’s Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights.

Though cases of enforced disappearances subsided in Turkey in the 2000s, human rights advocates have documented the return of such practices after the 2016 coup attempt. Following the latest events, Turkey’s Human Rights Association issued a statement Wednesday seeking information on two Turkish citizens that went missing last year.
Gökhan Güneş described the alleged torture he underwent during the six-day period he went missing in a press event Tuesday at the İstanbul Branch of the Human Rights Association. © Diego Cupolo
Welcome to the club, Soylu

Is there friction between Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu and Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül? No, insisted ruling party chairperson Numan Kurtulmuş to Haber Global channel in an interview Friday. He was asked the question after Gül said last Thursday: “I’m addressing those who give orders for arrests: Turkey’s a country with the rule of law.” 

There was immediate speculation his comments were a response to Soylu’s anger in a tweet last Wednesday over the release of a “vile” suspect that swore at his mother, who was then in hospital.

Not one to miss an opportunity for a quip, İYİ Party leader Meral Akşener welcomed Soylu to a club, as she expressed disgust at such insults. “An interior minister cannot complain via social media, though I respect mothers. But he’s welcome to our club,” she said Thursday. But the story doesn’t end there. The same suspect was arrested Friday for insulting the president.
Bee serious

As “vaccine nationalism” becomes another thing for the UK and the EU to fight over, a gleeful Erdoğan hailed Turkey’s progress on the issue Tuesday. “Look, in the world’s most developed countries, there are vaccination problems, they can’t find vaccines. Thank God we have, following the steps we’ve taken and the payments we’ve made, we’ve started vaccination,” he said, adding 50 million doses would come in the first stage.

Turkey received 6.5 million more doses of China’s Sinovac Biotech vaccine Monday, bringing the total to 10 million so far. Meanwhile, over 1.5 million people have been inoculated as of Thursday afternoon. There was also some good news Wednesday from Turkish Health Min. Fahrettin Koca, who said the number of cases had “rapidly fallen” by 80 percent thanks to measures taken. It’s a welcome note after Turkey passed 25,000 Covid-19 related deaths.

In the meantime, Turkish scientists developed a nasal spray that kills Covid-19 in one minute. But perhaps the remedy was closer to home than we realized. Some in Malatya bee-lieve allowing bees to sting them will protect them against the virus. We’re sure the news will create a buzz.

Ye’ll take the high road

During a news conference today (Thursday), Turkey’s Central Bank Gov. Naci Ağbal vowed to keep interest rates high in continued efforts to bring down the nation’s 14.6 percent inflation, reassuring investors left nervous after Pres. Erdoğan’s comment Friday that he was “absolutely against high interest rates.” 

Ağbal pledged to keep monetary policy tight, stating Turkey would reach its official five percent inflation target by the end of 2023 despite economic pressures. Since his appointment in November, Ağbal has sought to rebuild the Central Bank’s credibility and his work may be paying off as more than $15 billion have streamed into Turkish assets under his leadership. More positive news came Tuesday, when the International Monetary Fund projected Turkey’s economy to grow six percent this year. 

Yet as the Covid-19 pandemic weighs on global markets, an opposition deputy highlighted local impacts, citing a report that found nearly 100,000 small businesses closed across the country in 2020. Stubbornly high inflation has also led to spikes in staple food costs, prompting Turkish regulators to fine companies charging ‘exorbitant’ prices.
Daughters of Co-conspirators

And there’s been a lot of strange news from Turkey this week. To list a few, NBA star and Fethullah Gulen-supporter Enes Kanter is dating Ariana Rockefeller, meat enthusiast Salt Bae is under investigation for indecent exposure, a former AKP deputy claimed US Pres. Joe Biden has Kurdish roots, the Turkish hair industry is booming and a tech startup is offering QR codes for gravestones to help remember lost loved ones.

