Israel at 60

Part One
By Tesfu Telahoun

Israel is one of the world’s smallest nations and at just 27,000 sq km, nearly 55 Israels can fit into the vastness of Ethiopia. For all its compact size and scarce natural resources, this country of 6.5 mln boasts a dynamic, ultra – modern economy which provides to its citizens an average annual per capita income of almost 27,000 dollars– the highest in the Middle East for a non-oil based economy.
Israel, due to particular historical, religious and political realities is a highly visible member of the international community which it joined soon after its establishment on May 14, 1948.
Israel is about to turn 60-a sort of benchmark age at which nations become introspective, scrolling through their past in order to better understand the future. ‘Israel at Sixty’ is a special fortnightly series devoted to illuminating the incredible journey of a people that have surmounted enormous odds to establish and maintain the world’s only Jewish homeland. ‘Israel at Sixty’ will also explore how the establishment of the State of Israel and other subsequent events had and continue to affect other nations, communities and geo-politics.
Other topics of great relevance that are be addressed include: the ancient and enduring special relationship between Israel and Ethiopia, Ethiopian Judaism and the Jewish remnant in Ethiopia, Israeli scholarship on Ethiopia, bilateral trade and investment, and profiles of prominent Israeli and Ethio-Israeli personalities, organizations and companies, among others. This first edition of ‘Israel at Sixty’ is time-travel through the ages and events that will lead us to May 14, 2008 the sixtieth anniversary of the establishment of Israel.
Eretz Yisrael
The epic story of Israelites and Palestinians can be traced back to the mists of time when according to Genesis 27, the ageing grand patriarch Isaac issued from his death bed to his two sons Jacob and Esau what appear to be mutually exclusive ‘blessings’. Isaac’s blessings to his competing siblings were inherently fused with the elements of seemingly perpetual conflict.
Jacob, beloved of his mother Rebekah and benefiting from her womanly intrigue, received the irrevocable blessing reserved for a first born (Esau). Isaac blessed “Jacob” thus:
May god give you of the dew of heaven and the fat of the earth,
Abundance of new grain and wine
Let peoples serve you,
And nations bow to you
Be master over your brothers,
And let you mother’s sons bow to you.
Cursed be they who curse you,
Blessed they who bless you
Genesis 27:28, 29

As a consolation draw, Esau had to make do with the lesser blessing that would have been Jacob’s destiny, were it not for Rebekah’s intervention.
See, your abode shall enjoy the fat of the earth
And the dew of heaven above
Yet by your sword you shall live,
And you shall serve your brother;
But when you grow restive,
You shall break his yoke from your neck:
Genesis 27:39, 40
Almost immediately after the murmur of Isaac’s weak voice faded away, Esau uttered on ominous oath.
“Now Esau harbored a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing which his father had given him and Esau said to himself, ‘let but the mourning period of my father come, and I will kill my brother Jacob”. Genesis 27:41
And the stage became set for millennia as the dramatic rivalry between Esau- destined to be the ancestral father of the present day Palestinian people, and Jacob- the father of Israel’s twelve tribes, ingrained itself and is still playing out to this day. However, the human had to add his to his and the biblical drama was supplied endless plot twists, mainly attributable to one of the most confounding letters of all time.
The Balfour Enigma
Turkey is a treasure of antiquity: great empires have risen and fallen in that historic land including the Ottoman Empire, perhaps the ultimate among the preceding Lydian, Hittite, Phrygian, Byzantine and other dynastic empire- civilizations. ‘
One of the early world capitals was Constantinople, built by the Byzantines and conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1453. This new empire lasted for the next 466 years, devouring empires, kingdoms and lands stretching from Spain to Yemen – including Massawa (now in Eritrea ), and by proxy – Harar, eastern Ethiopia. Among the important pieces of the far-flung Ottoman Empire were the Arab lands and the area of present day Israel and Palestinian territories. The First World War was the undoing of the Ottomans, who chose the losing side (Germany and Austria) and utterly defeated, lost all of its colonies to the victorious French, British, Russians and their allies. The victors were assigned mandates, with the French taking Syria (and Lebanon) and the British holding the area referred to as Palestine.
British foreign policy, hesitant initially, warmed to the idea of a homeland for the Jewish people; urged by prominent British Jews and leaders of the British Jewish community including Lord Rothschild.
Unofficial sentiments (British) for the establishment of a Jewish homeland were given a measure of substance (albeit hugely controversial) by writting by Foreign Secretary Lord Arthur James Balfour and dated November 2, 1917. The letter follows in its entirety.
Foreign Office
November 2nd, 1917
Dear Lord Rothschild,
I have much pleasure in conveying to you on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet:
His Majesty’s Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.
I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.
Yours,
Arthur James Balfour
The letter is an essay in diplomatese-saying everything, many things, something and nothing, in well-couched, seemingly benign tones. However, what aroused the most interest then and now, is that the Balfour declaration made null and void, earlier British pledges given to the Arabs and their ally France as to the final status of Palestine. (To continue)

