Interior Ministry to appoint Azzam Azzam building inspector in the Galilee.
By GREER FAY CASHMANazzam azzam 88(photo credit: ch 10)
"TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS in a Global Society - New Perspectives for the Economy and Science" was the title of an address delivered at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya by Dr. Karl-Gerhard Eick, deputy chairman, CFO and member of the board of directors of Deutsche Telekom, following an introduction by Dr. Klaus Kinkel, former vice chancellor and minister of foreign affairs of Germany, and currently Chairman of the Deutsche Telekom Foundation. The lecture was organized in conjunction with the Israel Council on Foreign Relations, which usually hosts guest speakers from abroad in Jerusalem.
IN THE corridors of Israel Television, Israel Radio and the Jerusalem Journalists Association, the word on Sunday morning was that the firm favorite for the position of director-general of the Israel Broadcasting Authority was Yoni Ben Menachem, who is currently head of Israel Radio and well liked by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. According to the law, acting director-general Yair Aloni could not continue in that temporary capacity after serving six months; the government had to either make the appointment permanent, or appoint someone else. However, one of the first acts of Justice Minister Tzipi Livni (who on Sunday took over responsibility for the IBA from vice premier Ehud Olmert, who had ousted the previous director general Yosef Barel) may be to appoint Army Radio Commander-in-Chief Avi Binyahu to the position. Yediot Aharonot reported on Monday that Binyahu has admitted to being approached, and was considering the offer.
AFTER LONG years of incarceration in Egypt, Azzam Azzam, with the national flag draped around his shoulders, returned to Israel to a hero's welcome. Although a media celebrity for several months, he had difficulty finding employment, and would have been unable to support his family but for the generosity of other relatives. But according to Yediot Aharonot, he is soon to take up his duties as a building inspector in the Galilee area on behalf of the Ministry for the Interior. The job offer came from Interior Minister Ofer Paz-Pines, who before becoming a politician used to play football with inmates of Israeli prisons. Azzam, who despite protestations to the contrary was charged with being an Israeli spy, paid a very heavy price. It is therefore not surprising that the minister who helped prisoners on the home front should do something for one who finally came back from Egypt. Azzam is undergoing training, and will take up his duties in the near future.
FORMER MEMBER of the Jerusalem City Council and former secretary-general of the Jerusalem branch of the Labor Party, Haim Cohen now fills his time with hotel management. His first venture was the Knesset Tower Hotel near the entrance to the capital. More recently he took over management of the Hanagid boutique hotel in downtown Jerusalem, which has undergone a change of ownership, a change of name and a facelift. Purchased by the Tawil family, the hotel, which boasts an Italian restaurant, is now called Montefiore - which may be confusing, since there is a Montefiore restaurant in Yemin Moshe.
Cohen hosted an official opening this week.
BANK OF Israel Governor Stanley Fischer will address the closing plenary session of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency tomorrow. Following his address, the board is due to approve the agency budget for 2006.
JERUSALEM COLLEGE of Technology President, Prof. Joseph Bodenheimer has announced the intention to establish an academic course for nurses and an MBA program in the 2006 academic year. The MBA program, which will be based to a large extent on Jewish and universal business ethics, will be accompanied by a contest to find an appropriate Hebrew word for "accountability." As yet, there is none. Submissions will be passed on to the Hebrew Language Academy.
HISTADRUT PENSIONERS chairman Gideon Ben-Israel has been elected to the executive of the European Pensioners Association. Yaacov Lieder, in charge of the Histadrut Pensioners department for external relations, told the local executive that Ben-Israel was elected at the EPA's recent meeting in Lubliana, where it was decided to ask all states of the European Union to define and enact legislation on the status of pensioners, and to recognize pensioners' associations as consultants on all matters affecting senior citizens.
BEN-GURION University of the Negev President Avishay Braverman has been named a Distinguished Citizen of Beersheba in recognition of his services to the university, which has grown by leaps and bounds since his appointment in 1990.
BGU, which had a student population of 5,700 and was in a state of economic distress when Braverman took over, is now one of the most popular universities in the country, with 17,400 students and a sound economic base. This is hardly surprising, since Braverman (who holds a doctorate in economics from Stanford University) served in the World Bank before returning to Israel, and has received many awards in recognition of his expertise.
The huge influx of students at BGU has contributed to Beersheba's economy.
PARTICIPANTS AT an international cooperation conference that took place in Colombia included Rami Mandel, general manager of Co-Op Jerusalem. Also present was Baheran Rahaiah, who chairs Malaysia's international cooperation committee. Despite the fact that Israel does not enjoy diplomatic relations with Malaysia, Rahiah made a point of inviting Mandel to attend another international cooperation conference to be held in Malaysia in November.
FASHION COMPANY Isha Isha, which specializes in large-size fashionable clothing, has invested $2 million in production facilities in Turkey and Italy, according to Israel Mamo, owner and managing director of the chain. The new production facilities in Milan, Istanbul and Ankara will initially produce around 30% of the company's merchandise. Isha Isha's local production plant, with 60 employees, is located in south Tel Aviv.
The company was established in 1993 to provide solutions for women in the size 42-56 range who were unable to find fashionable clothes to fit in regular department stores or other fashion outlets. Through its 20 nationwide stores, the company operates a discount membership club that currently stands at around 100,000 members.
Sales in 2004 reached NIS 30 million.