Israeli Perspective Research Articles

Developing scales for identifying and classifying library and information science skills and competencies: An Israeli perspective

The purpose of this study is to present the development of a skills and competencies scale for LIS professionals. Scales for the identification and classification of the skills and competencies needed to work in the library and information science profession can contribute to the development of academic and professional programs. This empirical survey was conducted in Israel among members of two library and information science listservs. The final sample included 183 valid questionnaires. The study tested the viability of a typology comprised of 46 skills and competencies as items in multi-items scales. Factor analysis and Cronbach’s Alpha were utilized in performing the analysis that resulted in four clusters: technology skills, information skills, personal competencies and traditional librarianship skills and show that 25 out of 46 original skills contribute to the explanation of 44% of the total variance. The study contributes to the literature on the subject by proposing updated scales that examine practitioners’ views and opinions of which skills and competencies they needed in information work. The typology that resulted from the study ascertains that, regardless of the rapid changes that the profession has confronted in the last decades, the skills that have been at the core of the profession are still relevant alongside technological skills related to online environments such as website development and management.

Collaboration Between Intelligence and Decisionmakers: The Israeli Perspective

Much has been written on the complex relationship between intelligence personnel and national-level decisionmakers. By the last quarter of the 20th century, with the founding of national intelligen...

Palestinian State through the Official and Unofficial Israeli Perspective

The study focused on the Palestinian state as depicted in the Israeli political discourse. It showed that the Israeli strategy is based on denying the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside the Israeli one. Israel's main concern is to protect its national security at all costs. The study showed the Israeli political factions' opposition to the formation of an independent Palestinian state in addition to their refusal to give up certain parts of the West Bank due to religious and geopolitical reasons. To discuss this topic and achieve the required results, the analytical descriptive approach is adopted by the researcher. The study concluded that the Israeli leadership and its projects to solve the Palestinian issue do not amount to the establishment of a Palestinian state. This leadership simply aims to impress the international public opinion that Israel wants peace. In contrast, the Israeli public has shown that it cannot accept a Palestinian state, and the public opinion of the Palestinian state is not different from that of the political parties and leaders in Israel.

“Law and Order” vs. “Injustice and Defiance”: Al Jazeera and CNN Framing of the 2017 Temple Mount/Al Aqsa Mosque Crisis

AbstractThis study compares between the performance of the U.S. and Arab mainstream media following the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The textual coverage of the CNN and Al Jazeera of the 2017 Al Aqsa Mosque/Temple Mount Crisis is under examination through operationalizing Wolfsfeld’s (1997b) meta-frames. A set of reasoning and framing devices have been employed to identify the labelling of involved actors and committed actions, the degree of reliance and personalization of news sources, the victimization of casualties and the legitimization of violence. This study concludes that the Law and Order frame, which is communicated with the Israeli perspective is dominated in the related CNN coverage. On the other hand, the Injustice and Defiance frame that represents the Palestinian perspective has chiefly appeared in Al Jazeera related coverage. In the CNN, the Israeli actors and actions have been almost labelled positively in contrast with the Palestinian actors and actions that have been labelled in a negative manner. The degree of personalization and reliance on Israeli news sources is notably greater than the Palestinian ones. Likewise, the Israeli casualties have been remarkably victimized and individualized more than their counterparts. Moreover, the Israeli violence and killing have been legitimized, whereas the Palestinian similar actions have been criminalized. Almost the opposite has been found in Al Jazeera related coverage.

The border as bridge: an Israeli perspective on the Mandelbaum Gate in divided Jerusalem (1948–1967)

ABSTRACTBetween 1948 and 1967, Jerusalem was divided by a ‘city line’, dividing Jordan (East Jerusalem) from Israel (West Jerusalem). Between the two sections stood one border crossing called ‘Mandelbaum Gate’. While existing literature on the Gate tends to emphasize its military status – owing in particular to the military convoy that crossed the border on a regular basis – research using sources from that time paints a picture of a border with civilian activity run jointly by two ostensibly warring countries. Whether it was the return of civilians and bodies, tourism coordination, or medical passage, those manning the border worked together to make it bridge, rather than barrier – and may even have paved the way to a peace agreement years later.

