Search

In this paper we link between two scholarly traditions that share the goal of understanding how people accomplish the achievement of living together: linguistic-politeness and diplomacy. We look at a specific speech event—presidential introductory conversations during credential ceremonies, in which the interlocutors are simultaneously talking on behalf of themselves and the states they represent. On the basis of 23 introductory conversations at Israel's presidential residence. We aim to understand how good relations are cultivated in diplomatic conversations and the resources and strategies hosting presidents and foreign ambassadors employ to establish amicable interpersonal and interstate relations. The infusion of elite discourse, institutional discourse, and initial interactions brought forth in our study a gamut of bonding strategies applied in the process of rapport management between state representatives. The president and ambassadors did their best to avoid sensitive issues and managed the attending audience as a resource for enhancing interpersonal relations, advancing the interaction, and solving problems at both the interstate and interpersonal levels. In the Conclusion we underline the importance of analyzing actual conversations between individuals who simultaneously embody themselves and their states in order to understand how relationships between large social entities are managed. • The paper links between two related scholarly traditions: politeness and diplomacy. • It asks how amicable interpersonal and interstate relations are cultivated in diplomatic conversations. • We analyze 23 introductory conversations between Israel's president and foreign ambassadors. • A variety of strategies are applied for bonding between state representatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: ; hereafter LHA) (Levin, Z., Halfon, N., Alpert, P., 2010. Reassessment of rain experiments and operations in Israel including synoptic considerations. Atmos. Res. 97, 513–525. DOI:10.1016/j.atmosres.2010.06.011.), reanalyzed the results of the operational seeding in northern Israel between 1975 and 2007 and the preceding Israel 2 cloud seeding experiment (1969–1975) and concluded that there is no net increase in precipitation over the target areas. Our analysis revealed that a synoptic bias during Israel 2 is one of the reasons for the apparent positive effect of seeding in the northern target area and the negative effect in the southern area both of which disappeared in the following experiment in the south (Israel 3; 1975–1995) and the operational seeding in the north. ;hereafter BRG) criticized our paper primarily on the ground that we did not consider the positive results of Israel 1 experiment (1960–1967). It should be noted that in Israel 1 different seeding lines were used from those in both Israel 2 and the operational period. In addition, its raw data is not accessible anymore for reanalysis. Furthermore, Israel 2 had been designed as a confirmatory cross-over experiment to Israel 1 and failed to reproduce its promising results with double ratio (DR) of ~1.00, namely, zero rainfall enhancements. The same DR values were also found in Israel 3 and in the operational seeding. Therefore, because of the differences in the two experiments, the lack of access to the raw data and the disappointing results of the confirmatory experiment, we decided to concentrate our analysis on the more recent seeding activities. The attempt by BRG to explain the reduction of the DR to ~1.00 in the operational seeding period by the suppression due to pollution have been disproved by and also fail to explain the sharp decline of the target/control ratio right at the beginning of the operational seeding period when the lucky draw in this area came to its end (see LHA). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

During the Middle Paleolithic in Eurasia, the production of deliberate, abstract engraving on bone or stone materials is a rare phenomenon. It is now widely accepted that both anatomically modern humans and hominins that predate them have produced deliberate engravings associated with symbolic behavior. Within the Levantine Middle Paleolithic context, only five examples of intentional engravings are known thus far. In this paper, we present an aurochs bone fragment that bears six deep, sub-parallel incisions, recovered at the open-air Middle Paleolithic site of Nesher Ramla in Israel. The item, found in an anthropogenic accumulation of artifacts in Unit III of the site, was dated to early Marine Isotope Stage 5 (ca. 120 ka). Unit III is a stratigraphically well-defined layer that is characterized by intense on-site knapping activities with predominance of the centripetal Levallois reduction method and by intense exploitation of aurochs and tortoises. This paper presents a multidisciplinary study of the bone and the incisions, including zooarchaeological, macro- and microscopic analyses, Scanning Electron Microscope analysis and experimental replications. The macroscopic and microscopic attributes of the incisions, and the comparisons with experimental material exclude a taphonomic or utilitarian origin of the incisions. The study indicates that the engravings were most likely produced by a right-handed individual in a single working session. The morphology and characteristics of the incisions, especially the presence of longitudinal polish and striations in one of the incisions, suggest that they were made by a flint artifact, likely retouched. The engraved bone from Unit III at Nesher Ramla is one of the oldest deliberate abstract manifestations produced by Middle Paleolithic and Middle Stone Age hominins and the oldest known so far in the Levant. As such, it has major implications for our understanding of the emergence and early stages of the development of human symbolic behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accepted definition of the academic library states its primary purpose of supporting the curriculum and the research of the university faculty and students; however, the essence of the academic library as embodied in its architecture is much more intricate. Academic libraries in Israel are unique in having more intellectual planning processes and more financial support and funding resources. This paper examines the architecture of stand-alone academic library buildings in Israel and their development and evolution over time, especially in the decades after the establishment of the State in 1948. The research investigates their appearance and conceptual reflections, inquiring whether they integrate with the surroundings physically and conceptually or are considered 'ivory towers.' Moreover, this paper scrutinizes the influences that affected the architectural environment these libraries came to embody. The discussion on the architecture of academic libraries analyzes the changing influences of Israeli politics and society upon the architectural discourse. Architects were searching for new methods in design, which led to the transition in the architecture of academic libraries: from modesty to complexity in design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the economy-wide effects of cross-border movements of Palestinian labor for employment in Israel. The integration of Palestinian and Israeli labor markets is unique, as it differs from international labor migration and associated remittances described in the literature. Especially, it departs from the cultural and social dimensions associated with international migration because there is no shift in residence. We find based on an economy-wide model calibrated to a newly developed database of the West Bank economy that increasing Palestinian labor demand in Israel negatively affects the West Bank economy by bidding up domestic wages, reallocating labor away from tradable activities and reducing competitiveness of the Palestinian export sector. However, increasing labor income from Israel has positive welfare effects for Palestinian households. Considering these results, the paper identifies policy options for the Palestinian National Authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents' mental health was severely compromised during the COVID-19 pandemic. Longitudinal real-world studies on changes in the mental health of adolescents during the later phase of the pandemic are limited. We aimed to quantify the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents' mental health outcomes based on electronic health records. This was a retrospective cohort study using the computerized database of a 2.5 million members, state-mandated health organization in Israel. Rates of mental health diagnoses and psychiatric drug dispensations were measured among adolescents 12 to 17 years of age with and without pre-existing mental history, for the years 2017 to 2021. Relative risks were computed between the years, and interrupted time series (ITS) analyses evaluated changes in monthly incidence rates of psychiatric outcomes. The average population size was 218,146 in 2021. During the COVID-19 period, a 36% increase was observed in the incidence of depression (95% CI = 25-47), 31% in anxiety (95% CI = 23-39), 20% in stress (95% CI = 13-27), 50% in eating disorders (95% CI = 35-67), 25% in antidepressant use (95% CI = 25-33), and 28% in antipsychotic use (95% CI = 18-40). A decreased rate of 26% (95% CI = 0.80-0.88) was observed in ADHD diagnoses. The increase of the examined outcomes was most prominent among youth without psychiatric history, female youth, general secular Jewish population, youth with medium−high socioeconomic status, and those 14 to 15 years of age. ITS analysis confirmed a significantly higher growth in the incidence of psychiatric outcomes during the COVID-19 period, compared to those in previous years. This real-world study highlights the deterioration of adolescents' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and suggests that youth mental health should be considered during health policy decision making. We worked to ensure sex and gender balance in the recruitment of human participants. We worked to ensure race, ethnic, and/or other types of diversity in the recruitment of human participants. We actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our author group. The author list of this paper includes contributors from the location and/or community where the research was conducted who participated in the data collection, design, analysis, and/or interpretation of the work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our original paper we claimed for a possible symbolic value of the engraved aurochs bone shaft found at the Unit III of the Middle Paleolithic site of Nesher Ramla. In his comment to our original paper, Hodgson (2021) presents a contradictory interpretation, which mostly involved a proto-aesthetic source for early engravings. Here we clarify our point of view concerning the probable symbolic interpretation of the engraved bone and we challenge some of Hodgson's claims and arguments that neglected the archaeological and chrono-cultural contexts of this discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Italian version of Multidimensional Driving Style inventory was developed. • A Psychometric analysis showed similar parameters between Italian and the original Israeli version of questionnaire. • Even if the traffic rules are different, the driving style is considered in the same way in Italy and Israel. • The usefulness of the MDSI in assessing driving style was confirmed. Self-evaluating methods are frequently used to identify driving styles. Among others, one of the most commonly used questionnaires is the Multidimensional Driving Style Inventory (MDSI), developed for the Israeli population. Because of the extensive use of the questionnaire, the present paper aims to validate an Italian version and to confirm the 8-factor structure of the original one, i.e, dissociative, anxious, risky, angry, high-velocity, distress-reduction, patient, and careful driving style. The Italian version of the MDSI was filled out by 561 Italian drivers, who had a driving license for at least 1 year. A confirmatory factorial analysis (CFA) was conducted on the 44-item of the translated questionnaire showing not so good values of the goodness of fit tests (SRMR = 0.085; RMSEA = 0.063). The total-item correlation of each scale indicated that 4 items had a low index of total-item correlation. A second CFA was conducted on the remaining 40 items: goodness fit parameters improved (SRMR = 0.0685, RMSEA = 0.0584). Previous validations of the original version of MDSI for different populations (Argentine, Romanian, Chinese, Malaysian, Butch and Belgian) showed several critical issues in confirming the original structure. In the Italian version of MDSI validated in the present paper, the original 8-factor structure was confirmed by removing the 4 items which did not properly contribute to the factors. The results not only confirmed the usefulness of the MDSI in assessing driving style but they also indicated that the concept of driving style is considered in the same way in Italy and Israel, even though traffic rules are different. The latter consideration raises interesting questions for future research concerning cross-cultural comparisons of driving behavior in different countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the costs and benefits associated with microgrid development relative to the costs and benefits of conventional generation interconnected to a bulk transmission and distribution grid. The costs and benefits are classified as: environmental (avoided environmental damage costs); economic (mainly employment multiplier effects); deferral or avoidance of transmission and distribution investment costs; and greater access to electricity supply that is highly reliable and resilient. Deficiencies due to the lack of relevant available data and of research on economic modeling of microgrids at the societal level are discussed. The context in which these costs and benefits are measured is the Israeli electricity market, which features a highly centralized, vertically integrated electricity company (Israel Electric Corporation, IEC) with some legacy distribution companies. Moreover, because Israel's transmission and distribution infrastructure investment have declined significantly over the past several years, the Israeli market provides a useful basis for analyses of microgrids as an alternative to such large-scale investments. The analysis reveals that under reasonable assumptions reflecting the current state of microgrid technologies, microgrids may constitute a viable, cost-effective alternative to additional central- station generation requiring new investments in transmission and distribution infrastructure. Specifically, using reasonable assumptions regarding 10-MW incremental investments in a microgrid and in central-station generation with necessary transmission and distribution investments, the analysis indicates that, when considering the reliability, T&D investment deferral, local economic, environmental, and social costs and benefits of each alternative, the net benefits to the Israeli economy from selecting the incremental 10-MW investment in a representative Israeli microgrid may exceed $13,000,000 per year. However, when local economic benefits are not considered, the net benefits decline to approximately $260,000 per year. For perspective, generation capacity additions by the Israel Electric Corporation have averaged 166 MW from 2008 through 2018, reaching 13,775 MW of installed capacity by the end of 2018. Total annual capital investment has averaged approximately $1 billion since 2015, about $400 million of which has been in the generation sector. The paper concludes with future research directions, with an emphasis on integrating engineering analysis, scenario simulation, flexibility, and quantifying social/equity ("fairness") effects of microgrids. • Sustainability multi-criteria evaluation for microgrid deployment is proposed. • Environmental, economic and social costs and benefits are evaluated for microgrids. • Microgrids are cost-effective alternative to central-station generation in Israel. • Net benefits to the Israeli economy may exceed $13 million per year. • If economic multiplier benefits not considered, net benefits are around $260 thousand per year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1970s, high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes have been a common policy instrument to mitigate traffic congestion. Yet, their effectiveness remains a controversial topic among researchers, policy makers, and the public. In this debate, a key unknown has been the impact of HOV lanes on commuters' carpooling behaviors. This paper brings a new piece of evidence by offering a data-driven assessment of carpooling intent and adoption, using revealed-preferences data. We partner with Waze, a major carpooling platform, and leverage a natural experiment following the introduction of three HOV lanes in Israel in 2019. Using tailored treatment and control groups coupled with econometric analyses, we derive four main findings. First, HOV lanes bring new users to the carpooling platform, which contributes to alleviating the "cold-start" problem in the marketplace. Second, HOV lanes have a positive impact on carpool intent: the number of carpool offers sent by drivers increase manifold following the introduction of the HOV lanes. Third, HOV lanes have a disparate impact on carpool adoption: carpools increase significantly for two out of three HOV lanes. This result underscores the critical impact of HOV lanes design: it seems more beneficial to have round-trip HOV lanes (as opposed to one-way lanes) and two-passenger occupancy requirements (as opposed to three-passenger requirements). Last, HOV lanes have a broader impact, by increasing carpooling on non-HOV routes and shifting the travel behaviors of non-carpoolers. We conclude by discussing policy implications, highlighting collaboration opportunities between policy makers and digital carpooling platforms to enhance the design and operations of HOV lanes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Features, factors, and facets of solar pond design and construction. • El Paso Solar Pond experience as the basis for design specifications. • Design and planning ensure solar pond reliable and sustainable operation. • Purpose of solar ponds provides focus for design and configuration. Over the last four decades, salinity gradient solar pond (SGSP) science and technologies have advanced in practical projects. In this work, we show that understanding a salinity gradient solar pond's purpose provides the focus for preparing a preliminary design and physical configuration. This paper aims to share lessons learned in designing and constructing the El Paso Solar Pond. Features, factors, and facets of solar pond design and construction are presented straightforwardly to inform and guide planning for future work. Emphasis is on sodium chloride-based ponds, the base salt used for the El Paso Solar Pond. However, lessons learned are pertinent to additional salt source configurations. Reference to solar ponds operating in Australia and Israel provides design and construction insights. Careful design and planning prior to construction ensure the solar pond operates reliably and sustainably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We investigated the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on teleworking. • Descriptive statistics and logit models revealed trends in Israel and Czechia. • Teleworking for 20+ weekly hours is expected to increase from 10% to 14%. • Mixed trends in commute trips translated to a drop of 9% in such trips. • First-time telecommuters during COVID-19 increase the probability to continue it. The COVID-19 crisis has forced many people to work from home, rather than at their regular workplace. This paper aims to assess the impact of the pandemic on telecommuting and commuting behavior after the end of the crisis: Will people embrace teleworking and reduce commuting, even to some extent, or will they resume their pre-pandemic work patterns? This study, implementing a cross-country survey from Israel and Czechia, combines data regarding revealed preferences about work habits before and during the pandemic and stated intentions data regarding anticipated work patterns when life