Israel over the centuries

Pre-history = One of the world’s first sites of early agriculture and the beginning of organized urban settlement.
Early Second Millennium (BCE) = Ancestors of the Hebrews arrive.
1000BCE – 597 BCE = Judaism evolves as world’s first monotheistic faith. King David and his successors establish centralized system of governance, law and a standing army.
598 BCE- 160 BCE = Decline, and First Dispersion after occupation by Babylon, Persia and Greece.
164 BCE = Independent Jewish kingdom was restored but lasted barely a century. Defeated by mighty Rome, it became a colony once again.
135 BCE-70BCE= The Jewish people revolt against Roman occupation. The Second Temple is desecrated and almost completely destroyed. The Second Dispersion of the Jewish people begins. Rome makes a momentous and ultimately tragic step, when to eradicate the name ‘Israel’, it decreed the area to be ‘Judea Palestine’- identifying the land with the Philistines, a coastal Bedouin tribe.
636- Inspired by Islam-then a very young faith rule, desert Arab tribes amalgamate and conquer ‘Judea Palestine’, ending centuries of Roman in the Levant.
636-1000 Islamic influence is established, including the Arabic language. Jews become a minority but cling on.
1100-1917 The occupation continies under Seljuks, Mamluks and Ottomans. From 1098-1291, briefly occupied by The Crusaders.
1917-1936 British control begins after Ottoman defeat. Britain promises (1917) in Balfour declaration, support of a Jewish homeland. British Palestine recognized in 1920. East bank of the Jordan was detached in 1922. 1930’s see heavy Jewish migration, Arabs revolt in 1920, 1921, and 1936.
1947- UN votes to partition ‘Palestine’ into separate Arab and Jewish statse. British begin to withdraw. Arabs reject two states solution.
1948- On May 14, the State of Israel was declared. Eleven Arab nations declare war and invade the six hour old state. Israel is victorious, gains more land. Egypt takes Gaza; Jordan the West Bank.
1949-Separate armistices were signed with some Arab states.
1950-1956 – Despite the armistice, a state of heightened tension follows. Israel begins to suffer terrorist raids mainly from the Sinai. Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalizes the Suez Canal in late 1955. France and Britain launch military operation. Israel invades Sinai. This is the first Arab Israeli war.
1967- Ten relatively peaceful years later, Egypt re-takes Gaza strip and blockades Israel’s Red Sea outlet on the Gulf of Aqaba. Israel launches attack on June 5, 1987. Six days later, Israel occupies Gaza, Sinai to Suez Canal, east Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and the West Bank. (continue)