Yet the headline that’s garnered most attention is the announcement former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her daughter are producing a TV series about Syrian Kurdish women fighters. The show is based on the soon-to-be-released book, “The Daughters of Kobani”, by journalist Gayle Tzemach Lemmon and will likely draw ire from officials in Ankara, where just Sunday, Turkey’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun urged the West to stop spreading lies on the Kurdish movement.
Speed reads
Turkey Offers Uncertain Refuge for Iranians Fleeing Persecution (NYT)

Turkish appeals court overturns acquittal in Gezi trial (Reuters)

Turkey seeks arrest of judges, prosecutors over coup ties (AP)

West Africa: Pirates launch deadly attack on Turkish ship off Nigeria (DW)

Turkey’s scapegoating of McGurk rooted in revisionism (Al-Monitor)

Syria: Are water supplies being weaponized by Turkey? (DW)

How Qatar and Turkey came together (Economist)

An alleged Saudi troll campaign is targeting a movie about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi (WaPo)

Turkey Plans New Soccer Laws to Curb Excessive Spending (Bloomberg)

Turkish delivery app Getir hits international market, arrives in London (TRT World)

Turkey’s Overlooked Role in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War (GMF)

Turkish Broadcasters Under Pressure to Be on Same Wavelength as Ruling Party (VOA)
Weekend reads
Generation Z Turns on Erdogan

As protests continue over Erdoğan’s appointment of an AKP-affiliated rector to Boğaziçi University, journalist Paul Benjamin Osterlund links the current demonstrations to increasing state pressure on Turkish academia. Relaying varied and detailed interviews with the nation’s youth, Osterlund writes, “Turkey’s Generation Z is facing a battered economy, staggering unemployment rates, and a political reality where their peers can be arrested for holding a banner or writing a tweet.” (Newlines)

Why the EU and the United States Should Rethink Their Turkey Policies in 2021

Laying out a stark progression of events in Turkey-West relations, Carnegie analysts Marc Pierini and Francesco Siccardi argue Ankara’s “current foreign policy is both disruptive and deeply rooted in domestic politics,” which “produces political unreliability.” The authors suggest a six-step plan for recalibrating relations, noting significant challenges lie in striking the “right balance between containing Turkey’s actions” and maintaining “economic and security cooperation while enticing tangible improvements in the rule of law.” (Carnegie)

Autocratization, permanent emergency rule and local politics: lessons from the Kurds in Turkey

Local politics are used to enable the permanency of emergency rule, write political scientist Matthew Whiting and scholar Zeynep N. Kaya in this article which uses Van as an example. They explain how “exceptional rule” goes as far back as the Ottoman Empire and focus on Kurdish mayors removed after the failed coup during the state of emergency. Ankara “changed the operation of local democracy in a way that was not possible prior to emergency rule”, they note, with a decree in which an accusation of a crime alone was enough to replace an elected mayor. (Democratization)

Turkey, Saudi Arabia eye improved ties after Gulf crisis ends

Now that the dispute between Qatar and its Gulf neighbors – led by Saudi Arabia – is officially over, journalist Andrew Wilks explores what that means for Ankara and Riyadh. The author points to “signs of warming relations”, including a call between Erdoğan and the Saudi king. The Turkish economy likely welcomes any improvement as Aykan Erdemir, senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, points out improved trade relations with Saudi Arabia would ameliorate Turkey’s widening current account deficit, writes Wilks. (Al Jazeera) 

For related reading, we recommend End of the Qatar Embargo: An Opportunity, not Threat, for Turkey by Anthony Skinner for Fikra Forum.
Erdoğan at the launch ceremony Saturday for the country’s first indigenous frigate Istanbul (F-515). © Turkish Presidency
The week ahead
Jan 28  MEI hosts online panel titled, Imagining Future Airwars: What Turkish Successes in Nagorno-Karabakh and Libya Might Foreshadow, at 1500 EST / 2300 TSİ

Jan 29  Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visits Turkey

Jan 29  Turkey’s Yunus Emre Institute hosts webinar titled, Ancient Wonders Lecture Series: Hattusa, at 1200 EST / 2000 TSİ

Feb 3  Latest inflation data published by Turkish Statistical Institute

Feb 3  The Robert Bosch Academy hosts a virtual debate titled, The Biden Administration and the Middle East: Back to the Future or a Managed Retreat?, at 1000 EST / 1800 TSİ
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Drones and Modern Turkey — Thursday at 3 pm event

Posted on January 27, 2021 by admin

https://www.mei.edu/events/imagining-future-airwars-what-turkish-successes-nagorno-karabakh-and-libya-might-foreshadow

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BBC Story on West Bank House

Posted on February 24, 2020 by admin

BBC Story on West Bank House Surrounded by Settlement

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al-Afkar Undergraduate Journal

Posted on January 27, 2020 by admin
CALL FOR PAPERS
 Afkar: The Undergraduate Journal of Middle  East Studies
Volume 2, Issue 1
The editorial board at
 Afkar
is excited to announce the
Call for Papers for the second issue of
 Afkar: The Undergraduate Journal of Middle East Studies
. 
The deadline for submission is
February 1, 2020.
 
