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Explores relations between political orientation and cognitive style among Israeli university students. Finds that intolerance of ambiguity contributed significantly to political orientation and that the political Left showed more complex cognitive styles than the Right. Notes implications for testing competing hypotheses about cognitive style and political orientation. (DSK)

The protests against the Israeli government's proposed constitutional changes, which started in January 2023, have escalated into overall social upheaval. Protestors, politicians and academics have claimed that the existing 'social contract' has been violated, that Israel needs a 'new contract', and that such 'new contract' should be enacted through a constitution. This article argues that while the calls for the enactment of a constitution are understandable, Israel's current form of control of the West Bank and its commitment to the settlement project hinders the political feasibility of the enactment of a constitution. Those calling for a constitution for Israel perceive it as a solution to the indeterminacy and ambiguity that plague the Israeli constitutional framework. However, Israel's current form of control of the West Bank depends on ambiguity, on the existence of legal grey areas, and on fragmentation of the normative framework. The resolution of these is thus inconsistent with the maintenance of this form of control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to explore the challenges reported by Israeli school vice-principals regarding their relationships with principals and teachers. The study examines two questions: (1) How do vice-principals perceive the challenges involved in their relationships with principals and teachers? and (2) How do they respond to these challenges? Design/methodology/approach: The study employed a qualitative approach to explore the challenges encountered by Israeli school vice-principals in their relationships with principals and teachers. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 17 vice-principals, allowing for an in-depth understanding of their perspectives and experiences. Findings: The findings of the study highlight three challenges mentioned by the research participants: bridging between principals and teachers, maintaining complete loyalty to both sides and middle-ground responsibility for the school. Originality/value: This study enriches the existing literature on vice-principals by investigating their distinct position as intermediaries bridging teachers and principals. It offers valuable insights into the challenges they encounter in their interactions with both parties, as well as their strategies to tackle these issues. Through the application of role theory, the research deepens comprehension of the intricate nature of the vice-principals' role, providing pragmatic suggestions for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims at examining the urgent changes in the Israeli position from the Syrian crisis (2011-2017) which came as a result of the complexities of the positions of the conflicting parties to the conflict and the problems it left for Israel in visualizing the final status in line with its strategic interests. This made Israel deal with the crisis from the beginning in a tactical manner, and according to the updates imposed. Thus, the Israeli position on the crisis has undergone several transformations, influenced to a large extent by the development of its events, which is linked to the set of international and regional changes intertwined with it. This position ranged between the state of ambiguity, and sometimes limited intervention during the first years of the crisis, and the sufficiency of relying on the United States to protect its interests, and direct military action after the Russian intervention in 2015, to confront the threats to its national security, represented mainly by the growing of the Iranian controlling power from its northern border. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Israel's posture of nuclear ambiguity has achieved a high level of consensus among its security elite, but are there any alternative approaches and what circumstances could facilitate change? This article argues that the longevity of ambiguity has been buttressed by three external factors that may change in the future and lead to a reassessment: the lack of another nuclear state in the region, bipartisan support in the United States, and the lack of a well-established peace in the region. To gain insight into the ideas that would inform a broader reassessment, I outline the strategic logic of three alternative approaches that have existed continuously in Israel's security discourse. Nuclear advocates seek to move toward an open posture; nuclear skeptics seek to prevent proliferation by joining international treaties; and nuclear pragmatists support maintaining ambiguity under a US umbrella. Based on interviews with former officials, primary sources of Israeli elite discourse, and a broad survey of previous research, this article provides new insights into the making of Israel's nuclear strategy by highlighting the continuity of the basic predispositions of each approach over the past 70 years, demonstrating how external factors have upheld the core elements of the policy of ambiguity while allowing room for changes on its margins, and outlining the possible future scenarios that may facilitate a more substantial policy shift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the major problems in the political history of Megiddo during the early Iron Age (Iron Age I–IIA), at the time of the early monarchic period in Israel (eleventh–ninth centuries BCE). Megiddo has been central to an ongoing debate over the nature of the early monarchic period in Israel and the exact chronology of the Iron Age I–IIA periods. This importance derives both from the extensive excavations of the relevant strata at Megiddo (VIA, VB and VA-IVB) as well as Megiddo's appearance in relevant historical sources, namely the Hebrew Bible, which claims that Solomon "built" Megiddo, and