If you have questions regarding your subscription of European Security & Defence contact our subscriber service: “I must mention,” the author and scholar adds, “that cyber capabilities and the use of artificial intelligence are affecting the battlefield in all its aspects. Some have called the new capabilities a revolution in intelligence affairs, as it has become apparent that the dependence of the armed forces on digital communications and fast computers is acting as a force multiplier. However, at the same time, it presents vulnerabilities and targets for attack.” Arad points out that “in the case of the pagers, the entire network was captured and by a single order they were detonated simultaneously. In my opinion, this is a surgical strike, as every one of the owners of these devices was a Hezbollah fighter. So, they were all confirmed terrorists and they all got what they deserved. “You should remember,” he adds, “that for the past year Hezbollah has been savagely attacking Israeli settlements, kibbutzim and farms, and the entire northern part of Israel has been devastated by the activities of this group.” Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights, opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox. 18 Apr 2025 17:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}UTA Arad vs Sepsi OSK on Fri This is 5 of the Superliga Relegation Group Predicted lineups are available for the match a few days in advance while the actual lineup will be available about an hour ahead of the match The current head to head record for the teams are UTA Arad 3 win(s) Have scored 3 goals in their last 5 matches 18 Apr 2025 17:00:00 GMT?UTA Arad vs Sepsi OSK on Fri 18 Apr 2025 17:00:00 GMT ended in a 1–1 tie.InsightsHave scored 4 goals in their last 5 matches UTA Arad is playing home against Sepsi OSK at Arena Francisc Neuman on Fri '#' : location.hash;window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery = location.search === '' && location.href.slice(0 location.href.length - window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash.length).indexOf('?') !== -1 '?' : location.search;if (window.history && window.history.replaceState) {var ogU = location.pathname + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash;history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/protesters-mark-38-years-since-disappearance-of-ron-arad-say-gaza-hostages-must-not-meet-same-fate\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=ob8zD6uSGVkJD7W1D4iPi2m14ck1TFVkXW3BJ7Kn_Jo-1746506374-1.0.1.1-Z2.M4IwpCGnXbNaoyYKWU2O.MS4ZThRYG4kPjuDl.GY" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null ogU);}}document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(cpo);}()); "\/maya-arads-the-hebrew-teacher-the-conscience-and-the-tenure-of-a-bds-professor\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=1JuXk7LI56PV4wbjalmby2EfixdbdUfxC4gYFMM7r50-1746506385-1.0.1.1-yrYrcvtCWjCx6aeO0WhFvbvo41dQU3Q77cZR06Bm8_w" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/97-civilian-teams-in-north-equipped-with-9000-assault-rifles\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=mViy2TUIk8BF2vL6wkph59OpSKKMCle5bPrTg1CqPq0-1746506393-1.0.1.1-3no4AuJ3lgx_GFAog9SeDpp05a.Y6UrQbOz_cII21v0" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null Ron Arad's images from captivity | Illustration: Moshe Binyamin In late 2005, Yitzhak Ilan came for a meeting with the then-Mossad chief, Meir Dagan Ilan was a relative veteran in his position as head of the Investigation Branch in Israel's Security Agency Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and that he wanted us to do this together with him This sent a veritable chill down our spines." Dagan had come to earn tremendous respect for Ilan and to trust him following a previous case This is also the reason why he asked me to take care of the Arad portfolio and vis a vis the public and of course the family for an attack sortie in the area of Sidon in southern Lebanon one of the bombs exploded too close to the Phantom jet and they were forced to eject from the airplane Aviram was rescued in a heroic operation during which he hung on to the skis of the Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter This was the first time that such a daring rescue attempt had been made under fire and subject to extreme conditions Cobra attack helicopters were used to extricate IDF combat troops in distress in Lebanon it was four soldiers from the IDF's Golani infantry brigade who had been left behind during a raid on the HQ of Ahmed Jibril's Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC) in the village of Nu'eima was taken captive by the Lebanese Shi'ite organization Israel was able to maintain ongoing contact with him Though no Red Cross personnel were allowed to visit him three letters were delivered to his family along with one photo testifying to the fact that he was alive and in good condition This is the photo that has remained etched in our collective national memory: Arad appears in it sporting a beard a completely different picture to the 'baby-faced' IAF navigator who had been taken prisoner only several months previously Israel conducted negotiations for Arad's release The Israeli public was still reeling from the trauma of the infamous Jibril Deal in which 1,150 security prisoners were released in return for three IDF prisoners captured during the First Lebanon War – Hezi Shai Among those released were Sheikh Ahmed Yassin the founder of Hamas who had been sentenced to 13 years imprisonment; Jibril Rajoub who had been sentenced to life imprisonment for throwing a hand grenade at an IDF truck; as well as Kozo Okamoto who had been given three life sentences for his part in the massacre at Lod Airport in 1972 numerous other murderers were released too the majority of whom returned to their previous terrorist activity It did not take long for those released in the Jibril Deal to become the leaders of the First Intifada stirred up considerable emotion among the Israeli public The