 Afkar
is an international, peer-reviewed, and student-run academic journal focusing on the study of politics, history, culture, and society in the Middle East and North Africa. The journal offers undergraduate students an
1
interdisciplinary platform to publish their academic work and welcomes manuscripts from a wide range of fields within the humanities and social sciences, including history, political science, anthropology, sociology, literature, art history, religious studies, and geography.
✧✧✧
 For this issue, we are looking for submissions according to the following categories:
Research papers:
Research papers should be based on original research with a careful analysis of relevant primary-source material. They should be between 4,000–8,000 words and not exceed 30 double-spaced pages.
Short essays
: Short essays should provide a discussion of contemporary or historical issues in/of the region. They do not need to include an analysis of primary-source materials but should be based upon original ideas and arguments. They should  be between 1,500–3,000 words.
Book reviews:
Book reviews should provide close and critical readings of works published by scholars in Middle East studies during the last three years. They should evaluate the strength and weaknesses of the author’s argument, and situate the work within the larger literature of the subject in question. They should be between 700–1,500 words.
✧✧✧
 
All manuscripts must be sent to afkarjournal.submissions@gmail.com by February 1, 2020.
Please
 
note that manuscripts should conform to our submission guidelines, which can be found on our website: https://afkarjournal.com/submission-guidelines/
 
.
 For inquiries please email afkarjournal.info@gmail.com
 
.
 
1
 
 Afkar 
 relies on a broad definition of “the Middle East and North Africa” that includes Iran, Turkey, the Caucasus, Sudan and Mauritania. It also accepts submissions related to Muslim South and Central Asia, as well as the diasporic communities of these different regions.
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Turkiye Scholarships

Posted on January 27, 2020 by admin

Türkiye Scholarships 2020 Applications Open

Apart from providing education opportunities at an international caliber as well as a wealth of knowledge and experience, Turkey offers scholarships to international students from all over the world to study in the most prestigious universities in Turkey.

Apply Now!

Türkiye Scholarships is a government-funded, competitive scholarship program, awarded to outstanding students and researchers to pursue full-time or short-term program at the top universities in Turkey.
Türkiye Scholarships aims to build a network of future leaders committed to strengthening cooperation among countries and mutual understanding among societies.

 

Application Dates: 10 January – 20 February 2020

Türkiye Scholarships applications for 2020 will be received in one period, and applications will be open between 15th January- 20th February 2020 for international students from all countries.

What is unique about Türkiye Scholarships?

What makes Türkiye Scholarships unique is that it’s not only inclusive of financial support but also provides university placement to its awardees at all levels of higher education.

Programs and Levels of Study

Programs open for application are: Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programs
Applications will be open to applicants who wish to study at bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels.
Other programs such as Research Scholarships, Success Scholarships, and KATİP have different application periods and are announced regularly on our website and social media channels.

PASSPORT NOTICE For 2020 Applications

As part of 2020 application and evaluation process, in order to facilitate and quicken the later stages of your admission, although it is not compulsory, all candidates planning to apply this year are strongly advised to make their application with a valid passport as their personal or identification document, or at least hold and present a valid passport during the scholarship interviews.

 

How to Apply

Evaluation and Selection Process

Application Calendar

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Jersualem Fund Posting

Posted on January 23, 2020 by admin

Reports & Commentary

On a weekly basis, The Palestine Center distributes articles it believes will enhance understanding of the Palestinian political reality. The following recently published articles are worth reading.

The Jeopardy of Media Bias Against Palestine
By Mohamed Mohamed (The Palestine Center)

“‘Jeopardy!’ is an American television game show that has been on the air for decades, with nearly 8,000 episodes to date. It is a trivia competition that quizzes contestants on general knowledge, and they receive cash rewards for each correct response. In a recently broadcasted episode recorded a few months ago, one question asked where the Church of the Nativity (of Bethlehem) is located. Katie Needle, a returning champion of the game, was the first contestant to respond and she correctly said it is in Palestine. However, the show’s long-time host, Alex Trebek, told her that was incorrect. Another contestant, Jack McGuire, then gave Israel as the answer and he received the $200 reward. But Bethlehem is in fact a city in the central part of the West Bank of Palestine. It is under the effective control of an illegal, oppressive, and unjust military occupation by Israel, but it is in Palestine, nonetheless. Israel has occupied the West Bank for almost 53 years now, and with broad consensus, most countries in the world consider Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories to be illegal under international law. “

