DNA, The Building Blocks of Life, IPSO, The Building Blocks of Peace Israeli and Palestinian Scientific Collaboration

Printer-friendly version PDF version Send to friend Change the text size

December 15, 2010 • Volume 28 • Winter 2011

By Elana Waitzer

Israel has an impressive track record of groundbreaking scientific and medical advances, with innovations being made in diverse fields such as agricultural science, information technology, and telecommunications.
Consider one of three Israeli recipients of the Nobel Prize in chemistry, who is paving the way towards medications tailored to our genes. The detection of smaller breast tumors is now possible thanks to progress in medical imaging, advanced largely due to the work of Israeli scientists.

A component of scientific endeavors is the building of mutual respect and trust that surrounds collectively working towards shared objectives. Scientific collaborations therefore hold the potential of facilitating the building blocks for peace, as exemplified by the Israeli-Palestinian Science Organization (IPSO). Members of IPSO hope to bring this spirit from laboratories to the world stage, in order to promote peace in the Middle East.

IPSO's official inauguration took place at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2004, on World Science Day for Peace and Development. IPSO's chair, Dr. Torsten Wiesel, described the hopes of "foster[ing] and sustain[ing] cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians and ... promot[ing] research partnerships that will improve the health of all peopie". IPSO representatives Sari Nusseibeh, President of Al Quds University in East Jerusalem, and Menahem Yaari, Chair of the Israeli Academy of Sciences and Humanities, participated in the ceremony, in addition to several Nobel laureates.

The driving force behind the establishment of IPSO was the belief that "science, given its universal nature, can be instrumental in stimulating dialogue ... and serve in the cause of peace". Ironically, the absence of peace has inhibited such dialogue, as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has led to the restricted movement of members of both respective scientific communities, impeding the possibility for potential collaborative discoveries. In response, in 2006, the members of IPSO's International Scientific Council published a statement in the internationally renowned journal, Science. It argued that "because of its desire to create a science-based bridge of good will, cooperation, and dialogue, IPSO joins Israeli university rectors and professors in opposing the ban that prohibits residents from the Palestinian Authority (PA) areas from entering Israel to study or to reach educational institutions in PA areas", In spite of difficulties, such as those described above, IPSO has undertaken a variety of innovative projects. Collaboration has taken place with French partners, aCité des sciences et de l'industrie and La main à la pate(LAMAP), both dedicated to children's learning, discovery and education in science and technology. TheMultilingual and Multicultural Website for Science Education and Peace Pilot Project was launched in 2007. This web-based tool was developed in French, Hebrew and Arabic, and features science-learning modules geared towards children.

Most recently, genetics research has been at the· forefront of IPSO activities. According to the Center for Arab Genomic Studies, inherited diseases such as congenital heart defects and deafuess are more frequent
in people of Arab descent due to certain cultural intennaniage practices. Similar statements may be made regarding Jewish Israelis. A shared susceptibility to these illnesses provides an opportunity for collaborative
engagement and a rapprochement of the communities, as all would ultimately benefit from the research. Through the study of genetics, it is hoped that mutations underlying such conditions may be identified,
leading to appropriate pre-marital testing, prenatal diagnosis and newborn screening.

One may easily see the dedication that the members of IPSO have to the causes of science, health, education, and, of course, peace. IPSO is an organization that has an impact, not only on the international scientific
stage, but in encouraging diplomatic relations in a truly revolutionary fashion. In addition to bringing science and health to children, the Israeli-Palestinian Science Organization serves as an inspiration for collaboration to bring about tangible changes and, ultimately, peace in the Middle East.