then-unity government was subsequently extremely reluctant to strike another deal even though the asking price for Arad was relatively inexpensive: several million dollars combined with the release of only a few dozen prisoners The working assumption at the time was that there was no urgency involved in this effort there was a clear point of contact and ongoing negotiations which not only cost Ron Arad his life but also contributed to the mystery surrounding the circumstances of his disappearance the State of Israel has invested extremely larger sums of money than those it had been asked to pay for him at the time – and also endangered the lives of numerous IDF soldiers in a multiplicity of special operations without any success in bringing him back home The last solid testimony as to Arad's whereabouts was on May 4 He was held by a family known to be a supporter of the Amal organization in the Lebanese town of Nabi Chit the IDF had just begun a large-scale operation against terrorist targets in the neighboring town of Meidoun IDF paratrooper forces under the command of the brigade commander at the time This was the largest and most successful military operation undertaken by the IDF subsequent to its first pullback of forces to southern Lebanon since the outbreak of war in 1982 The IDF was not aware that Arad was being held in Nabi Chit It is not clear what course of action Israel would have chosen had it known that Arad was located relatively close to where the operation was being conducted Hezbollah claimed that the men who had been guarding Arad had heard about the Israeli offensive and abandoned their posts in order to help their colleagues who had been attacked They claim that Arad simply disappeared and that his location was then never known Israel had no access to any information as to where Arad had disappeared or who was holding him In an attempt to gain some progress toward solving this enigmatic issue Israel began to abduct Lebanese figures to serve as bargaining chips for him After Hezbollah announced in August 1988 that it was holding Arad a decision was made to abduct one of the Shi'ite organization's senior figures The first significant abduction was carried out in July 1989 A force from the IDF's General Staff Reconnaissance Unit or Sayeret Matkal as it is called in Hebrew from his home in the village of Jibshit in southern Lebanon Obeid was a key spiritual leader and the Hezbollah military commander in southern Lebanon He was also a senior figure involved in the kidnapping of several foreign nationals in Lebanon carried out for the purpose of gaining ransoms Under the authorization of the then Director of Shin Bet His request was simple: "Take all the material that has been accumulated on Arad from the moment he was taken captive and come back with the answer to what happened to him." The abduction of Obeid did not lead to any solution Neither did his interrogation raise any new information as to Arad's fate Israel was not even able to say whether he was alive or dead In an attempt to go further back and decipher what had become of Arad Sayeret Matkal abducted an additional senior Lebanese Mustafa Dirani was abducted from his home in the village of Kasarnaba in Lebanon's Beqa'a Valley and was taken to Israel for interrogation Dirani had been the security officer of Amal for many years and was responsible for Arad's imprisonment from the moment he was taken captive He also allowed various other entities to interrogate Arad including officers from Syrian intelligence In the year before the disappearance of the IAF navigator and he began to draw closer to Hezbollah and various Iranian entities he was dismissed from the organization by its leader the working premise was that Dirani had either handed over or sold Arad to other organizations Although he denied any connection to the disappearance of the IAF navigator but in Israel they decided to abduct him in any case in an attempt to get to the bottom of the issue intensive interrogation process in Israel produced no results nobody was any the wiser as to what had happened to Ron Obeid and Dirani were released in January 2004 as part of a deal between Israel and Hezbollah a further 400 Palestinian terrorists were also released along with 27 foreign nationals All of these were handed over in return for Colonel (res.) Elhanan Tannenbaum Israel also received the bodies of three IDF KIAs – Benny Avraham and Omar Sawaid – who had been abducted and taken to Lebanon in October 2000 In the years that elapsed following the disappearance of Arad Israel invested tremendous efforts to understand what had happened to him Considerable amounts of money were paid to a variety of elements Non-profit organizations that had been established offered extremely generous rewards for anybody able to provide information about him Both the IDF's Military Intelligence Directorate and the Mossad painstakingly collected any available scrap of information that might shed some light on the case A good deal of the information collected was erroneous and often contradictory an Iranian exile in the USA was interviewed claiming that Arad was being held at a prison belonging to the Iranian intelligence in the city of Esfahan and that he was paralyzed in both legs and was bound to a wheelchair after being wounded in an escape attempt Two German civilians who had been released at that time from jail in Iran claimed that they had heard that an Israeli pilot was being held there in solitary confinement But Ilan and his team had unequivocally determined that Arad had never left Lebanon says: "Yitzhak placed emphasis on facts alone Although these pieces of information were never actually verified many in the Israeli intelligence community believed that Arad had been taken to Iran This was also the popular working assumption in the security establishment for many years: that Hezbollah and its Iranian patrons did know what had happened to Arad The working plan was thus clearly derived from this assumption all the efforts