Warren’s praise of Israel, and occasional criticism, reflects liberal establishment thinking

By Philip Weiss (Mondoweiss)

“Elizabeth Warren has sought to distinguish her foreign policy stance from the Democratic mainstream on her right and Bernie Sanders on her left. Lately, she has been loading up with foreign policy advisers who worked in the Obama administration, and she has gotten the New York Times endorsement. Her very-carefully modulated position on Israel Palestine– often saying a lot without saying anything at all– appears to reflect official liberal thinking.”

Gaza photographer wounded in attack by Israeli forces loses eye

By Aljazeera

“For the second time in less than three months, a Palestinian photojournalist has lost his eye after being hit by Israeli forces during a protest. A tear gas canister hit Attiyah Darwish’s face in December 2018 while he was covering the weekly Friday protests in the Gaza Strip near the Israeli separation barrier.”

War crimes advocate advises Israeli spy firm

By Tamara Nassar (Electronic Intifada)

“Amnesty International is calling on Israel to bar a cyber warfare company from selling its technology internationally. A court in Tel Aviv heard the case against NSO Group on Thursday, which is being brought by dozens of members and supporters of Amnesty’s Israel branch. Amnesty International and New York University School of Law’s Bernstein Institute for Human Rights and Global Justice Clinic are supporting the legal action. They are calling on Israel’s defense ministry to revoke NSO Group’s export license.”

Israeli forces’ transfer of Palestinian child detainees amounts to war crime

By DCI Palestine

“Israeli authorities transferred dozens of Palestinian child detainees outside the occupied West Bank to a prison inside Israel last week, amounting to a war crime. The Israel Prison Service (IPS) transferred 33 Palestinian children on January 13 from Ofer prison, located southwest of Ramallah inside the occupied West Bank, to Damon prison, located inside Israel near Haifa, DCIP confirmed. International humanitarian law and international criminal law prohibit the transfer of persons part of an occupied civilian population outside of an occupied territory, including prisoners. “

Palestinian child in solitary confinement in Israel jail for 27 days

By Middle East Monitor

“PLO’s Committee of Prisoners and Freed Prisoners announced on Sunday that a Palestinian child, Mus’ab Abu Ghazalah, 15, from Jerusalem, has been in solitary confinement in an Israeli jail for 27 days. Abu Ghazalah was incarcerated in solitary confinement due to his rejection to be sent to the department for adult Israeli criminals.”

Abby Martin Blocked From Speaking at Georgia Southern for Refusing to Sign Pro-Israel Loyalty Oath

By Chris Menhan (Information Liberation)

“Journalist Abby Martin has revealed that she was blocked from delivering a keynote speech at Georgia Southern University for refusing to “sign a contractual pledge to not boycott Israel” to comply with Georgia’s anti-Boycott, Divest and Sanctions law. “

In West Bank, Jewish Settlers Recruit Nature to Their Mission – With the High Court’s Consent

By Amira Hass (Haaretz)

“‘What you’re doing is provocation,’ Supreme Court Justice Menachem Mazuz scolded attorney Eitay Mack this past Sunday. Mazuz was referring to a petition that seeks to annul the Umm Zuqa nature reserve and Firing Zone 903 in the northern Jordan Valley, due to discrimination against Palestinians in favor of Jewish settlers.”
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VIAB Newsletter