returns to "normal" after the pandemic. Two models were used for the data analysis, one addressing factors that affect the increased/decreased teleworking trend and the other addressing factors that affect the frequency of actual commutes. The results reveal that most respondents (62% in Israel and 68% in Czechia) will maintain the same telecommuting/working from home balance. About 19% of respondents in both countries expressed their intention to reduce the number of commuting days, while 6% stated they would increase out-of-home days. However, these estimates rely only on workers' expectations not accounting for employers' point of view and other constraints they may have. Not accounting for potential bias, a moderate reduction of 6.5% and 8.7% (in Israel and in Czechia, respectively) in the number of commuting trips is expected in the post-pandemic era. The anticipated decrease in commuting days is accompanied by an increase in teleworking: from 10% to 14% among those who work more than 20 h a week (in both countries) and a drop in the rate of those who telework five hours or less a week (down from 73% to 63% in Israel and from 76% to 70% in Czechia). Self-employment, travel time to work, working solely on premise during the lockdown, and personal preferences regarding telework versus working away from home were found to significantly contribute to a decrease in the number of commuting days and to an increase in teleworking. An interesting finding is the high probability of increased teleworking among people who teleworked for the first time during the lockdown or who increased their teleworking time during the lockdown. This indicates that the teleworking experience due to the pandemic has enabled some people to view working from home as viable. Although, overall, the change in working habits does not seem dramatic, our results suggest that hybrid schemes for combining on premise and telework are expected to be adopted by some sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The factors that inhibit and promote professional interventions with young adults refer to social, formal-structural, and personal factors. Nevertheless, studies of these factors from social workers' perspective, and research of the inhibitors associated with the socio-cultural context of minority young adults, are few. The aim of the present study was to examine social workers' perceptions of the factors that inhibit and promote interventions in the socio-cultural and formal-structural context of at-risk young Arab-Palestinian women in Israel, who are at an intersection of marginal positions. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 21 social workers. The findings revealed two themes: 1) Social workers' perceptions of the challenges in two dimensions, a) socio-cultural factors which include family centrality in the young women's life, and b) formal-structural inhibitors. 2) Promoting factors which include professional values and the need for cooperation between organizations themselves and with recipients of the services The findings were reviewed according to the intersectional invisibility model, and were based on the concept of institutional discrimination, which showed that at-risk young Arab women experience an intersectional invisibility of their identities and, at the same time, the social workers experience a conflicting situation within the wider context of intersectional discrimination. The paper concludes with recommendations to practitioners and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper communicates the results of a detailed use-wear analysis of flint tools from Unit III of Nesher Ramla, central Israel, an open-air Middle Paleolithic site, dated to Marine Isotope Stage 5. The analyzed sample consists of 966 artifacts that represent major techno-typological categories; scrapers, tools with a lateral tranchet blow, naturally backed knives and other Middle Paleolithic artifact types. Most tools were associated with bone working activities, mainly scraping and cutting, suggesting both consumption and non-consumption-related practices. Results also suggest extensive butchering activities, but other applications are less common, especially the underrepresentation of armature, and plant and hide working is noteworthy. All in all, these patterns suggest a narrow range of activities. Most tools were used by their sharp edge, while the retouched edges bore weak use-related patterns. It is assumed that in some cases, the retouch served to facilitate the grip. The most widely used tools in Nesher Ramla were the naturally backed knives that according to technological studies were one of the goals of knapping at Nesher Ramla. Tools with a lateral tranchet blow, representing a cultural marker of the Nesher Ramla inhabitants, show evidence of multiple use of both retouched and non-retouched edges shaped by the lateral blow. Hafting traces are relatively rare in the analyzed sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of the wood charcoal analyses from the Middle Paleolithic open-air site at Nesher Ramla, on the central coastal plain of Israel. The study focuses on the interpretation of the charcoals left by fires used by Middle Paleolithic hominins during early Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5. Moreover, this study sheds light on the arboreal taxa present in the vegetation and environmental conditions in the southern Levant during the Middle Paleolithic. A small quantity of identifiable charcoals was retrieved from the 8-m-thick archaeological sequence of the site (Units II to VI). The largest charcoal assemblage was recovered from part of the sequence dated to MIS 5e. The results show the presence of deciduous Quercus sp. and Prunus. The presence of these taxa, together with other proxies from the multidisciplinary studies at Nesher Ramla, indicate an arboreal setting with relatively humid and mild climatic conditions in MIS 5e. Our results further suggest that wood was used as fuel at Nesher Ramla. Given the scarcity of Middle Paleolithic sites in the Levant that have yielded charcoal, this new data from Nesher Ramla constitutes an important contribution to the study of past environments and the exploitation of plant resources by human groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on new findings from Middle Paleolithic Geula Cave, Israel, located in the northern part of Mt. Carmel. The cave, consists of several small chambers that are remnants of a larger cave system, initially excavated between 1958 and 1964. The occupation at the cave was ascribed to Middle Paleolithic modern humans. In 2016, a salvage excavation was conducted in areas of the cave that were not previously explored. Analyses of the new excavation revealed a consistency in lithic technology throughout the new excavation areas, with an emphasis on Levallois production using mainly bidirectional and centripetal core preparation modes. The faunal study identified intensive hyena and porcupine activities in small chambers, probably at the back part of the cave, while fractured bones in association with flint artifacts were found at what appears as the living area in the cave. Luminescence ages indicated that Geula Cave was occupied as early as 175 ka, but that the major occupation was from 120 to 100 ka. The major occupation at Geula chronologically overlaps with the Skhul and Qafzeh Caves thus reinforcing the notion that Homo sapiens dominated the southern Levant during early MIS 5. This study demonstrates the importance of reinvestigating and reevaluating past excavated prehistoric sites and their contents to enhance our understanding of the regional, cultural and biological history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar photovoltaic (PV) is one of the leading renewable energy technologies that has the potential to generate a large amount of electricity. However, this potential may not be fully utilized on the national level. Obstacles to its use include electrical power system restrictions designed to avoid its possible adverse effect on the stability of the system, its reliability and the quality of its supply, and the limited land areas on which to deploy it. This paper presents a GIS-based land suitability analysis that determines suitable areas for installing large-scale, ground-mounted solar photovoltaic farms and their corresponding technical potential. Our contribution is in providing a realistic assessment of how PV systems can actually be connected to existing electrical grids without disrupting the local power system's hosting capacity, capabilities and constraints. We tested our proposal using Israel's entire national power system configuration as a case study. Our results indicate that a total of 2.93 GW of installed capacity and 5.16 TWh of energy generation can theoretically be integrated into Israel's existing electrical grid, without any changes in the existing system. This potential is equivalent to approximately 15% and 7% of the country's total installed capacity and energy generation, respectively. In 2020, Israel increased its target for renewable energy from 17% to 30% of national energy production by 2030. Given that ground-mounted PV can provide only a small part of Israel's energy needs, without seeking other renewable energy solutions and making major changes, meeting this ambitious goal is unlikely. • PV potential to generate a large amount of electricity may not be fully utilized. • Obstacles include electrical power system restrictions and the limited land areas. • We provide a realistic assessment using Israel's entire national power system. • Assessed potential is equivalent to ~7% of the country's total energy generation. • Currently, meeting Israel's ambitious goal of 30% by 2030 is unlikely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper critically analyses a contradictory phenomenon experienced by local-level conflict resolution initiatives in Israel and Palestine. Despite their widespread utilization in other contexts of inter-communal conflict, facilitated contact interventions, including citizen dialogue and arranged encounters between Palestinians and Jewish Israelis, are being rejected and publicly denounced by many within the Palestinian and