Elements of Violence and Nonviolence in Judaism: A Contemporary Israeli Perspective

Elements of Violence and Nonviolence in Judaism: A Contemporary Israeli Perspective Deborah Weissman (bio) Shalom, Shabbat, self-defense, Purim Introduction About a thousand years ago, the great Spanish-Jewish poet and philosopher Yehuda HaLevi wrote what became a central text of medieval Jewish thought, The Kuzari. The Kuzari is a major text for the teaching of Jewish thought in the Israeli school system, especially in the state-religious schools. Apparently based on a historical incident, it describes how the king of an Eastern European tribe called the Khazars invited scholars from the three Abrahamic faiths to come before him. He posed questions to each of them. Ultimately, being most satisfied with the answers offered by the Jewish scholar, he converted himself and his entire tribe to Judaism. The Kuzari recounts the discussions between the king and the Jewish scholar, but twice in the book the king asks questions that the scholar cannot answer satisfactorily. In one case, he asks about the deep connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. If the land is so crucial to Jewish faith and practice, then how can we explain the fact that most of the Jews live outside of Israel? To which the Jew replies: “You have found my Achilles heel.” In the second case, the king asks about Jewish morality, which developed historically in a situation of powerlessness. If you were to acquire military power, asks the king, would you not then become just as violent as any other people? To this also the Jewish scholar had no adequate answer, responding, “I am embarrassed, as you have discovered my weak point.” 1 [End Page 79] Unfortunately, in our own time, there seems to be a connection between these two issues—the centrality of the Land of Israel in Jewish life and the moral use or abuse of power. Jews have returned to the land, and it is within that context that we must confront the challenge of military power. What resources do we have to draw upon from Jewish traditional culture that would inform violent or nonviolent responses? Can biblical and rabbinic traditions be helpful in resolving the bloody conflicts in the Middle East? Prophetic Visions and Legal Traditions Some of the most beautiful descriptions of a world at peace are drawn from prophecies in the Hebrew Bible. The most famous of these, a sentence from which is engraved on the United Nations building in New York, is taken from the prophet Isaiah 2:1–4: This is what Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. It shall happen in the latter days that the mountain of Yahweh’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many peoples shall go and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of Yahweh, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more. Several chapters later, the vision is elaborated (Is. 11:6–9): The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat; the calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf together; and a little child will lead them. The cow and the bear will graze. Their young ones will lie down together. The lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play near a cobra’s hole, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of Yahweh, as the waters cover the sea. [End Page 80] These are certainly among the finest and most noble visions we have of global harmony, epitomized by...

Arab Factor as a Part of the Iranian–Israeli Conflict: An Israeli Perspective

Arab states, mostly Syria, and non-state organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah have been part of the Iranian–Israeli conflict. Israel stayed outside the civil war in Syria, without supporting the rebels or Bashar al-Assad and Hezbollah, which are Iran’s allies, that is, they oppose Israel. In Lebanon, there might be a clash between Israel and Hezbollah, particularly if Israel strikes Iran’s nuclear sites. Hamas is also an Iranian partner and an enemy of Israel. Yet the latter tolerates Hamas’ rule in the Gaza Strip for lack of a better choice.

It Takes Two for TJ: Correlation between Bench and Bar Attitudes Toward Therapeutic Jurisprudence An Israeli Perspective

This Article looks to the Israeli court system for examples of therapeutic jurisprudence (TJ) that could benefit from further knowledge of applicable TJ processes. Part One is a description of a therapeutic approach and the therapeutic behavior currently identifiable in the Israeli court system. Searching for existing therapeutic elements may help identify appropriate points at which to infuse further therapeutic jurisprudence principles. Incorporating therapeutic jurisprudence’s valuable doctrines and tools into the Israeli court system can immediately augment those elements now in use. Part Two presents findings concerning the application of therapeutic principles and the attitudes of Israeli judges and lawyers towards those principles. The research for this Article was conducted using qualitative methods including input from lawyers and judges based on open-ended questionnaires. The questionnaires enhanced the respondents’ opportunity to describe their experiences and views by using examples from some of their cases. The research also considered content analysis of three major resources: academic legal articles, interviews with judges and lawyers from the Israeli Bar magazine, and lectures given by judges and lawyers at academic or professional law conferences. While this discussion is based solely on practitioners in the Israeli court system, it contributes to the wider perspective and comparative study of therapeutic jurisprudence worldwide. Therapeutic jurisprudence and its fundamental literature are generally unknown to Israeli academics and legal practitioners. By looking for therapeutic characteristics within the current Israli system, the research began by seeking to discover whether there are judges or attorneys who unwittingly apply therapeutic processes in Israeli courts.

Early Childhood Inclusion in Israel

This article describes conceptual aspects, current policies and practices, and research representing the Israeli perspective regarding early childhood inclusion (ECI) at preschool ages (3–6 years). We review legislative, historical, attitudinal, philosophical, practical, empirical, and cultural issues regarding ECI in Israel. Finally, we focus on several major topics and challenges that call for further discussion and intervention, along with suggestions for future directions to enhance ECI in educational settings with regard to policies, research, training, and practices.

