The Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz: "The new composition of the MoLMOP marks a new era in upgrading the status of this important body, which will assist the government in outlining scientific development policy"
Yesterday (Monday) the new MOLMP plenum headed by Prof. Yitzhak Ben-Israel, appointed in August of this year, met for the first time.
Ben-Israel reviewed the topics on which the work of the MOLMP will focus in the coming period and introduced the new members of the MOLMP, who were recently appointed: Prof. Zachariah Medar (Hebrew), Prof. Yigal Cohen and Prof. David Pasig (Bar-Ilan), Dr. Miriam Barkat, Haim Russo, Uziah Galil, Kobi Wortman, Prof. Dafna Schwartz (Ben-Gurion), Prof. Yehudit Birak (Hebrew), Prof. Mina Teicher (Bar-Ilan), Prof. Shush Arad (Rupin), Prof. Nadav Liron, Prof. Bat Sheva Ilon (Weizmann Institute), Observer: Brigadier General Uzi Elam.
Prof. Ben-Israel: "Israel's economy and security rely on human resources in general and our relative advantage in research and development in particular. There is almost no subject more important to the image of the State of Israel than its research and development centers and subjects. The National R&D Council should and can become a central tool in determining research and development policy in Israel."
The National R&D Council was established in 2004 and operates under the responsibility of the Ministry of Science and Technology. According to the MoLMOP law, the members of the Council are appointed by the President of the State.
Ben-Israel, born in Israel (1949), graduated in mathematics, physics and holds a doctorate in philosophy from Tel Aviv University. During his service in the Air Force, he held positions in the operations, intelligence and development system, including: Head of Research Department in Air Force Intelligence and Head of R&D in the IDF. In January 1998, he was promoted to the rank of Major General as head of the Ministry of Defense (research and development of weapons of war and technological infrastructure). Ben-Israel twice received the Israel Security Award and was responsible for the development of technological equipment in the IDF ("Talfiot") and the initiatives of the "Atidim" program. In 2002, Ben-Israel retired from the IDF and joined the Tel Aviv University faculty. In 2002, he founded and chaired the Tel Aviv Workshop for Science, Technology and Security, and at the same time, he founded a private technology-strategic consulting company.