Israeli conflict resolution community in this case. This paper contributes to an understanding of this rejection by investigating arguments in favour of and against planned contact intervention initiatives through an analysis of interview narratives from 40 respondents working for peace and conflict resolution organisations in Israel and the West Bank as well as secondary research reports. Our analysis reveals deeply conflicting viewpoints. Arguments in favour of contact-based strategies suggest that they have the potential to disrupt an entrenched status quo of asymmetry-inspired social segregation. Conversely, arguments against suggest that these conflict resolution initiatives are struggling to level power asymmetry and bypass the structural and historical drivers of violence. In response, this paper introduces a grounded proposal for conflict resolution inside asymmetric conflict that emerges from the interview narratives of practitioners, themselves, regarding effective strategies, the nature of agency, and the scope of influence of local-level contact-based conflict resolution initiatives inside asymmetric conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2015, a video of policemen beating up an Ethiopian-born first Lieutenant in the Israeli Defense Forces, was published by the Israeli media and triggered a massive protest against police brutality and discrimination of the Ethiopian community. The current study aimed to understand the meaning the members of the Ethiopian community attribute to the protest, and its' relation to their experiences within the Israeli society. The paper is based on data gathered through interviews with 19 young Ethiopian Israeli adults. The analysis revealed that the participants' interaction with Israeli society is characterized by a shared experience of discrimination and racism, which shaped their perception of protest as a means of speaking out, strengthening a collective identity and achieving feelings of empowerment. However, individual differences were found in the way the participants believed their protest should be conducted. Findings suggest that an understanding of protest should take into account not only shared group experience but also illuminate individual differences. Universalist understandings of protest should be widened to include an examination of how protest can inform us about the social and historical process of relations between a minority group and the majority group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Site formation processes at ancient tells in the southern Levant have been the focus of several micromorphological studies, contributing to the differentiation of anthropogenic remains from long-term natural sedimentation, occurring post-abandonment. This paper discusses how the study of sedimentary processes and chemical compositions of sediments can be used within the context of an ongoing archaeological project, and how they can contribute to archaeological, historical and geomorphological interpretations. Sedimentary processes were studied implementing POSL, granulometry and PXRF as part of the archaeological research at Tel Burna, Israel. Focusing on the area along the northwestern fortification walls (Area B2), data was collected from multiple strata inside and outside the casemate fortifications dating from the Late Bronze Age to the Late Iron Age. The gradual increase of OSL values obtained inside the casemate wall, indicate accumulation of sediment during a long period of time. Whereas similar values along the entire profile outside the casemate wall indicate sediment accumulation in one-time event. This might be related to defensive preparations, allegedly in response to advances made by Sennacherib's army in 701 BCE. In addition, results from the PXRF studies demonstrated correlation between human activities and the Cu, P, K, Zn, Mn values. Specifically, it was found that as K content increased from younger to older periods, it can be used as a pseudo-dating element. Ca content decreased as sampling descended from the tell's surface, suggesting its origin in long-term aeolian processes. The results show that the use of POSL and PXRF on archaeological contexts are useful for determining sedimentary processes. Furthermore, chemical content enabled pseudo-dating of strata and facilitated the distinction between natural and anthropogenic processes in archaeological sites and landscape. • Elemental stratigraphic gradients correlate with chronology (Ca, P, K, Mn, Zn). • Human activities revealed by Cu, P, K, Zn, and Mn. • Geochemistry could be used as a pseudo-dating method (K content). • Higher content of Ca in younger phases/topsoil is probably due to aeolian deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous bioacoustic monitoring is an emerging opportunity as well as a challenge, allowing detection of cryptic species' activity while producing high computational demands. In this paper, we present an automated framework that allows the monitoring of a large number of bird species by their vocalizations over extended periods. The framework relies on the BirdNET-Analyzer deep learning model. We applied the framework to >80 species; 20 species with the highest recall scores were selected for further analysis. We used the framework to analyze acoustic signals recorded continuously for over two years using autonomous recorders at various locations in Agmon Hula Lake Park, Israel. During this period there was an acute outbreak of avian influenza in the area. We analyzed differences in acoustic occupancy for various species between two consecutive years (November 2020 to October 2022). We examined between-year population trends for 17 species, both migratory and resident, and found a significant decline in vocal activity between the two years for 10 species. We assume that this decline is related to the avian influenza outbreak, suggesting that the impact of the pandemic may be more widespread and affected a greater number of local species than was previously realized. This further highlights the power and effectiveness of bioacoustic monitoring in detecting cryptic but dramatic dynamics. [Display omitted] • Monitoring bioacoustics over two consecutive years, including an avian-flu outbreak. • An automated framework for tracking bird species occupancy is presented. • 'Vocalogram' - A visualization method of bioacoustic data is proposed. • Yearly comparisons show a significant decline in vocal activity for most species. • The decline in vocal activity may be linked to the avian-flu outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The lack of early education services for the children of asylum-seekers is a significant problem worldwide. • The study focused on community daycares in Israel, known as the 'Babysitters'. • It examined an intercultural early education consultation program for undocumented caregivers working in Babysitters. • The program was designed to enhance caregivers' knowledge, sense of belonging and caring skills. • Alliances between counselors and caregivers were important and enhanced caregivers' sense of meaning and belonging. The lack of early childhood education services for the children of asylum-seekers is a significant problem in many countries. The urgent need for childcare and the lack of national solutions often lead to temporary and unregulated childcare services. This paper examines the case of community daycares, known as the 'Babysitters,' for undocumented children of African asylum-seeking families in Israel. These centers are generally staffed by undocumented community members. The study examined the C-SMART program, an intercultural consultation program provided by counselors to enhance community caregivers' developmental knowledge and caring skills for infants and young children. The qualitative study, guided by a grounded theory methodology, examined the caregivers' experiences and perceptions of learning within the C-SMART program. Fifteen undocumented African migrant and asylum-seeking caregivers shared their experiences in semi-structured interviews. Caregivers indicated that the consultation process included cultural tensions alongside moments of connection when shared cultural meanings were created. When the counselors demonstrated a humble, curious, and enabling attitude, the caregivers had significant learning moments and felt a sense of meaning and belonging that enhanced their caring skills. These results have substantial implications for the development of intercultural services for the caregivers of children from refugee or asylum-seeking families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses game theory – specifically, the Prisoner's Dilemma model – to explain obstacles to energy savings and greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement in Israel's construction industry and to predict whether government subsidies might help remove those obstacles. The Israeli green building standard (SI 5281) addresses these issues, but with a low level of requirements and within a range of other “green” issues. However the standard has gained wide acceptance and establishing a different one would be complicated. Moreover the present standard could be implemented at a higher level (by requiring two stars and above compliance). At present the government does not require builders to build higher level green homes and few of them choose to do so, while the vast majority of apartment buyers show little interest in green homes. This is a suboptimal equilibrium. This paper suggests that in order to motivate higher level green building, the government should offer incentives to both builders and buyers, which would not cost the Treasury much. Thereby the government would save on energy costs and gain support and prestige while the market would move to a new equilibrium, better for all involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green construction is gaining foothold among professionals, decision makers and the broader public. However, its success depends on a clear minded analysis of its pros and cons based on critical assessment, including cost-benefit analysis. This paper makes a first attempt at such an analysis of some of the first green sustainable schools