Posted on January 20, 2020 by admin
Governor Northam Visited Israel & Israeli Defense Delegation to Va
Governor Ralph Northam Visited Israel with VIAB in November
Governor Ralph Northam traveled to Israel for three days of meetings with leading Israeli companies who have already invested more than $750 million dollars in Virginia and to cultivate new prospects.
The Governor was accompanied by his senior economic team including Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball, Secretary of Agriculture Bettina Ring, and President and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation Rita McClenny. Virginia Israel Advisory Board Vice Chairman Chuck Lessin and Executive Director Dov Hoch, along with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, organized and participated on the trip.
A Delegation of 20 Israeli Companies Visiting Virginia in Feb.
In Tel Aviv, Governor Northam met with the Israeli Ministry of Defense to prepare for a delegation of 20 Israeli companies with Unmanned Systems, Naval and Avionics technologies and solutions visiting Virginia in February. Three days of events throughout Virginia associated with the visit are all structured to build partnerships that enhance Virginia companies workforce, R&D, and manufacturing base.
Israeli companies, including the three largest Israeli defense contractors, are seeking to source $100m of goods and services in Virginia, develop R&D, manufacturing and sales partnerships.
Virginia companies are encouraged to review the Israeli companies in the delegation and request meetings with them. Registration for all events is required. All meetings are pre-arranged. For updates on registration and events see the Virginia Israel Advisory Board site.
There will be more than one hundred B2B meetings between Israel and Virginia companies in Fairfax County and Hampton Roads Feb. 3 – 6, as well as, evening receptions at the Israeli Embassy, in Richmond and Norfolk.
Registration: Fairfax Event Feb 3rd and Hampton Roads Feb 5th
Participating Virginia organizations include:
Commonwealth Center of Innovation for Autonomous Systems (ODU and VTech)
Virginia Economic Development Partnership
Fairfax County Economic Development Authority
Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance
Energix’s Investment in Virginia Exceeds $100m
Governor Northam met in Tel Aviv with Energix, a renewable energy company traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. In the past two years, Energix invested more than $100m in several Virginia counties. The company’s long-term commitment to Virginia includes maintaining ownership and management of solar farms in Virginia for decades.
Governor Northam, Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball (right) and Virginia Israel Advisory Board Vice Chairman Chuck Lessin (left) at a meeting with Energix in Tel Aviv (November, 2019).
Governor Northam with the Energix team and Virginia Israel Advisory Board Vice Chairman Chuck Lessin (2nd from right) and Executive Director Dov Hoch (left) at Energix’s Tel Aviv Offices (November 2019).
Governor Northam met Elbit Systems in Israel to discuss the growth of the company’s recent $350m acquisition of Roanoke-based Harris Night Vision
Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESLT) (TASE: ESLT) U.S. subsidiary, Elbit Systems of America signed a Definitive Agreement to acquire Harris Night Vision in Roanoke Virginia (500 employees) for $350 million dollars.
Unmanned UAVs surface, ground, and underwater – partnerships in R&D, manufacturing and defense teaming agreements between Israel and Virginia companies. Israeli autonomous vehicle companies are seeking Virginia unmanned vehicles ventures to partner with in R&D, manufacturing, and teaming agreements. Please contact for details
Virginia is home to FAA-designated UAS test site The Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership and two NASA facilities focusing on UAS research, Langley Research Center and Wallops
Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI), moved its North American headquarters in Fairfax County
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced that Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI), Tel Aviv, Israel’s largest aerospace and defense company, will expand its North American headquarters operation at a new location in Fairfax County. The Governor made the announcement following a meeting with IAI officials in Tel Aviv during his international trade and marketing mission to Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The project will bring more than 50 new jobs to Fairfax County.
“As the largest aerospace and defense manufacturer in Israel, IAI’s decision to expand its headquarters here reinforces that Virginia is a prime location for global companies seeking growth in North American markets,” said Governor Northam. “This important project demonstrates the long-term benefits of building corporate partnerships and telling Virginia’s business story around the world. I am grateful for the opportunity to meet with IAI officials in Tel Aviv to discuss ways we can strengthen economic ties between Virginia and Israel.” For more details
The Virginia Israel Advisory Board will be presenting at the Israel USA Business Summit in Tel Aviv in February.
Please come by our booth. Last year at the Summit, VIAB Executive Director Dov Hoch shared the stage with Florida Governor
10th Annual Israeli Film Festival in Richmond January 23-30
The Richmond Israeli Film Festival is dedicated to fostering an understanding of Israeli culture and access to Israel’s thriving film industry. The festival features films based upon awards or nominations, timely subject matter and input from the film community. Films include Polar Bear underwater film Picture of His Life at the Science Museum of Virginia Jan. 29th.
The Virginia Israel Advisory Board is an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia (Office of the General Assembly) that facilitates Israeli companies to establish and grow their operations in Virginia and Virginia companies to source innovative Israeli technology. We leverage the strong synergies between Virginia and Israeli businesses with the goals of increasing investment and developing lasting partnerships that expand and enhance the workforce in Virginia.
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