were focused on Iran and its Lebanese protege Attempts by others to claim that this was a mistake were simply dismissed who claimed in 1997 that Arad was no longer alive Israel released 40 Palestinian and 12 Lebanese prisoners it received from Hezbollah Arad's personal survival weapon this was additional proof of the fact that Hezbollah was calling the shots and that the Shi'ite organization had the key to solving the mystery once and for all In the absence of hard intelligence to either support or refute the existing working assumptions Israel continued to act in accordance with the assumption that Ron Arad was alive and being held by Shi'ite factions Even a special committee headed by the retired judge determined that there is no reason to change the existing assumption that Arad is alive Arad's family has acted with considerable dignity from the moment he was taken captive at the request of the defense establishment as government officials explained that should it choose to make waves this would only prompt Amal to push up the price it was demanding for Ron's release did the family opt to engage on a public campaign A few years later it decided once again to adopt a lower profile The one person who continued to manage the campaign until the end of her days (she died in 2002) Batya Arad was a realistic and down-to-earth woman She understood that Ron was most likely no longer alive and so she simply asked to know what had become of him then don't pay one cent to bring his body back This last will of Batya Arad was placed in the trust of Mossad chief Meir Dagan Ron Arad's other relatives – his wife Tami and his siblings Chen and Dudu – have been in charge of it ever since "It is the state's responsibility to solve this mystery," they explained "The state sent him on the mission and the state should tell us what happened to him." As a combatant and a commander who took part in a series of bold operations he fully understood the importance of ensuring that all soldiers returned safely home He fully intended to use his term of office as Director of the Mossad in order to do what he had pledged to do: to leave no stone unturned until the mystery was solved the Mossad engaged in a number of efforts to obtain a lead One of these efforts even led to the death of a Mossad agent contradictory information as to Ron's ultimate fate continued to arrive too While senior Iranians claimed that he was being held in Iran in 2005 a secret report of the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate was published determining that Ron Arad had died in Lebanon in the mid-1990s Arad was held in Iran and then returned to Lebanon as the Iranians feared that Dirani would break under interrogation and reveal that the Iranians were holding him A minority opinion in the report stated that Arad had never left Lebanon and that he had remained in Lebanon under the auspices of elements related to the IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) This contradictory information never really led to any decisive conclusion but it did lead Dagan to try another approach Dagan's request was simple: "Take all the material that has been accumulated on Arad from the moment he was taken captive until today the dominant approach in the establishment was that Ron Arad had been lost in Iran," Diskin states "I think that Meir knew full well that there is no entity in the establishment that is as good at operational intelligence and that would be able to understand the sources of information as the Shin Bet Meir also greatly appreciated Yitzhak's abilities and qualities following a number of cases that we had worked on together." Ilan established a special team to deal with this task privy to the sensitive information worked in parallel to their regular jobs and reopened all the case files of the Military Intelligence Directorate and the Mossad on the Ron Arad affair "A truly meaningful Zionist mission of the greatest importance," was how one official referred to it "From the moment he brought us in on this mission Yitzhak became totally preoccupied with it," says Steve won us all over and took him with us to deal with it We analyzed the case file together with the key events and the last actions of Ron Arad drilling down to the level of specific minutes – anybody who met him who was involved when he moved to the right or to the left." "Yitzhak and his team went through the case files with a fine toothcomb for a long period of time they came to present me with their findings," Diskin recounts "They showed me that all the intelligence relating to Arad's transfer to Iran was faulty while the pre-existing intelligence was solid and reliable." David Meidan: "I can tell you about a lesson regarding Ron Arad that accompanied me throughout the entire negotiations for the release of Gilad Shalit: opportunities in such situations between states or between a state and an organization Sometimes if you hesitate before picking them Ilan and his team reached an unequivocal conclusion that Arad had never left Lebanon claimed: "Yitzhak placed emphasis on facts alone Ilan's words completely shook up the entire establishment there had been broad consensus that he was in Iran we came along and showed that was not the case," Diskin explains Dagan accepted Ilan's assertion that Ron Arad had never left Lebanon He asked Diskin to continue to work together at this stage too: to try and find out what had become of Ron Arad "One month after I was appointed prime minister Meir came to me with an operation that was to be carried out in the Far East," tells former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert "It was an operation involving substantial risk one that everybody else had recommended not to carry out I told everybody that I was only interested in knowing what Arad's fate was – if he was alive or dead we were talking about an Israeli soldier who had been captured and was alive and then suddenly it was as though he had simply disappeared off the face of the earth I did not address