in Israel. It deals with a limited sample available, as well as diverse rating systems which the different architects have chosen to comply with. By identifying and isolating the “green premium” of those schools which are comparable, and by analyzing actual direct benefits for the schools through energy and water bills (23% and 24% lower consumption respectively per year), the paper concludes that for the time being the payback period of green schools in Israel may prove counterproductive and prohibitive if calculated only on the basis of these two direct and immediate benefits. However, including in the analysis additional benefits, e.g. staff satisfaction (included in this paper), student achievements, user and broader public health issues and other public benefits (not included in this paper) can change the cost-benefit analysis outcome significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education institutions have been accused of losing their moral orientation and failing to provide students with a meaningful educative experience. This paper exposes the roots of this problem within contradictions between two historical commitments of higher education: “serving science” and “know thyself”. The paper then develops a conceptual model of teaching practice as such. The model demonstrates the predominance of “serving science”, which leads to the compromising of ethics and meaning. It is then developed to show how “self” can be explicitly reclaimed by integrating the two epistemologies-ethics in teaching practice. Contemporary pedagogical examples are presented to demonstrate this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines Sir Geddes’ impact on contemporary city planning in Tel Aviv. In particular, whether and in what way previous work by Geddes has influenced 21st century planners in Tel Aviv. The paper reviews those issues by looking at one of the most ambitious plans the city of Tel Aviv has generated in recent years—the 2015 “Northwestern Plan”. In the winter of 2015, the new plan was enacted. The plan aims to create a new residential quarter on one of the last remaining sand dunes. This represents an attempt to create a mixed-use extension of the 1925 Geddes Plan for Tel Aviv by establishing a new district filled with expansive boulevards, parks, and public spaces. While the municipal authorities regarded the recently enacted plan as a successful adaptation of Geddes’ urban vision, antagonists perceived it as a publicity stunt, designed to brand the new district. The article explores these arguments, analyzes the social, economic and morphological principles embedded in the new plan, and compares them to those employed by Geddes 90 years ago. The analysis reveals that the original plan compiled by Geddes still serves as a relevant commodity for city planners, and as an inspirational source. 21st century planners involved in enacting the new plan turned to Geddes for inspiration however it remains questionable whether his ideology, civic principles, and conceptual approach to the city were fully realized in the new plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• National focus on individual freedom vs. paternalistic values defines the status of traffic safety in different countries. • The present study examines the role of such values in road safety culture in Norway, Israel and Greece. • Norway has the highest road safety level in Europe, Israel performs better than the EU average, while Greece is below. • Greek drivers value freedom to take risk in traffic higher than drivers from Norway and Israel. • They also report higher levels of risky driving and are more often involved in accidents. National focus on individual freedom versus paternalistic values is a fundamental theme, which defines the status of traffic safety in different countries. The present study examines the role of such values in road safety culture based on survey data from car and bus drivers from three countries with distinctly different road safety records: Norway (N = 596), Israel (N = 129) and Greece (N = 386). While Norway has the highest road safety level in Europe, and Israel also performs better than the EU average, the road safety level in Greece was far below the EU average. As these positions reflect differences in policies and national regulations in drivers' freedom to take risk, we hypothesize a higher focus on individual freedom to take risk and lower focus on paternalism among the Greek drivers. Results indicate, in accordance with our hypothesis, that the Greek drivers value freedom to take risk in traffic higher than drivers from Norway and Israel. Greek drivers also expect higher levels of risk taking from other drivers in their country, they report higher levels of risky driving themselves, and are more often involved in accidents. Thus, it seems that values have an important role in Road Safety Culture (RSC), legitimizing and motivating risky driving, which are related to accidents. We found, however, contrary to our hypotheses, that the Greek drivers also had the most paternalistic attitudes among the drivers in the three countries. In the present paper, we try to solve this Greek paradox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Conceptualizes the translation of multiscalar institutional change. • Argues that institutional entrepreneurs draw on imaginaries and shape them. • Draws on institutional theory, cultural political economy, and actor-network theory. • Presents the case of tourism in the Southern Negev after air traffic liberalization. Institutional change in regional economies is affected by multiscalar developments such as alignment with the EU and its markets. In countries in the EU's Eastern and Southern neighborhood, processes of alignment and mutual market liberalization shape the supranational conditions for regional development but do so in variegated ways. Policy alignment consists of changes in the supranational institutional context that are translated into diverse changes in the regional institutional context. Building on literature on institutional entrepreneurship, cultural political economy, and actor-network theory, the paper argues that EU alignment opens a transnational window of institutional opportunity for agents to shape regional development through the translation of institutional change both between different spatial scales and between different components of institutional contexts. In this contested process, institutional entrepreneurs draw on imaginaries, narratives, and visions, and actively shape them. The empirical case of tourism in Israel's Southern Negev illustrates the impact of the country's integration into the EU's external aviation policy on the tourism sector as well as the strategies of institutional entrepreneurs to use this transnational window of institutional opportunity to promote diverse patterns of institutional change based on multiple imaginaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

House prices in Israel have risen since 2008 by as much as 98%. Much of this increase is attributed to low levels of housing supply and housing supply elasticities. In Israel land is frequently owned by the state. This results in heavy government involvement in the housing market through the control of land supply via land tenders. This paper estimates the impact of state owned land on the Israeli housing market focusing on these unusual conditions of land supply. A model for the creation of new housing units is proposed. This incorporates land tenders, enabling the estimation of housing supply dynamics with an accurate measure of public land supply. The model is tested using regional panel data which facilitates the dynamic estimation of national and local supply elasticities and regional spillovers. The paper uses novel data sources resulting in a panel of 45 spatial units over a span of 11 years (2002–2012). Due to the nonstationary nature of the data, spatial panel cointegration methods are used. The empirical results yield estimates of housing supply price elasticities and elasticities with respect to land supply. Results show that housing supply is positively impacted by governmental decisions but the impact is low. Supply elasticity with regard to government land tenders stands at around 0.05 over the short run and 0.08 over the long run. Government policy of offering land in low demand areas and fixing minimum-price tendering does not seem to affect housing supply. Policy implications point to the need for more sensitive management of the delicate balance between public and private source of land in order to mitigate the excesses of demand shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses complexity theory to analyze the urban order and development of Arab Palestinian villages and towns in Israel. It follows the spontaneous emergence of abstract planning codes and principles, influenced by changing social, political and cultural dynamics. Based on a morphological analysis of 77 towns in northern and central Israel, and an in-depth investigation conducted in the city of Sakhnin, in the central Galilee, the paper reveals a repeated three-ring structure, corresponding to three socio-political periods. We offer a detailed examination of the links between social values and spatial conduct, thus enabling us to follow how slight changes in social and economic circumstances affect planning principles. In addition, the paper highlights the power of planning-without-a-plan as a method that facilitates shaping the quality of the built environment while allowing local adaptation and creativity. Finally, we discuss the problematic urban pattern created in the typical third ring, which is a top-to-bottom product of modern planning thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobilities in settler states have become a defining feature of indigenous spatiality. This is mainly due to the structural disadvantage of indigenous communities in relation to urban locations. In Israel, Palestinian citizens are relocating to Jewish cities because of systemic discrimination, primarily in the allocation of land and housing construction permits in Arab locales. Yet, as this paper shows, their movement is neither unidirectional nor an