its appearance in the campaign list of pharaoh Sheshonq I. Though the fragment of a stela of Sheshonq I was found at Megiddo, it was only found after having been discarded and so its stratigraphic attribution is unclear. Radiocarbon dating from these strata has assisted to some degree but still left dating and historical questions quite open. This article will demonstrate that the political history of Megiddo during the early Iron Age is beset with ambiguities in the evidence, which have been divided into seven ambiguities for the purpose of the discussion here. When these ambiguities are taken into account, it becomes clear that the interpreter has much latitude in making their reconstruction, specifically in how they date strata and associate them with putative historical developments. Different cases can be made for associating particular strata and their termination with Solomon, Sheshonq or even later kings, but none can claim to objectively be the correct or superior reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What are the implications of governmental responses to crises for street-level implementation? The COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique opportunity to compare the formal role that decision-makers require of street-level bureaucrats (SLBs) during a crisis. Textual analysis of 36 legislative documents and emergency regulations in Israel indicates that the additional duties assigned to police officers, teachers, and physicians reflect three interrelated changes in street-level implementation: increased policy ambiguity, higher risk exposure, and expanded discretion. Decision-makers' expectations of SLBs during a crisis highlight the inherent limit of policy-as-written to account for the operational, action-imperative essence of on-the-ground service delivery.Note: In the interests of space, street-level theory and the pandemic context underpinning the articles for this Special Issue are discussed in detail in the Introduction to the Issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomenon of ethnic nationalism might appear to be endorsed by the Bible. How are local churches to counter narratives of hate and othering if they feel that their own sacred text might be lending support to the ideology? This paper will identify elements of nationalistic ideology which may appear to have some consonance with the Bible. These focus around the particular theme of the ethnic purity and exceptionalism of Israel. It then offers a biblical-theological reading of this theme. The study concludes that the potentially nationalistic themes of Israel's bloodline, land, and vocation all operate in highly ambiguous ways in the Old Testament, and in the New Testament are revealed to be symbols and shadows of the great work that is begun in Christ. There is nothing in these themes which offers genuine support for ethnic nationalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Verse 7:17 from Isaiah presents its interpreters, both ancient and modern, with difficulties and ambiguities regarding the text that must be accounted for on the level of formulation (problematic grammar), content (uncertain meaning) and incorporation into the larger context of Isa 7:1-17. The Damascus Document from Qumran uses this verse twice (in CD VII & XIII) in texts of different types (Admonitions and Laws). The author of the Damascus Document resolves the ambiguities of the biblical verse and incorporates it into his two compositions for the benefit of his argumentation. This type of redactional work is possible due to a recognition by the author of a continuity between the biblical Israel and the current (Qumran) community. While resolving the problems inherent to the biblical verse, the author of the Damascus Document also creates a new tension between the ways in which this verse is incorporated into the two documents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers in hospitals are a unique phenomenon. Their students are sick, hospitalized children with a range of physical, emotional, and cognitive needs. Teachers are expected to be dynamic, flexible, creative, open-minded, and efficient to function in the most appropriate manner. However, a recent study showed that these teachers tend to procrastinate on some of the most common tasks that teachers perform on a daily basis in the regular school system. The present study was an initial investigation into the reasons for procrastination in teachers who work in two hospitals in Israel. Thirty-two teachers were interviewed. The findings indicated that the primary reason for procrastination among teachers in the hospital was professional role ambiguity, with emotional factors and situational determinants which were identified. Future research should further explore reasons for procrastination in the workplace, in general, and its association with professional role ambiguity specifically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the function of Revelation 1:7 to the mission motif in the book of Revelation. The main thesis is that Revelation 1:7 sets the tone for this theme in the entire book. The placement of the conflated quotation of Daniel 7:13 and Zechariah 12:10 in the prologue introduces a deliberate dualism calling the nations to repent or receive the coming judgment. The difficulty is in the interpretation of the prophecy of Zech. 12:10. The notion that this prophecy delineates the future of the nations in foreseeing their eschatological mourning in repentance is not widely accepted by scholarship. In the OT context of Zech. 12:10 and in its use in the Second Temple Judaism literature, the tone of judgment is altogether absent. The eschatological mourning in repentance of all the tribes of Israel is then universalized to all the tribes of the earth in the NT quotations of Zech. 12:10. Rev. 1:7 introduces four important missional themes, namely, the fulfillment of the Abrahamic blessing, the final procession of the nations to Zion, the urgent call to repentance, and a dualistic tendency of a victorious and a suffering Church in the mission-to-the-nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While