Update January 2000: Israel

1. Parliament and Government

Internet Sub-Committee set up as part of the Science and Technology Committee M.P. Michael Eitan was elected as chairman of the Internet Sub-Committee of the Science and Technology Committee of the Parliament headed by M.P. Anat Maor. The installation of the committee took place on January 4, 2000 with the Internet Day in the Parliament (see Promotional Activities report).

2. Education

The HQ of the Computerisation Program for the Educational System is intensively negotiating with the new providers of broadband communications in the Israeli market in order to obtain the best conditions for the universal connection of educational institutions with the emerging new technologies ADSL, cable TV modems, digital satellite and the upcoming ATM public network. The members of the HQ in the Directorate of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Education directed by Yaffa Vigodsky are: Dr Uzi Melamed (head); Roni Dayan, chief national inspector for computer applications in education; Nava Gilad, in charge of special projects and initiatives; Yael Slavin (multimedia); Iris Raviv (communications) and Miki Gal (consultant). A Metadata standardization initiative under way and is to be launched in concert with similar European projects.

3. Telecommunications and Broadcasting

• Lawyer Yossi Abadi resigned from his post as director of the Directorate for Public Broadcasting at the Ministry of Communications. He and Zvi Hauser, the former chairman of the Directorate worked to advance the liberalisation of the telecommunications market; Hauser resigned two months ago in the wake of disagreement with the new minister, Benyamin Ben-Eliezer (Fuad). Yossi Abadi is joining the Law Office of Ram Caspi where he is establishing a department dedicated to the legal aspects of the telecommunications market.
  
• Minister of Communications, Benyamin Ben-Eliezer (Fuad) nominated the lawyer Dorit Inbar as the Chairman of the Council for Satellite and Cable TV in place of Zvi Hauser who had resigned. Inbar was associated in the Law Office of Shavit-Braun-Inbar and specialized in matters concerning business mergers.
  
• Benny Heinhorn is the candidate to manage the unified cable TV company. He is the senior vice-director of Discount Investments; with the upcoming merger of the present cable TV companies he has been asked by the share holders to take the office. He said that he intends to continue in his present position but had "heard about the offer".
  
• David Moshevitz, the new chairman of the New Fund for Cinema and Television. He will substitute Moshe Gavish who is leaving the direction of the fund after 5 years. Gavish said that the purpose of the fund is to improve the quality of Israeli cinema by choosing projects to be supported and to encourage young cinema creators. About 200 films were supported in the last 5 years, 12% of the requests to the Fund. The complex process of selection has been successful and many of the supported projects receive prizes and credits at international festivals. David Moshevitz, former owner of the Elite Company, was chairman of the Israeli Institute for Cinema between 1992 and 1995. Since 1996 he has been a partner in a Law Office and deals with documentary cinema.

4. Industry, Trade and Professional associations

Dr. Orna Bery, the Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Industry and Trade will leave her position next February and join the risk capital fund Gemini as an independent associate. She will join the Board of Directors and the activities of the companies to whom the capital will be applied. Gemini is a private fund established in '93 that has raised $ 36 million. In '97 an additional fund Gemini II raised $ 110 million. The fund invests in Communications, Software, Internet, E-commerce, Semi-Conductors and more. The chairman of the fund is Ed Malevsky and the CEO is Yossi Sela.