Vaccine hesitancy as self-determination: an Israeli perspective

Vaccine hesitancy can be portrayed as a broad spectrum of phenomena, ranging from a genuine call for help to complete defiance of authorities. The emphasis here is made on mid-spectrum hesitancy; hesitancy as an act of personal exploration and deliberation whether to get vaccinated or not. This form of vaccine hesitancy can be identified in the attitude of the Israeli public towards routine childhood vaccination programs, seasonal flu vaccination, newly introduced vaccines, such as human papilloma virus vaccine, as well as towards the emergency vaccination programs against poliovirus and H1N1 pandemic influenza. Vaccine hesitancy in Israel appears to be a process where individuals exercise self-determination and self-empowerment and make their own decisions based on assessment, reflection, choosing between various options and dealing with considerable complexities.Addressing this form of vaccine hesitancy could be challenging, but ultimately fruitful. This would require change of attitudes on the part of policymakers. The first steps should involve the realization that deliberative hesitancy is here to stay, and that hesitant individuals should be respected. This could pave the way for designing appropriate intervention strategies for convincing the hesitant public about the advantages of vaccination.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Class Actions: An Israeli Perspective

We propose an analytical framework for evaluating the effectiveness of class actions, in which their costs are estimated against the benefits they produce in attaining three objectives: law enforcement and deterrence; access to courts; and compensation. We outline parameters for measuring the social costs and benefits relevant to these objectives and evaluate them for Israeli class actions, based on original data including all class actions filed between 2006 and 2012 (n = 2,056). Findings indicate that class actions did not substantially facilitate access to courts and compensation, and that they had limited success in realizing law enforcement and deterrence.

Women׳s intention to exclusively breast feed: The Israeli perspective

Backgroundresearch reveals that there are numerous factors related to women׳s intention to exclusively breast feed (EBF). Moreover, several studies do not differentiate between exclusive and partial breast feeding. Objectivethe aim of the present study was to identify factors associated with Israeli women׳s intention to EBF their next baby based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), within the context of Israeli ethnic and cultural diversity. Designthe study is a correlational quantitative study. Settingwomen were recruited at lectures on women׳s health at an urban setting in central Israel during September–December 2013. The lectures were organised by a local nursing school and were open for the general public. Participantsa convenience sample of 200 Hebrew-speaking women of childbearing age, who had at least one child over six months old which had been EBF for at least one month. Methodsthe women completed a closed questionnaire based on the TPB. Findingsin the multivariate analysis, behavioural beliefs, behavioural attitudes, knowledge of EBF, and EBF duration of the previous child predicted 35.3% of Israeli women׳s intentions to EBF in the future. In addition, study findings revealed the importance that women attributed to their spouses׳ opinion concerning EBF. Muslim Arab women expressed higher intention to EBF than Jewish women. Conclusionsthe findings of this study will constitute the basis of a nurse-administered intervention programme for promoting EBF in Israeli society. In the context of this programme, nurses’ interventions will emphasise the benefits of EBF for mothers and infants, and provide women and their spouses with tools and information to support EBF. Nurses’ interventions will also take into account the influence of ethnicity and culture, as well as the duration of women’s previous EBF experiences.

She got game?! Women, sport and society from an Israeli perspective

The struggle of women worldwide for their right to self-realization in general and their proper representation in sports in particular included the struggle of the women in the Yishuv community prior to the establishment of the State of Israel, or in the Israeli society that was formed after the country was founded. The rapid increase in women's participation in sports in Israel over the last decades illustrates the change in the status of women in sports itself and in many other social areas, but in parallel, also exposes rigid thought patterns in regard to women's and men's involvement in sports. The different physical characteristics of men and women, and society's differing expectations influence involvement in sports and the success that women achieve in sport activities. This paper will trace, conceptually and historically, the different aspects of women's sports in Israel in the past and present, while presenting the central trends of the progression and limitations of the status of female athletes in Israel.

Cannabis - the Israeli perspective.

Short overviews are presented on the historical uses of cannabis in the Middle East and on the more recent scientific and medical research on phytocannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system, with emphasis on research contributions from Israel. These are followed by examples of research projects and clinical trials with cannabinoids and by a short report on the regulation of medical marijuana in Israel, which at present is administered to over 22,000 patients.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Class Actions An Israeli Perspective

This paper proposes an analytical framework for evaluating the effectiveness of class actions and applies this framework to Israeli class actions. According to the proposed approach, the costs of class actions should be estimated against the benefits they produce in attaining three main objectives: Deterrence and prevention of violations of law; access to courts; and compensation for injured parties. We outline the parameters for measuring the social costs and benefits relevant to these three objectives and evaluate them for Israeli class actions.We analyze data from an original database which includes all class actions filed since the enactment of the Class Action Law in 2006 and through the end of 2012 (n=2,056 cases). Findings indicate that Israeli class actions did not substantially facilitate access to courts and compensation for the injured. Initial findings also suggest a limited realization of the deterrence objective, though we identify structural difficulties in empirical-observational assessment of realizing the latter objective.