numerous studies have examined evasion strategies in political discourse, the use of such strategies in internationally authored conflict resolution documents has yet to be examined. The demands of addressing different audiences are most evident in such documents, as the central audiences – the two conflicting parties – have conflicting demands. Through a discourse analysis of four central conflict resolution documents in the Arab–Israeli conflict, this paper presents six central evasion strategies utilized to cater to the demands of oppositional actors. Furthermore, this paper analyzes how evasion strategies are interpreted in the media discourse of relevant actors. Finally, the paper examines the role of evasion strategies and their interpretation by media actors in conflict resolution and perpetuation, arguing that evasion strategies release mediators of responsibility while allowing conflicted parties to ‘dig into’ their respective narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated HLA population alleles and haplotype frequencies for the ethnicities that comprise the contemporary population of Israel, using a large data set from the Ezer Mizion Bone Barrow Donor Registry. We genotyped 275,699 individuals at the HLA-A, -B and -DRB1 loci using HLA genotyping methods. HLA A∼B∼DRB1 haplotype frequencies were estimated from 19 sub-ethnic Jewish populations and other non-Jewish minorities using the maximum likelihood model, which accommodates typing ambiguities. We present overall and sub-ethnicity specific HLA diversity results of the registry, which will help guide a data-driven strategy for future registry expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing literature has shown that war veterans' posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are associated with a higher level of distress in their female partners. However, less agreement exists regarding the sources of this distress and the mechanism by which this process occurs. The current study examined the consequences of Israeli war veterans' PTSD on their female partners, as manifested by the females' PTSD symptoms, mental health status, and functioning, while taking into account females' earlier traumatic events. Using the theory of ambiguous loss, it also suggested boundary ambiguity as a mediating variable by which the PTSD of the male veteran is transmitted to his female partner. Participants were 300 men who had served in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon War and their female partners. Results revealed direct associations between males' PTSD and their female partners' PTSD, functioning, and mental health. In addition, boundary ambiguity mediated the association between males' PTSD and females' adjustment. Finally, females' own earlier traumatic events were directly associated with their own PTSD symptoms. Implications of this model for intervention and research are further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We argue that different formulations of hydrodynamics are related to uncertainties in the definitions of local thermodynamic and hydrodynamic variables. We show that this ambiguity can be resolved by viewing different formulations of hydrodynamics as particular "gauge choices" which lead to the same physical behavior of the system. Using the example of bulk viscosity, we show that Bemfica–Disconzi–Noronha–Kovtun (BDNK) and Israel–Stewart hydrodynamics are particular "gauge choices" of this type, related by a well-defined transformation of thermodynamic and hydrodynamic variables. We argue that this gauge ambiguity is necessary to ascertain the causality of stochastic hydrodynamic evolution and conjecture that it could explain the applicability of hydrodynamics outside its expected regime of validity since far from equilibrium and close to equilibrium may be related through transformations of this type. The paper discusses the role of microscopic statistical mechanics within hydrodynamics with arbitrary frame redefinition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 2 December 2010, a forest fire broke out in the Carmel Mountains of northern Israel and burned for four days, becoming the biggest fire in Israel’s history. Forty-four people were killed, 17,000 were evacuated from their homes, and 25 million square meters of land with millions of trees burned down, in what became known as the ‘Carmel disaster.’ This article examines Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s communication of the Carmel disaster, using content, rhetorical risk communication, performance analysis, and a national public opinion survey. We claim it exposes the dilemma of what we label ‘cover-up risk communication.’ The analysis will examine the geo and social political context in which the Carmel disaster occurred, the rhetorical and performance strategies the prime minister chose to use to communicate the risk in his television appearances during the crisis, and the mass media’s response to them. The public’s response to the prime minister’s risk communication is presented through the national public opinion survey we conducted. This case study indicates that even if a leader makes effective use of central tenets of risk communication (inclusion, clarity, and addressing the public’s values and norms), when risk communication serves to cover-up failure rather than being part of an overall policy of changing priorities for the benefit of the population, then it becomes what we labeled ‘cover-up risk communication.’ In addition, when the press does not fill its role as the public’s ‘watchdog,’ it might reinforce cover-up communication by the leadership and compromise the chance to correct defects. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An essay is presented on the significance of nuclear ambiguity in Iran and the nuclear ambiguity policy of Israel. He explores the validity of the benefits of Iran's nuclear ambiguity, mentioning that nuclear ambiguity policy is as a diplomatic fiction. He discusses the possibility of nuclear ambiguity between the two countries in consideration to arms control and highlights the possibility of nuclear balance.