the issue of what price we would be forced to pay in order to release him Even his mother said that she would make do with simply knowing what had happened so I felt it was my duty just to provide her with an answer I asked everybody to rethink the operation one more time and to get back to me with an answer They did get back to me and I decided to go ahead with that operation they changed the operation's location and its parameters It was carried out in another country and under different circumstances but Yitzhak was in charge of the investigation." This operation was only one in a long series of other operations led by Ilan over a number of years "These were sensitive and irregular operations which included joint Mossad and Shin Bet teams in all sorts of locations around the world on occasions in conjunction with foreign intelligence organizations too," Diskin explains we corroborated the claim that Ron Arad had never left Lebanon." with the potential for enormous damage," says Olmert there was a dominant character who had to be questioned Ilan's team questioned that character for a month and eventually we came to the conclusion that this individual actually knew nothing about what had happened to Ron for as a result of it we came to the final conclusion that Ron had never been outside Lebanon." Another dramatic operation was conducted in Europe It involved the interrogation of individuals who were relatives of the family that had held Arad in the village of Nabi Chit The Mossad reached them in the European country where they lived out of fear that they might be killed if they refused The interrogation itself was conducted in another European country to the one where they had been caught but they failed to uncover anything new," says Olmert Ilan never spoke to anybody outside the security establishment regarding the investigation into Ron Arad "If only we could tell them what Yitzhak did," says Steve the very same date on which Ron Arad was taken captive Yitzhak and his team traveled abroad on 25 occasions to take part in different investigative actions related to the case "Individuals who had been extremely close to those who had held Ron were questioned and this entire effort was completely focused on finding out what had happened to him," says Steve "We came as close as possible to determining what had occurred to him was about to declare him a fallen soldier whose place of burial is unknown." At the end of all these operations and investigations Ilan established that Ron Arad had been killed in the village of Nabi Chit where he had been held It occurred during the IDF operation in Meidoun what occurred is that the brother-in-law of the family holding him was killed in Meidoun and then the head of the family decided to "get even' killed him and then buried him in some hidden location," as Olmert puts it "We tried to find that location based on the investigations we conducted But I am convinced that he is buried there." Both Diskin and Steve agree with Ilan's conclusion somebody from the family holding Ron Arad in Nabi Chit took him After 30 years it is somewhat difficult to get to it but we believe that from an intelligence point of view this case is closed." Meidan adds that he implemented the lessons learned from the Ron Arad affair in the negotiations for the release of Shalit "I can tell you one lesson regarding Arad that accompanied me throughout the entire negotiations for the release of Gilad Shalit: opportunities in such situations You have to be extremely swift to respond and must not begin to hesitate We apparently had an opportunity to conclude a deal to bring back Ron Arad for a relatively paltry sum The very same date on which Ron Arad was taken captive Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories "I know there's a lot of responsibility on me In an exclusive interview with Israel Hayom the American commentator discusses US-Israel relations Greta searched tirelessly for her brother Walter A man she knew said he had seen him during.. Analysis  Archaeology Blogpost Business & Finance Culture Exclusive Explainer Environment Features Health In Brief Jewish World Judea and Samaria Lifestyle Cyber & Internet Sports Diplomacy  Iran & The Gulf Gaza Strip Politics Shopping Terms of use Privacy Policy Submissions Contact Us The first issue of Israel Hayom appeared on July 30 Israel Hayom was founded on the belief that the Israeli public deserves better more balanced and more accurate journalism [contact-form-7 id=”508379″ html_id=”isrh_form_Newsletter_en” title=”newsletter_subscribe”] Arad Group Ltd. (TASE:ARD) which manufactures and markets water measurement systems today notified the TASE that it had completed the acquisition of a 60% controlling interest in Italian company Watertech for €16 million (nearly NIS 70 million) The deal will be conducted through an allocation of shares by Watertech to Arad which plans to pay for 60% of the cost with bank financing and the rest from its own resources and distributes equipment for reading home Watertech acquired a 62% controlling interest in Colombian company Lassa which distributes water and gas meters in Colombia Most of Watertech's manufacturing takes place in Canelli in northern Italy who owns the company together with his family Parodi has decades of experience in water meters Watertech had €21-23 million in annual revenue (consolidated with the Colombian company) in 2016-2017 and its annual net profit was €2.5 million Arad's share has risen 25% this year to a peak reflecting a NIS 1.1 billion market cap Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on October 9 © Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd Northern kibbutzim Dalia and Ramot Menashe have taken advantage of the strong gains in the share price of water metering solutions company Arad Group (TASE:ARD) to sell some of their controlling stake Last week Kibbutz Dalia sold shares for NIS 18 million at NIS 57 per share after Arad's share price has risen 40% since the start of 2023 In July Kibbutz