Fishing for progress

BOMOSA is a research project that is pioneering small scale fish farming in a relatively simple technology that has been proven technically feasible over the last two years. It is a ‘hub and plot’ cage based fish farming system that was prototyped in 2003-2004, especially for East African conditions.
The net-like BOMOSA cages can be folded, easily transported and handled by two persons without mechanical aid. The scheme is intended as a network of small-scale, locally-run operations, whereby rural communities will set up and run the plots both during and after completion of the proposed research project.
The objective of the BOMOSA project undertaken at the National Fishery and Other Aquatic Life Research Center (NFALRC) is to evaluate growth and reproductive performance of strains as well as the genetic enhancement of the selected strain through selection program. In Ethiopia the projects are carried out in North Showa and the South Eastern part of the country. NFALRC is part of the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR)
According to Rediet Habteselassie, PhD student and former project coordinator of the pilot project at NFALRC, Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia share common problems in sustainable management of sensitive and dynamic ecosystems. They also face deficits in high protein food supply and an ongoing battle to alleviate rural poverty.
The BOMOSA scheme uses an existing fish farm to supply fingerlings (mainly Nile Tilapia at approx. 25g) for rearing within suitable water bodies such as reservoirs, ponds and naturally occurring temporary water bodies formed during the rainy season. Farmers are being trained to rear the fish in cages in their plots, harvest them for fresh consumption, to sell locally or to process for long-keeping by drying, smoking and packaging. The fish will be a high dietary supplement or an additional source of income for subsistence farmers.

The BOMOSA project that is carried out in Ethiopia since October 2006 will continue for the next six years. The project is being undertaken by the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, in partnership with the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research. Moreover, Boku University, the Czech Republic, Italy and the European Commission have been highly involved in the project in terms of financial and technical assistance. Some 1.5 million Euros has been invested by EC on the project involving three countries in East Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. Ten Ethiopian professionals from the EIAR have been trained in Austria as part of the capacity building program.
Over 80% of capture fish indigenous to Ethiopia are Tilapia, which is regarded as the most important of all aquaculture fish in the 21st century. Aquaculture farming ranges from rural subsistence to large-scale commercial operations. Its culture has expanded world wide at an average annual growth rate of 14% since 1984.
On the afternoon of Thursday, February 21st , Dr. Heinz Fischer, the Federal President of the Republic of Austria, along with his delegation, paid a visit to the National Fishery & Other Aquatic Life Research Center, in the town of Sebeta some 25 kms South West of Addis Ababa, where the BOMOSA pilot project is sited. Capital caught up with key individuals involved in the project. Excerpts:

Capital: What are the basic activities of the center and the involvement of the Austrian counterparts?
Kassahun Asaminew, NFALRC Director: Our center is mandated to shape, coordinate and conduct research in fishery throughout the country. In order to generate and adopt technologies that help with the production, the Ethiopian government is fully committed to support the fulfillment of this national agenda. In addition to the Ethiopian government’s commitment there are some institutions and governments that assist our center, in line with achieving our objective. In this regard, the Austrian government is our major partner. The support our center has from Austria is substantial; many Austrian organizations have participated in this activity and we are very pleased that President Fischer took the time to come here to view the activity for himself.
Prof. Herwig Waidbacher, Head of Departement of Water, Atmosphere and Environment at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna: The research center is mainly devoted for aquatic purposes, not only for water or irrigation but the whole water circle is researched. The research has started with lakes and rivers and the animals in them. It is one of the very few centers, where you would find research for water that is not specialized. BOMOSA is a small scale agriculture project, not an industrial one; we are working with small scale farmers and communities. Our target is not to produce large amounts of fish but rather for many areas around the country to start producing fish. It is a very simple technology project; in agriculture, usually the focus is on huge farms and requires a lot of sophisticated technology. We have decided to stick to the “hub and plot” center, which means that research centers like this one would help many farmers to come and see small cages farming. In this project the socio-economic aspect is very important as we are using bi-products and no import is needed. The East African Water Association has been formed three years ago comprising 200 people from East African countries, who have been mainly trained in Austria and is funded by the Austrian Development Corporation.