This exegesis seeks to understand how to interpret biblical ambiguities, especially in narrative texts of the Old Testament. The author seeks to show how and why the text of Judges 19 has been greatly debated in academic circles by examining different ambiguities of the text. There are many omissions of the narrator of Judges 19 that might be confusing to the 21st century reader, such as: a subjective vagueness, the anonymity of the characters, and an apparent moral silence. Thus, the author also seeks to show subsequently that, by interpreting the text of Judges 19 with the principles of narrative selectivity and of the near and far contexts in mind, the ambiguities and omissions fit together perfectly in the intended meaning in a text that speaks primarily of the absence of a king for Israel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effectiveness (role effectiveness, empowerment, and job satisfaction) in social work relates to provision of better client services. This article examines the relationship between role-related stress and perceived effectiveness in light of recent social and economic changes in Israeli rural communities. Role ambiguity and role conflict correlated negatively with perceived effectiveness, though role ambiguity correlated more than role conflict. Thus, in order to increase effectiveness, it is essential to enhance social workers' understanding of new social trends and provide them with knowledge and skills for coping with social changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooperation over transboundary environmental resources, water in particular, has been analyzed from various perspectives. Each study identifies the problems of cooperation differently and suggests different mechanisms to enhance it. Yet, the role of ambiguity, particularly significant in treaty design to resolve environmental disputes, has thus far been overlooked. Such a focus is warranted, since many international agreements regulating the use of natural resources are ambiguous in their schedule of resource delivery during crisis events or in their cost-sharing arrangements and may even include contradictory resource-allocation principles while remaining vague on how to settle the contradictions. This study aims to examine why, when, and how ambiguity is applied in agreements pertaining to natural resources, and water in particular. The lsraeli-Jordanian peace agreement, which includes an annex on water-use regulation, is used as a case study, it was found that, under asymmetric power relations, when both sovereignty costs and uncertainty are high, several types of deliberate ambiguity were intentionally incorporated into the treaty. Some ambiguities allowed each side to present the treaty differently at home, thereby defusing domestic opposition, while others provided leeway to adjust the resource allocation during a future crisis without the need to renegotiate the treaty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, differences in gender role ideology among middle-aged husbands (n = 126) and wives (n = 126) in Israel were examined. In addition, the contribution of several sets of variables were tested to predict gender role ideology. The sets of variables were background variables (personal background, education/employment, family variables), personality traits (self-esteem, tolerance for ambiguity), spouse's gender role ideology, and life satisfaction. The findings indicate that husbands have more traditional gender role ideology than their wives, even though the correlations between spouses were moderate and significant. In addition, the variables were found to contribute more significantly to predicting the gender role ideology of wives than of husbands. For both partners, self-esteem was the most significant predictor. Moreover, one partner's gender role ideology was found to affect the other partner's ideology. Education/employment and some personal background variables were significant predictors of wives' gender role ideology, whereas life satisfaction predicted gender role ideology only for husbands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the ambiguity in middle eastern settlements. Ambiguity has bedeviled the Palestine issue since the Balfour declaration, indeed ambiguity and double-talk. Two vital formulations were particularly redolent of double-talk. The first was the use of the concept national home. The second lay in the safeguarding clause that nothing in the declaration should be taken as prejudicing the rights of the native inhabitants of Palestine. The double-talk is most employed in three areas. The first has to do with the twin suggestion that Israel should be given defensible frontiers and that she should withdraw from occupied Arab territories to the frontiers of 1967. The second is to be found in the use of phrases such as the legitimate rights of the Palestinian peoples.