Ramot Menashe shares for NIS 41 million at NIS 55 per share These share sells follow the company's improved results under CEO Gabi Yankovitz and chairman Hugo Chaufan This is not the first time the kibbutzim have sold shares in Arad Kibbutz Dalia sold shares for NIS 156 million at NIS 53 per share and in December 2021 Kibbutz Ramot Menashe sold shares for NIS 48 million at NIS 48 per share In recent years Kibbutz Ramot Menashe and Kibbutz Dalia have sold 20% of the company for NIS 263 million After the latest round of share selling Kibbutz Ramot Menashe is left with a 20.1% stake in Arad worth NIS 300 million while Kibbutz Dalia has a 14% stake worth NIS 207 million Milestones Metering holds a 15.5% stake while institutional investors Clal Insurance Arad Group provides smart water management through its water metering management and control systems and by designing developing and manufacturing high quality meters automatic meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) systems as well as advanced MDM systems and technologies revenue rose 18% from the corresponding period of 2022 to $190 million due to increased sales in Europe and North America Net profit in the first half of the year rose 40% to $16 million Net profit in all of 2022 was $17.4 million Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on September 21, 2023. © Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2023. 16 Mar 2025 16:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}UTA Arad won 2–0 over Otelul Galati on Sun This is 1 of the Superliga Relegation Group The current head to head record for the teams are UTA Arad 1 win(s) Have scored 5 goals in their last 5 matches 16 Mar 2025 16:00:00 GMT?UTA Arad won 2–0 over Otelul Galati on Sun 16 Mar 2025 16:00:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 4 goals in their last 5 matches UTA Arad is playing home against Otelul Galati at Arena Francisc Neuman on Sun 30 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}CSM Politehnica Iasi won 4–0 over UTA Arad on Sun This is 2 of the Superliga Relegation Group The current head to head record for the teams are CSM Politehnica Iasi 3 win(s) 30 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT?CSM Politehnica Iasi won 4–0 over UTA Arad on Sun 30 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 4 goals in their last 5 matches CSM Politehnica Iasi is playing home against UTA Arad at Stadionul E 26 Jan 2025 18:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}FCSB won 1–0 over UTA Arad on Sun The current head to head record for the teams are UTA Arad 2 win(s) Have scored 7 goals in their last 5 matches 26 Jan 2025 18:00:00 GMT?FCSB won 1–0 over UTA Arad on Sun 26 Jan 2025 18:00:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 8 goals in their last 5 matches UTA Arad is playing home against FCSB at Arena Francisc Neuman on Sun This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page David Herman is the JC’s chief fiction reviewer David Herman 2 min readMaya Arad is an Israeli-born writer so part of the same generation as Etgar Keret and Eshkol Nevo Arad has published 11 works of fiction but The Hebrew Teacher is her first to be translated into English it has received acclaim from many leading writers including Ayelet Gundar-Goshen is the most political and topical of the three Ilana Goldstein has taught Hebrew at a small-town college in America for 40 years Her life is turned upside down by an appointment in her department observing the holidays (unlike her grown-up children) she is baffled by Yoad’s politics but then cannot cope with his aggressive anti-Zionism But The Hebrew Teacher is not just about politics It is about issues that run through the other stories In each story the central character is a woman These women face very human problems that many readers and cannot form the bond she longs for with her grandson Efrat is worried about her daughter who is nearly 13 This turns out to be the key link between all these stories The ghastly Yoad loathes her and no one will stand up for her and seems to have lost her son and his family to the remote world of California Efrat is losing touch with her daughter and her very American teenage world of mobile phones and sleepovers Suddenly you realise Israel is not just about the conflict with Palestinians It’s a very different culture from the new world of California with its high-tech lifestyles and venture capitalists In Arad’s stories Israel is about an old world of traditional values California is about dysfunctional families and losing touch with the Jewish past The cultural difference seems much greater find their families and their new lives difficult to deal with They try to deal with the problems of living with two languages “It wasn’t a very good time for Hebrew,” she reflects Is that because of the troubles in the Middle East Or does Israel seem remote to her new students she wonders whether she should write it in Hebrew The dilemma recalls the one earlier one around Yiddish literature in America by the rise of antisemitism and the crisis facing Israel these stories ask big questions about the future of Israel and of Jews in the English-speaking world Books Jewish books "\/liveblog_entry\/daughter-of-missing-airman-ron-arad-we-were-also-told-they-were-doing-everything-they-could\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=U1L0_qCUI029ZrYzW.6brnLKunJ3OtQMoTbeGmIisSg-1746506442-1.0.1.1-altTztdAbPVOXEwe6YPEDdcc68FO20TmuYEuzhvihaY" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null Israel's Fattal hotel chain and White City Buildings will build a luxury deseret hotel near Arad (TASE: FTAL) Tel Aviv based White City Buildings each bought 50% of the 200 dunam (50 acre) site on which the Masada Hotel was recently demolished The total investment by the two companies for purchase of the land and construction of the hotel is NIS 200 million five-star deluxe hotel will be managed by Fattal's boutique hotel unit 7Minds Each of the rooms will have a balcony and private pool In