Reviewing Political Controversy: Books Reviewers Assess Children's Literature Set in Israel–Palestine

Because book reviewers influence which books are purchased for libraries and schools, it is important to understand the explicit or implicit criteria they employ. Reviewer practices with books on politically controversial topics set in Israel/Palestine and available to a US audience often reflect partisan views, with the dominant political discourse favouring the Israeli position, although this is far from ubiquitous. While some reviews avoid addressing the books’ politics, others are decidedly partisan. Many base their evaluations on their estimation of the degree of hope and political balance achieved in the works, yet these expectations are applied selectively. Some expect stories told from a pro-Palestinian perspective to be hopeful and balanced by sympathetic Israeli characters and opinions, but do not measure stories told from an exclusively Israeli perspective by the same yardstick. The strength of the dominant discourse is apparent in this selective application. Another common criterion is the educational usefulness of these books as teaching tools. Reviewers seldom evaluate them on their literary merits. This phenomenon illustrates Norman Fairclough's assertion that the dominant political discourse is so internalised as to appear to be commonsense, and this obscures both its influence on one's own worldview and the possibility of alternatives.

An exploration of the library and information science professional skills and personal competencies: An Israeli perspective

The skills and competencies required of library and information science (LIS) professionals working in libraries and information centers have been greatly affected by rapidly evolving information and communication technologies. To understand the effects that change has brought to the LIS profession, a typology of skills and competencies required of LIS professionals in Israel was developed. This typology resulted from the analysis of three different sets of data: job advertisements, course descriptions from LIS departments, and data collected from a survey administered to directors of libraries and information centers in Israel. The content analysis resulted in a typology of 49 skills that were divided into four different clusters: provision of information services, organization of information, technological skills, and personal competencies. Job listings were found to emphasize skills related to the provision of information services as well as personal competencies, while results from the survey revealed that skills related to the organizat ion of information were perceived as essential by library directors. Data collected from course descriptions suggested that LIS departments prepared students to work in advanced technological environments but they did not develop their personal competencies. Traditional LIS skills that support design and provision of information services and making information accessible are still relevant today, while being flexible enough to adapt to changing information environments based on user-centered philosophies of service.

Monitoring the effects of an education for peace program: An Israeli perspective

Abstract The aim of the current study was to monitor the changes that individual participants experienced as a result of taking part in a peace education program. The findings of prior analyses led to the understanding that participating in a peace program does not always ensure positive changes and may even cause a regression in attitudes. The present study was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, the researchers learned about the processes that participants underwent during a peace education program and accordingly, a reinforcement program to restore/rehabilitate any negative attitudes was formed. In the second stage, the effectiveness over time of this reinforcement program was evaluated. The study’s findings show that engaging in reflection about the workshop content, especially when it is oriented towards positive thinking, is effective in reinforcing attitudes among participants who underwent a positive change in attitudes, and at the same time helps to rehabilitate attitudes among those participants who underwent a negative change. It is recommended that future peace education programs include at least three parts: preliminary preparation, the program itself, and follow-up/reinforcement activity after completion of the program.

Mutual Relationship of Wine Industry vs. Wine Tourism: The Israeli Perspective

Wine tourism is identified as a symbolic partner of the wine industry. The wine industry in Israel has been experiencing a rapid development from a small wine producer for the Jewish community to a substantial wine industry which exports a wide variety of top-quality wines, which is followed by wine tourism activities. The objective of the research is to determine the perceived strategy of wine stakeholders in relation to the wine tourism, and to indicate future implications. The research applies the tourism area life cycle (TALC) model and the SWOTCLOCK approach. Results show that the “leading strategy” of big commercial wineries is growth compared to the response strategy of small and family wineries and survival of mid wineries. Government ministries and the Vine and Wine Board (VWB) perceive leverage to be the “leading strategy”. Findings of empirical data analysis position the current leading strategy as response and prove the validation between the TALC and SWOTCLOCK models. The key conclusion and recommendation is that government ministries, VWB, and local authorities should take a leading role in leading the wine industry and tourism sector towards the rejuvenation and growth stage.

Harmonization of Unjust Enrichment: Some Remarks from the Israeli Perspective

This article address central issues surrounding harmonization of unjust enrichment, such as its scope, the relationship between unjust (or unjustified) enrichment and restitution, and the subsidiary of unjust enrichment. The article argues also that the gap between continental law and common law vis-a-vis unjust enrichment is not so broad. From the perspective of Israeli law the paper refers to the distinction between restitution and unjust enrichment, the expansive role of unjust enrichment as a tool for deterring interference (encroachment) upon others’ rights and the use of constructive trusts.