one-time event, but ongoing and circular. Able to enjoy only certain economic and social rights in indigenous spaces and other rights in settler spaces, Palestinian citizens continuously commute between the two. Utilizing a human rights based approach, the paper unpacks Palestinian mobility practices to illuminate a lacuna in the literature, which has overlooked the quest for rights as a driving force of indigenous mobilities. The paper further demonstrates that circular mobilities become a generative act that connects the settler city to neighboring localities in a way that undermines the separation between 'Jewish' and 'Palestinian' spaces, and collapses the distinction between the 'urban' and 'regional.' Rather than attempting to integrate within the city, Palestinians incorporate the city within their own ethno-regional topography, thereby asserting their presence and a claim to the city-space itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational policy documents from around the globe currently highlight the goal of teaching higher order thinking (HOT). Yet, most classrooms worldwide are still predominately characterized by a pedagogy of knowledge transmission, focusing on lower-order cognitive levels. This discrepancy points to the need to study issues of large scale implementation of HOT. The goal of this paper is to address this issue by examining two decades of implementing HOT in civic education in Israel, adopting a dual approach: first, the paper provides a historical analysis of relevant policies and political transformations, showing what happens to a policy decision to foster HOT over the years. The analysis shows that the way from a policy paper to what actually had taken place in classrooms is long and bumpy. The policy did cause several practical changes, but for more than 10 years, impacts were slim, sometimes causing unexpected (and undesirable) consequences. Then, the paper zooms-in on one specific period in which more elaborate implementation efforts took place. Significant hallmarks of the process were an emphasis on developing instructional leadership, detailed pedagogical planning, a blend of tight “top down” processes with “bottom up” processes characterized by growing freedom and autonomy, and modelling the culture of thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scapegoating – attributing inordinate blame for a negative outcome to a target individual or group – is considered an important driver of discrimination by psychologists, but has received little attention by economists. This paper helps fill the gap by providing evidence for scapegoating in a natural setting. Using data on three million driving tests held in Israel, I find that an increase in the number of unrelated traffic accident fatalities leads driving testers to discriminate against out-group students. Scapegoating characterizes all groups of testers – Jewish and Arab, male and female – and works to increase ethnic in-group bias and decrease gender out-group bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little attention has been given to the cultural and political aspects of the supervisory relationship between Arab Palestinian supervisees and Jewish Israeli supervisors in medical psychology in Israel. This paper presents a focus group of five interns and certified medical psychologists of Arab Palestinian origin who describe their experiences and relationships with their Jewish supervisors. Constant comparison analysis revealed three main themes: fusion between professional and national identities, gaps that go beyond the cultural differences, and a sense of alienation and isolation in the supervision setting. The findings indicate the inevitable presence of the political conflict in the supervision relationship and correspond with findings for other professions such as social work. Clinical and theoretical implications are discussed and practical recommendations for supervisors are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Korea and North Korea are divided states and armed-conflict counterparties. Peace building has been pursued since the 1953 Armistice Agreement, but no meaningful results have been achieved. Recently, tensions have risen in the transboundary maritime areas around the NLL, the provisional maritime delimitation line between the two Koreas. Two Koreas' unique circumstances require case studies between divided and/or armed-conflict States focusing on maritime areas. From the first case of maritime delimitation under the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan to the divided States and/or the armed-conflict States case, i.e. the East and West Germany case, the Cyprus case, the Northern Ireland case, the Israel-Jordan case), this paper aims to extract legal implications and lessons for the peaceful management of transboundary maritime areas and waters surrounding the NLL. Till now two Koreas have only agreed on transboundary maritime management with the issue-specific approach. For the future, in addition to the achievement of the issue-specific approach to the transboundary maritime management, it needs to consider the integrated maritime management, such as the MSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted ethnic minorities in the global north, evidenced by higher rates of transmission, morbidity, and mortality relative to population sizes. Orthodox Jewish neighbourhoods in London had extremely high SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence rates, reflecting patterns in Israel and the US. The aim of this paper is to examine how responsibilities over health protection are conveyed, and to what extent responsibility is sought by, and shared between, state services, and 'community' stakeholders or representative groups, and families in public health emergencies. The study investigates how public health and statutory services stakeholders, Orthodox Jewish communal custodians and households sought to enact health protection in London during the first year of the pandemic (March 2020–March 2021). Twenty-eight semi-structured interviews were conducted across these cohorts. Findings demonstrate that institutional relations – both their formation and at times fragmentation – were directly shaped by issues surrounding COVID-19 control measures. Exchanges around protective interventions (whether control measures, contact tracing technologies, or vaccines) reveal diverse and diverging attributions of responsibility and authority. The paper develops a framework of public health relations to understand negotiations between statutory services and minority groups over responsiveness and accountability in health protection. Disaggregating public health relations can help social scientists to critique who and what characterises institutional relationships with minority groups, and what ideas of responsibility and responsiveness are projected by differently-positioned stakeholders in health protection. • COVID-19 produced diverse responses and relations around health protection in London. •Pandemic preparedness can be enhanced by mapping possible partners in localities. •Establishing public health partnerships requires adequate resources. •Public health services cannot defer responsibility entirely to local partners. •Households are key constituents of public health relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Acheulo–Yabrudian Cultural Complex (AYCC) of the late Lower Paleolithic Levant consists of three major industries, one of which is the blade-dominated Amudian. This paper provides an in-depth comparison of the Amudian blade industry from three major AYCC sites in the Levant – Qesem Cave, Tabun Cave and Yabrud Rockshelter I. The results demonstrate high inter-site similarity in Amudian blade technology and in product (blades) characteristics – i.e., a regional, clearly defined Amudian blade production technology. Nevertheless, differences in particular technological choices along the reduction sequences of blade production between the sites represent minute sub-regional technological variability within the Amudian. The evidence presented in this paper, together with many other innovative behavioral patterns seen in the AYCC, especially as reflected at Qesem Cave, may mark the end of a Lower Paleolithic Acheulian way of life that lasted over a million years in the Levant, and the beginning of a new era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the results of a preliminary study of flint items densities in different areas and different parts of the stratigrapahic column of Qesem Cave. Qesem Cave is a karst chamber cave with a ∼10 m stratigraphic sequence assigned to the Acheulo-Yabrudian Cultural Complex (AYCC) of the late Lower Paleolithic in the Levant dated to 420–200 ka. We first show the range of lithic densities in studied assemblages in the cave emphasizing significant differences in both the total number of lithic items per volume unit and/or for selected artifact categories within these assemblages. The results are used to suggest differential intensity of lithic-related activities in the cave and variability in synchronic (different areas of the cave within a similar stratigraphic level) distribution aspects of lithic categories of selected assemblages. We briefly note on the diachronic (assemblages belonging to different parts of the stratigraphic sequence) aspect of lithic densities in the discussion, yet this aspect is not is not central in this paper. A comparison of densities to frequency compositions of selected techno-typological categories in the same assemblages/areas further emphasizes the importance of using more than one quantitative measure as a descriptor of lithic assemblages and the interpretative potential of the interplay between the two measures. In some analyzed aspects the differences between the two measures in the same assemblage are quite significant, enabling interpretation of activity areas and specific human behaviors. Eventually, further research testing lithic densities against and/or incorporating them with other sets of density (and frequency) data from the same areas (e.g., faunal remains), or relating these densities to natural (such as a rock shelf) or human made features (such as a fireplace), may offer an elaborate and valuable landscape for reconstructing human behavior at the cave. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of specific techno-typological lithic categories within the assemblages studied as seen in densities augmented by available functional data (derived from use-wear analysis) enable another perspective on the subdivision of activity areas in some parts of the sequence. One synchronic example of our preliminary results which we present relates to generally contemporaneous assemblages adjacent to a constructed fireplace in the center of the cave in the upper part of the lower stratigraphic sequence dated to ca. 300 ka. Both blade-dominated Amudian and Quina (and demi Quina) scrapers dominated Yabrudian assemblages are involved, indicating spatially differentiated, functionally related differences around the fireplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores minority access to higher education in Israel in general, and among the Negev Bedouin Arabs, in particular. The Negev Bedouin community has undergone major changes during the past 60 years, and has the lowest socio-economic level of any population group in Israel. Higher education plays a prominent role in determining a community's competitiveness in the world marketplace. In most societies, it is also recognized as a major avenue to greater economic rewards and social mobility, making it of vital importance to those groups on the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder of society. The provision of public educational services to the Negev Bedouin, admissions procedures and standardized testing, financial assistance policies, and the socio-economic and political impact of higher education in Israel are examined in-depth. The paper concludes that the following structural and policy changes are needed to improve the access of the Negev Bedouin community to higher education: better quality elementary and secondary education, financial aid, removal of minimum age requirements, and culturally unbiased measures for admissions screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Aristotle, general truths are inclusive, unscientific claims regarding human nature based on a society's knowledge and values. Claims of this kind, specifically those that have become sayings and clichés, are perceived as irrefutable axioms and thus enjoy considerable rhetorical force. The paper focuses on what is termed constructed general truths – new inclusive, unscientific claims about human nature presented as if they have already been accepted. It analyzes the discursive strategies by which they are constructed in politicians' Facebook posts in two Israeli election campaigns held in 2019, and discusses their rhetorical function. It is argued that the three prime ministerial candidates in Israel in 2019 (Benjamin Netanyahu, Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid) constructed new general truths by means of semantic, syntactical, grammatical and intertextual strategies, and that these seemingly general truths fulfilled rhetorical-pragmatic functions within their co-texts and contexts. Two main functions are discussed: First, to reinforce the candidates' own ethos as successful and moral leaders who behave in accordance with the morals and logic conveyed by the constructed general truths and seemingly reflect a consensus among the general public; second, to weaken the ethos of their rival/s who seemingly do/es not follow the same general truths. • New and original claims may be constructed as general truths. • General truths are constructed by means of diverse discursive strategies. • Constructed general truths are often found in politicians' Facebook posts. • Constructed general truths fulfill diverse pragmatic functions in their co-texts. • Constructed general truths fulfill a rhetorical key role in election campaigning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar flares are sudden eruption of intense high-energy radiation from the Sun causing radio perturbations due to disturbances in ionosphere and magnetosphere of the Earth. The present paper investigates ionospheric response to a series of X- and M-class solar flares during 6–10 September 2017 with simultaneously extracted total electron content (TEC) from six global positioning system (GPS) observatories around Saudi Arabian low latitudes. These solar flares include the most significant event of the 24th solar cycle and the brightest one in the past ten years. The results show noticeable enhancement in TEC magnitudes with the flare induced geomagnetic storms as compared to the average nearest quiet days. An abrupt increase in TEC (~132%) is observed at the eastward location in Oman with a time lag of about 1 h from the brightest solar flare (X9.3) whereas other sites depict increments within 22%–78%, referring to a longitudinal asymmetry during the period. However, a remarkable deviation from the quiet time TEC is visible at all stations about 24 h after the event, with the maximum and the least positive differences in TEC at the westward Israel (~141%) and the southward Djibouti (23%) stations, respectively. Comparable levels of TEC (~200%–300%) were also seen at far equatorial locations after the M-class flare on September 8, 2017, corroborating to the conjugate effects of solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) induced geomagnetic storms and O/N2 changes. Interestingly, the second brightest solar flare (X8.2) appeared to be less effective confirming a negative ionospheric response at the eastern side during the nighttime hours. • Ionospheric response to 6–10 September 2017 solar flare is probed through GPS TEC. • Anomalous TEC enhancement attributes increased EUV and triggered magnetic storm. • Double peak TEC on September 8, 2017 reveals a longitudinal asymmetry. • The second largest flare (X8.2) on September 10, 2017 reveals suppressed effects. • Nighttime TEC shows far higher magnitude on flare days than quiet conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• First paper to find that children can make equity-efficiency tradeoffs. • The more valuable the resource was, the less likely children were to waste. • The results generalized across three countries: the US, Israel and China. When children divide resources between others, their decisions generally follow principles of equity (i.e., equal pay for equal work) and efficiency (i.e., maximizing available resources). Yet – just like in the adults' world – these principles sometimes conflict, for example, when an uneven number of resources must be divided between two equally deserving recipients. Previous research has shown that children will throw resources away to avoid creating inequity between recipients. Yet it is unclear how children arrive at such decisions. One possibility is that they follow a general "equity is good" rule and ignore the violation of efficiency, which would suggest that they would be indifferent to resource value in making such decisions. Alternatively, children may be making a sophisticated tradeoff in which they weigh both equity and efficiency. If this is true, then children's tendency to create equitable allocations should be a function of the waste involved, and thus of the value of the resource. To test between these two accounts, we conducted two experiments where 6- to 8-year-old children (N = 313) had to allocate an uneven number of resources between two other children. Children could choose to either create an inequitable allocation or throw the last resource away. We varied how valuable the resources were, from stickers to iPhones. We found that the more valuable the resource was, the less likely children were to waste and allocate equally. This pattern of results generalized across three countries: the United States, Israel and China. Our findings are the first evidence to suggest that young children make equity-efficiency tradeoffs. We discuss how our findings deepen our understanding of children's resource distribution decisions and their perception of fairness and resource value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper argues that current mainstream understandings of civil society as ontologically different from the state and essentially positive (either normative or functionally) are problematic in order to understand the development of health care reforms. The paper proposes to ground an explanation of the role of civil society in health care reforms in a Gramscian understanding of civil society as analytically different from the state, and as an arena for hegemonic struggles. The study of health care reform in Israel serves as a case study for this claim. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: All modern military jet aircraft are equipped with rocket-assisted ejection systems. Jet aircraft operate in the majority of the conflict regions throughout the world, and in nearly all modern countries during peacetime. Civilian and military emergency services may be called upon to treat aircrews that have ejected and should be familiar with the common injury patterns associated with aircraft ejection.Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature were undertaken using the preferred reporting for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) methodology. Peer-reviewed journal and conference papers published between 1 January 1971 and 15 June 2019 were included. Our primary outcomes of interest were mortality and major injury rates. The I2 test was used to assess heterogeneity among the included studies, and data were pooled under random effects models. In addition, all ejection cases in the Israeli Air Force (IAF) between 1990 and 2019 were studied. The data were manually extracted from the accident records and the electronic medical records system.Results: We identified 14 studies that included 1710 aircrew ejections. Heterogeneity was high (I2>75%). Pooled mean mortality and major injury rates were 10.5% (95% CI 6.8-14.8%) and 29.8% (95% CI 20.1-40.6%), respectively. The major injuries included spinal fractures (61.6%), extremity trauma (27.3%), and head trauma (8.9%). During the IAF study period, a total of 37 aircrew ejected from 26 IAF aircraft. The fatality rate was 5.4% and 18.9% suffered major injuries.Conclusions: Although ejection is lifesaving, it is associated with unique injury patterns that should be addressed during clinical evaluation. Because of their high prevalence, spinal precautions are paramount until spinal injury can be ruled out, generally by advanced imaging. Looking forward, injury patterns will continue to evolve in parallel with improving ejection seat systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issues of justice and inequality are among the most compelling themes in spatial studies. And yet, the field lacks a normative approach to justice in measurements of inequality in spatial scales, either in the regional, or alternatively, in the urban. In a paper by Israel and Frenkel (2018) , the authors offer a theoretical framework that advances the study of social justice in space. It utilizes concepts of Pierre Bourdieu's theory on social class, while using Amartya Sen's 'capabilities' approach to justice to define the metrics of this concept. We take their proposed framework and examine it empirically by means of a regional case study in Israel. Data were collected on a central region in Israel and a field survey was conducted on more than 1000 households. The concept of justice and the socio-spatial structures under which justice is created were converted into measurable values. By using Explanatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling, the conceptual framework was quantitatively estimated. In accordance with the inspected theory, we show that the interrelationship between a person's location in the social space and living environment influences his or her life-chances. The empirical results demonstrate how the proposed theory can be operationalized-that is, binding a normative idea with an empirically based scrutinization of the social and cultural constraints that affect freedom of choice. The framework's operationalization allows for applying it in future endeavors that strive to understand what normative implications spatial development carry when relating to the social space and built environment of a place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Palestinian organizations started to fire rockets on Israel in 2001 and have continued to do so ever since. • I explore how these attacks affected voting patterns in national Israeli elections. • To measure variation in the intensity of the rocket threat over time and across space, I use detailed data on claims for rocket-related property damages. • I find that rocket attacks from Gaza increase support for the right political bloc in Israel. • Recent attacks, initial exposure and geographical proximity lead to stronger effects on voting behavior Citizens in many countries are forced to make their political decisions under the threat of terrorism. This paper explores the effects of rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip on voting patterns in Israeli elections between 1999 and 2015. Relying on a micro-level dataset of claims for rocket-related property damages as a proxy for the severity of the rocket attacks, I find that an additional one thousand claims in a locality increases right-bloc parties' vote-share by about 4 percentage points. Recent attacks, initial exposure and geographical proximity lead to stronger effects on voting behavior. The results are driven by actual exposure of the locality to rocket fire rather than by the mere threat of an attack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines changes in teachers' envisioning of potential classroom argumentation situations through experiencing a cycle of: (1) analyzing various tasks' affordances for argumentation, (2) collaboratively analyzing examples of (other) teachers' analyses of those tasks' potential for argumentation, (3) refining initial analyses, and (4) reflection. Analysis of teachers' initial and refined responses revealed changes in the variety of dimensions of argumentation envisioned (e.g., mathematical, social, cognitive) and in the number of teachers categorized in each dimension. The paper provides evidence of the potential of collaborative analysis of authentic teacher responses for teachers' learning of key aspects of argumentation practice. • In the study, the teachers increased their noticing of mathematical tasks potential for argumentation. • The study provides evidence that collaborative analysis of authentic teacher responses supports the teachers' learning. • The study suggests approaches for teacher professional learning for developing expertise in argumentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Levant region of Israel, located along the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, is characterized by Mediterranean climate, but sixty km eastwards towards the Dead Sea Rift Valley (DSRV), the region rapidly becomes a 'rain shadowʼ desert. Speleothems from the Mediterranean climate zone continuously grew throughout several glacial/interglacial cycles, indicating that water was always available in the unsaturated zone. Their δ18O variations match global and regional climate changes, with the Eastern Mediterranean Sea being the major control on their δ18O values, as evident from the similarity between the speleothems and the planktonic foraminifer G. ruber records. In contrast, speleothems along the central and southern segments of the DSRV grew mainly during last glacial periods coinciding with the higher stands of Lake Lisan, the precursor of the present-day Dead Sea. This paper discusses the newly discovered Zalmon Cave speleothems, located in the northern segment of the DSRV shedding light on the hydrological conditions along the rift during last glacial. Unlike speleothems located further south along the DSRV, Zalmon Cave speleothems grew both during glacial and interglacial periods. However, during last glacial their δ18O values, shifted to lower values by ∼1–2‰ relative to speleothems from central Israel coinciding also with the largest difference in δ18O values between Zalmon Cave speleothems and the marine record. The data suggest that a change of the westerlies' storm tracks occurred during most of the last glacial period, which resulted in increased rainfall in the northern DSRV providing freshwater input during the otherwise relatively 'drierʼ glacial. • Speleothems were deposited almost continuously in the northern Dead Sea Catchment. • Interglacial climatic conditions in the Lower Galilee and central Israel were similar. • Glacial climatic conditions in the Lower Galilee were more humid than central Israel. • The Levant experienced a southern shift in storm tracks during the Last Glacial. • Differences in sea-land isotopic relationships indicate changes in precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the Israeli diaspora immigration policy and its outcomes for immigrants from the Former Soviet Union (FSU). The paper consists of four parts. Part one discusses the Israeli entry policy focusing on the Law of Return. Part two discusses the practicalities of applying this policy to the FSU, describing the work of the Nativ Liaison Office and the Jewish Agency for Israel. Part three reviews the state's settlement policy for diaspora immigrants, focusing on financial help and language learning. The fourth and final part discusses the psychosocial adjustment of immigrants from the Former Soviet Union in Israel, comparing them with native Israelis, other diaspora immigrants in Israel, and Jews staying in the FSU. The analysis presented in the article is based on government documents, official statistical data, mass media publications, and research literature. The article concludes with policy recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimation of fault-model parameters is a challenge faced by researchers. Traditional statistical tools rely on a velocity field derived from precise coordinates of control-points in GNSS networks, changing over-time. This requires dealing with geodetic datum and deformation-monitoring datum, while handling ill-conditioned state models. This paper describes an algorithm for evaluating full fault-model parameters all at once using a feature-voting technique, while relying on precise GNSS vectors computed with scientific GNSS processing software. The algorithm bypasses the datum issues and deals with numerical instabilities using perturbed data replications. Dealing with gross-errors is an embedded attribute of the technique, and noise is an intrinsic feature needed to cope with the ill-conditioned equation-set problem with respect to the low-frequency nature of the data. Thus, the geodetic datum and deformation monitoring datum becomes irrelevant for this algorithm. Simulations of a locked fault-model, based upon a true solved epoch, derive proper parameter values for a preselected fault-model scenario, including simulations with noise. A case study relies on the northern section of the Dead-Sea fault, on 10 northern sites in Israel's continuously operating permanent stations, based on four true-data epochs of computed vectors in order to evaluate Dead-Sea fault model parameters. Similarity is shown between computed fault-model parameters using the presented feature-voting technique and those estimated by traditional processes; with respect to other researchers' work, at the same area over a similar time period, carried out by a traditional statistical least-squares adjustment procedure, including efforts in gross-error filtering and coping mechanisms with the biases caused from both datum issues. The feature-voting based methodology for analyzing fault-model parameters, using precise GNSS vectors and not precise coordinates; enables simultaneous full fault-model parameter computation while avoiding biases originating in deformation-monitoring datum and other error factors. • Technique bypasses major error-factors: Datum Defect and monitoring-datum setup. • Gross errors are treated in the voting-process – not gaining votes. • New measurements introduced without special treatment even when network changes. • Evaluating all model parameters together. • Presented methodology can't detect rigid motion of the entire monitoring-network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]