the public areas there will be three swimming pools 7Minds co-owner Oren Pascal told "Globes," "We aren't planning a hotel that will cost NIS 5,000 per night but the focus will be on luxury The hotel's winning card is its location and view surrounding it It's located about an hour and a half from Tel Aviv and we are banking on a mix of 50% domestic tourism and 50% foreign tourism who will combine their visit with a desert experience alongside the historic sites of ancient Israel that are nearby." The new hotel near Arad will compete with other luxury hotels in the Negev Last year Isrotel opened the Kedma Hotel near Sde Boker whoh operates alongside the Beresheet Hotel in Mitzpe Ramon and Six Senses opened the Shaharut hotel in the Arava - probably Israel's most expensive hotel Fattal has 220 hotels in Israel; and worldwide and 7Minds in which Fattal brought a majority stake from Oren Pascal and Ben Braverman last year has four boutique hotels in Tel Aviv with seven more hotels in the development stage in Jerusalem Tel Aviv and the Hula Valley in the Upper Galilee 7Minds is also working with White City Buildings its partner in the Nordau Hotel in Tel Aviv Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on January 5 © Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. which boasts over 850 million players worldwide and expands upon the Dungeon & Fighter universe with an appealing new narrative never before seen in the series Dungeon & Fighter: ARAD features action packed combat engaging characters and a stunning open world filled with monsters and puzzles for players to experience all backed by the powerful Unreal Engine 5 Dungeon & Fighter: ARAD features a variety of content Dungeon & Fighter: ARAD will make an appearance on large-scale advertisements placed around the Peacock Theater during The Game Awards ceremony The advertisement features iconic logos from the history of the Dungeon & Fighter Universe with new images and the trailer from the Dungeon & Fighter: ARAD Watch the trailer below. View the screenshots at the gallery Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without acknowledgment of Gematsu is prohibited Use of this site is governed by all applicable laws Website by 44 Bytes Arad is a dusty town for a quick pit stop on the way to the Dead Sea It was then that I spent six months in this southern Israeli town bordering the Negev andJudean deserts as part of an international program for postgraduate students (sadly We were housed in low-rise sand-colored apartment buildings Here we would buy a slice of pizza or a bag of sunflower seeds on which to munch while hanging out and watching Bedouins Our neighbors were new immigrant Ethiopian families (the Russian wave came a year or two later) whose exotic cooking spices seemed to permeate through the building’s thin walls On a Facebook page initiated recently by one of our group far away in Atlanta many wrote that the six months they spent in Arad were among the best times in their lives.Arad is only a two-hour drive away from my home It was time to bring the town from a warmbut distant memory into the present In 1989, we survived on strong Turkish (botz) coffee or latte accompanied by rugelach from the bakery on the square. Now there’s Studio Coffee in Arad’s Artists Quarter (also a new addition) which would not be out of place in the hip Tel Aviv neighborhood of Florentin The cafe was opened five years ago by Cincinnati-born Anna Lane who studied the art of coffee with a roasting master in Korea Today’s special blend is written up in chalk: it’s Colombian/Ethiopian Yirgacheffe rated as one of the highest quality Arabica coffees in the world matcha or rose latte or a lemon/ginger elixir Everything on the menu at Studio Coffee is baked from scratch A specialty is Keto cookies that come in a variety of flavors (chocolate orange On the morning of our visit there are a few customers at work on laptops; a mother and baby (a table for drawing and a basket of toys is in one corner); and at a large table a knitting group established by former American the famous Israeli novelist Amoz Oz moved his family here so that his son’s asthma could improve.Mindfulness was then intuitive and our place to practice it was the Moab Lookout at sunset Here you can still relax next to Igael Tumarkin’s monumental white sculpture and take in the spectacular panoramic desert view there are many wellness practitioners in Arad Try Watsu (Japanese underwatertherapy) at Shamayim B’Mayim (Heaven in Water); a meditation and movement circle at Roots Center or connecting to the desert wilderness on a medicinal herb tour with anthropologist Yonat Mordoch At Mordoch’s Yonat Midbar studio in the Artists Quarter she holds candle-making and natural cosmetics workshops and sells products such as vegan candles (no beeswax) and natural deodorant Three wineries have opened in Arad over the last years: Tsoof, Yatir and Midbar I visited Midbar Winery in the Artists Quarter Midbar produces red and white wines from grapes that grow in Mitzpeh Ramon’s desertclimate The winery also hosts tastings and offers the possibility of arranging a pairing of Midbar wines with a chef meal from Guy Pistrov who grew up in Arad and after a culinary career abroad came back to his hometown Arad also has an artisanal beer brewery these days: Sheeta What started as a hobby has turned into an award-winning range of craft beers IPA and fun flavors that change according to the season (in summer he makes raspberry beer) Back then we just took off into the desert. Today, Arad is part of the Israel Trail which stretches over 970 kilometers from north to south There are 15 hiking trails out of the town and a marked bicycle trail from Arad to Masada I was happy to discover that Muza But the once simple neighborhood pub is now located at the entrance to the city It has a more international feel these days with a wall of soccer club flags from around the world and a menu that includes pasta Another Arad nightlife option these days is the beer garden