Update January 2000: Israel

1. Organisational Awareness Aspects

Internet and Information Technologies Day in the Parliament: The Israeli Parliament (Knesset) dedicated a whole day to the Internet and IT (January 4, 2000). The main committees of the parliament held special sessions dedicated to the Information Society aspects of their activities. The Education Committee discussed the challenges posed to the educational system; the Security and External Relations Committee discussed the problem of the safeguarding the nation's IT infrastructures; the Economy Committee discussed Electronic Commerce and financial services in the network; the Work and Welfare Committee discussed the deepening of the social and economic divide as a consequence of the IS; the Constitutional Committee discussed legislative initiatives and freedom of expression; the Finance Committee discussed two main issues - The Internet as an opportunity window for the Israeli economy and The Internet and IT at service of the development of the periphery.

The committees were open to the public that filled the parliament. Many secondary students that are participate in CMC based educational programs were invited to participate; they demonstrated several educational programs and were present both at the panel discussions held in the auditorium in the afternoon and have the opportunity to accompany the plenary discussions that concluded the day.

In parallel to the meeting of the different committees; the demonstrations by the students; the panel and plenary discussions an exhibit was held of the latest broadband and Internet technologies: Cable Modem; the DBS YES digital satellite broadcasts; the ADSL program of the Bezeq; the new services being offered by the cellular telephony companies for access to the Internet and other information providers. Several portals had the opportunity to present their services and systems supporting satellite and distance education were demonstrated.

The strongest impact of the day was on the members of the Parliament which experienced the invasion of their house by a public, technologies and applications that are very much heard, read and talked about but in general not directly experienced.

The Internet Day was organised by the new Internet Sub-Committee of the Parliament with the organisational support of the Israel Internet Association (ISOC-IL0 and ILA - the Israel Information Technologies Association. The initiative got the support and endorsement of the parliament chairman.

2. IS National / Regional Strategies and Action Plans

Call for the establishment of a consortium for the development of "Large Scale Rural Telephony". The Generic Technologies program (MAGNET) at the office of the Chief Scientist published a call for companies to participate in a consortium in the area of LSRT.

The purpose of the consortium is to develop methodologies, models and architectural network concepts for different topologies needed for LSRT; development of the technologies for the components for transmission equipment for modular access highly integrated and affordable; development of systems and models for the optimal control and use of the LSRT network resources.

The MAGNET program deals with pre-competitive R&D and the purpose of the proposed consortium is to support this R&D effort for the profit of all the members of the consortium. The kick-off is expected to take place during January, 2000.

3. Information Content Stimulation

Netdays Europe 1999 (13-21 November) : Netdays Europe in Israel was highly successful in promoting the awareness of the role of the new communications and multimedia technologies. An special brochure with instructions on the kinds of educational projects available in the Internet and detailed examples was distributed to all schools in the country with the support of the Israel Internet Association, the MAKASH national coordinator for Netdays Europe in Israel and the Directorate of Science and Technology.

Several event have taken place during the Netdays week in different regions of the Country and an special Israel Day has taken place the 18^th November. One of the indications of the success of the initiative in rising the awareness of the public to the potential of the Internet for education was the fact that Israel succeeded in registering 109 educational projects among the 602 total number of projects that participated in Netdays in Europe.

The Netdays campaign in Israel enjoyed the support of the Netdays Europe team under the leadership of Maria Kokkonen and the support team from the Helsinki Municipality, Riita Karvinen and Heikki Karlajainen. Thousands of posters, postcards, stickers tattoos were received from Helsinki and distributed; the dissemination brochure was translated and distributed and the impact in the educational system has been very significant (http://netdays.org.il).

4. Other tools

Euro-Med Conference Tele 99 Technology in Learning Environments: The Learning Citizen The conference has taken place in the Dan Panorama hotel from the 25 to the 27 of October with a significant participation from Europe and the Mediterranean Countries. The conference was organised by Dr Margali Ganor from the Open University and enjoyed from the endorsement of the European Commission. The different sessions covered the Vision for the Future and Quality Enhancement of Education through Communication Technologies; The Learning Citizen; Virtual Learning Communities and Schools; Collaboration Projects and Funding Initiatives; Schools Systems; Internet-Based Courses; The Place of the Individual - new learning patterns and preferences; Enhancing University Instruction; The Learning Environment in a Changing Era; Evaluation in Technology-Based Learning; Technology in the School System; IT in Universities; Teacher Training and Communication Technologies; Integrating Multimedia into the Learning Process; Internet-Based Learning;

The meeting between the director of the EUN (European Schoolnet), Rogelio Segovia with the HQ of the computerisation program of the educational system in Israel under the leadership of Yaffa Vigodsky, director of the Directorate for Science and Technology in the Ministry of Education (following their joint presentation at the conference) was specially contributed to the advancement of the participation of Israel in the EUN projects and activities.