Capital: What benefits have been witnessed from the Austrian counterparts in terms of their involvement in the area of aquaculture?
Dr. Solomon Assefa, Director General of EIAR: We have hugely benefited from the capacity building program of the Austrians and it has really been helpful for the resourceful farmers of Ethiopia because it is very much affiliated in a small scale, it is part from the irrigation scheme that is carried out throughout the country. We want to extend our partnership not only in aquaculture but in other agricultural sector because we want to advance the technology so that we can be able to get out of the cycle of poverty.
Capital: How can Ethiopia benefit better from aquaculture and how does the government’s policy assist in that regard?
Dr. Solomon: Our research institute endeavors in positioning better our agricultural system so that it seriously considers and engages farmers in the aquaculture sector as it is a very good food production technology if applied efficiently. It provides opportunities for diversification of farming systems, risk reduction and integration with agriculture. Furthermore, as aquaculture is rural and subsistence, it plays a major role in providing direct and indirect employment to the rural poor, thereby contributing in the alleviation of poverty. The current comprehensive water resources development, particularly small-scale irrigation and water harvest policy the country initiated could be an additional opportunity to increase farm productivity through integration of aquaculture and water resource use. The new initiative we have adopted is intended to curb the existing problem by developing complete production technologies by adopting a research development approach rather than non-demand focused academic researches.

Capital: Why is aquaculture a neglected agricultural sector?
Dr. Getinet G. Tsadik, researcher at the Aquaculture & Aquatic Resources/ Integrated Water Resources Management: I think one of the main reasons behind this is that our agriculture system is led by the existing traditional agriculture rather than introducing new dimensions of development. However, this should not be the case of fishery as it is the highest producing per unit; for example, catfish, Clarias gariepinus, which is indigenous to Ethiopia in extensive and semi-intensive pond systems yields in excess of 800 kg/m3/ year. Our country has huge potential for aquaculture development, it is endowed with a high central plateau above 2500 m and could be appropriate for all year farming of cold water species. There are over 183 species of fish known to exist in lakes and river systems of the country of which many are commercially important aquaculture species. If the sector is given the required attention it will directly contribute and improve the diet of the rural population through the provision of animal protein in an affordable form and alleviate nutrition deficiencies.
Capital: Highlight for us some of the major development and social aspects that Ethiopia and Austria can share?
Minister of Tourism and Culture, Mohamoud Dirir: The visit of President Fischer is very important as a landmark in the relation of the two countries since in the early 90’s and the beginning of the year 2000 in the European calendar, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia visited Austria. The historical relationship of the two countries goes back to the time of Emperor Menelik though diplomatic relations started in 1964, which is immediately after the establishment of the organization of African Unity. It is very important in a sense that for Austria, Ethiopia is a priority country. One of the projects they focus on is related to tourism and is in the Semien Mountains Park. The government of Austria has assisted in devising a mechanism for the encroachment and funding so that the inhabitants benefit from the natural attraction of the park, which is very useful for tourism. Amongst other things they also focus on capacity building of institutions, democracy, and the health sector, which are major areas. Grants and support of the Austrian government has been growing from 5.6 million euros in the year 2001-03 to 28 million euros from 2008-2010, so it is very important for Ethiopia’s economy and for our partnership with the European Union as well.
Capital: Do you think bilateral ties have been heightened by the noted artist Herbert Seiler, who has played an influential role in Ethiopian Art, and adventurously rode a motor bike from Austria to Ethiopia?
Mohamoud Dirir: People like him can create awareness but the whole relationship between the two countries does not hinge on them. It is very important that it creates an awareness and curiosity to know about Ethiopia, especially for us to promote Ethiopia as a tourism spot. We also know Austrians better through their Taller (Tegera birr). By the way Austria is a small country and the economy is growing, there is dynamism in its economy that is not only important to Ethiopia but African countries as well to look into and learn the experience from a fast growing and rich economy.