at Sheeta Brewery which operates from Wednesday to Saturday and has the occasional live music performance where we watched “Indiana Jones” and “Batman,” was abandoned for many years but is now undergoing renovation and will soon reopen The Arad Contemporary Art Center opened in 2016 Besides being an exhibition space it also runs a contemporary art residency program that attracts both local and foreign artists The quest for authentic cuisine is far more prevalent today than it was in the 1980s Arad has taken advantage of its diverse population to offer home hospitality experiences Some of these are culinary and include a Persian feast Kaparuchka is a new discovery tucked away in one of Arad’s residential neighborhoods This cute restaurant serves thin-crust pizza calzone and focaccia baked in an Italian brick oven Family members from abroad didn’t usually opt to stay in Arad when visiting but went to a luxury hotel at the Dead Sea Arad’s only accommodation was at the youth hostel or the Inbar hotel Now there is the Yehelim boutique hotel Midbar by 7 Minds (now owned by Fattal Hotel Group) and WCG’s Roxon Desert Arad will give Arad some high-end vacation options Arad’s population has grown to 30,000 and it achieved city status in 1995 Joining theoriginal population are many immigrants from the former Soviet Union and also GurHasidim “Arad fell into a coma for many years and now we are back ready to offer our specialand unique desert tourism – local authentic and relaxed,” Shashua tells ISRAEL21c.It won’t take me 30-plus years to come back Read more about what to do in Arad here Log in via email All your bookmarks will be available across all your devices Password must be 8 characters long including one capital letter Please confirm your email address and we’ll send you a link to reset your password Single account access for STIRworld.com,STIRpad.com and exclusive STIRfri content Verification link sent to check your inbox or spam folder to complete sign up process or opt for the best experience by closing this banner For more detailed information please read our Privacy Policy Laffanour | Galerie Downtown's show dialogues between Jean Prouvé's pragmatic vision and Ron Arad's artistic approach highlighting metal's versatility as a material and concept by STIRpadPublished on : Nov 24 showcasing its potential as both a functional material and a medium for artistic expression blending creative and functional innovation which exemplifies his innovative use of white-lacquered tubular metal and folded steel Each of Prouvé's creations is designed as an overall solution, where every element contributes to a global experience. He placed particular emphasis on articulation and assembly systems, using them to showcase the beauty of his product designs A prime example is the base of his Standard chair which was crafted to be not only elegant and ergonomic but "By pairing the works of Jean Prouvé and Ron Arad, the exhibition highlights their mutual interest in the material and its expressive potential. This interaction reveals how each of these designers use metal to explore the intersections between art and design," they continue Laffanour | Galerie Downtown also presents the Twenty-Four chair designed by Arad as a tribute to Prouvé Arad nearly failed his degree for failing to return a book by Prouvé to the library he was struck by how deeply Prouvé's ideas resonated with his own To emphasise the furniture designer’s influence on the aesthetic approach, Arad draws inspiration from a mysterious chair known only through a sketch and a photograph never seen by even Prouvé's close associates and family—such as Rolf Fehlbaum Deyan Sudjic and Prouvé's daughter and granddaughter Catherine and Delphine Drouin Prouvé—remains a mystery in the designer's legacy Arad embarked on a 'forensic reconstitution' of the chair meticulously analysing the visible details and re-evaluating its dimensions materials and technical mechanisms to revive this lost masterpiece Ron Arad has humorously written a sentence on the back of this iconic creation laser-cut from an aluminium plate on a red leather background: 'No one A bold nod to a century of visionary design." produced in partnership with More-So in Udine goes beyond a simple reconstruction; it embodies the essence of this exhibition illustrating the harmonious dialogue between two great masters of design and pushing back the boundaries between homage and innovation," they add Since its founding in the early 1980s by François Laffanour, Laffanour | Galerie Downtown has been committed to showcasing the furniture designs of 20th-century architects, with a particular focus on the key figures of post-war architecture. gets a cinematic trailer during The Game Awards 2024 Meet the characters and more in this Dungeon & Fighter: ARAD cinematic trailer for the open-world action-adventure RPG ","commentCount":1,"comment":[{"@context":"http://schema.org/","@type":"Comment","datePublished":"2024-12-13","author":{"@context":"http://schema.org/","@type":"Person","name":"Thribs"},"text":"Those costumes don’t look appropriate for fighting if the reader doesn’t think that you’ve left me for a woman 2022The following are comments I've jotted down after many long years of reading the books of Maya Arad and from conversations I have held with her over the past year: * She is the finest living author writing in Hebrew (most certainly if one takes quality and productivity into account) * In spite of her colossal talent and excessive zeal not only from Israel – Arad has lived abroad since 1994 and in the United States since 2002 – but also from the Israeli roster of “canonical authors.” Is a religious person who won't go into a nonkosher place boycotting it * She claims this does not bother her at all (but in many of her works the protagonist displays a desperate desire for honor and recognition * She is one of the most controlled and reserved interviewees I have met (in other words: tough) precise responses – and then revises and resends them later no one else could write it."Credit: Yosef AradArad She wrote one of them – a book of essays on culture – with Reviel Netz and is a professor of classics and of philosophy at Stanford Her books often feature characters from the realm of academia or the literary world She is currently Writer in Residence at the Taube Center for Jewish Studies at Stanford University Her wrinkled and bitter protagonists are at times given to crises or simply overcome by a painful lack of awareness Arad will from time to time pierce them with her own precise diagnoses or at the very least trains her especially strong flashlight on them every so often a real and sad compassion that appears for a moment like a bent-over and withered flower is directed at them or toward them or hovers in the background much like a faint violin melody emanating from somewhere in the worlds she creates The status of literature as an exalted art form no longer exists there are more voices coming from others – more women As for the very surprising fact that in spite of her extended U.S none of her books have been translated into English because I do not want to come across as a whiner Nor is it entirely true to say that I have not been translated at all Stories and excerpts of novels have been translated no book has been translated in its entirety.” Open gallery viewThe campus of Stanford University in California a professor of classics and of philosophy.Credit: Beck Diefenbach/ReutersThat is due to the fact that "the publishing market in the United States is in the throes of great difficulties to a greater extent than the market in Israel A total of 2.3 percent of the books appearing in America each year are translated from another language marriage – there are quite enough of them in English Holocaust – and women don’t write about these topics as much I am trying to understand to what extent your Limited exposure is by choice and to what extent the vulgar tastes of the audience are to blame I am traveling in the dark with flashlights and only see what’s going on 20 meters in front of me I cannot influence the status that I will have but I can influence how my next book will be.” Open gallery viewThe cover of author Maya Arad's latest book called "All about Abigail" in English.Credit: Modan Publishing House'Let the chaos begin!' “All about Abigail” is story of Abigail Shalev a fairly well-known 40-plus author who anxiously watches as the fate of her most recently published book unfolds while announcement of the long and short lists of candidates for the Sapir Prize serves her simultaneously as oxygen and butcher’s knife She is also in the midst of a writing crisis and what would seem to be a crisis in her intimate but passion-less relationship with her husband She makes a desperate escape from everything by falling in love with a woman who crosses her path and who is involved in what might be called “an alternative family.” The book is replete with Nabokovian contrivances that Arad successfully weaves into the plot but it is reasonable to make the assumption that after so many years and so many books Arad has simply written a book about herself Arad: “I thought that in any case everyone would think that it’s me so why shouldn’t I play around with it a bit she also has two children [Arad has two daughters: Darya she wrote a book about the Education Corps [the setting of the first book by Arad who served in that corps) and another one about the academic world and people comment that she writes too much about food because there is also the second Abigail – Abigail Negbi who is from Rishon Letzion and is the daughter of a psychologist Any dime-store Freudian would tell you that you set up this exile for yourself so that you would not have to face the same situation faced by your protagonist: the humiliating waiting game waiting for the list of Sapir finalists to be announced when the rule was issued forbidding authors who live outside Israel from being candidates I made the long list twice [with ‘Short Story Master’ and ‘Suspected Dementia’] and the shortlist once [with ‘Another Place Open gallery viewIsraeli author David Grossman "No one receives the status of the 'three tenors': A.B Yehoshua-Amos Oz-Grossman," says Maya Arad.Credit: Gonzalo Fuentes / ReutersWhy does your new protagonist fall in love with a woman “When I do the 'reverse engineering' of the book I understand that she should have fallen in love with this character that she thinks that she will give her the key both to her personal crisis and to her writing crisis because she speaks about women’s literature And if we’re already doing a spoiler alert which begins as a very realistic novel about the literary world gradually turns out to be the debut novel of Tal a young lesbian writer who is in love with Abigail In this book passion finds all sorts of expressions and outlets Anything that has to do with a man is simply devoid of passion “I very much like writing about the literary world, and in 2009 when I wanted to write about it, I hid behind a male author [in ‘Short Story Master’]. I missed writing about the feminine experience. The difference between the place of women in prose and their place in Hebrew poetry is quite conspicuous women have been present in the center – Rachel Zelda – whereas in prose they have been in the margins but they are relatively marginal vis-a-vis the prototypical male author the man of letters who also speaks out in public at political assemblies two things occurred simultaneously: Women began to be present in prose in a more significant manner and literature lost the stature it had had until that generation And the change that the literary world has undergone is the subject of the book no less than the fact of a woman writing it.” Passion for women – not necessarily sexual – is that something that's happened to you “I have been in a monogamous relationship for 33 years My oldest daughter is now the same age I was when I met Reviel I felt as if I were some historic museum exhibit How did your partner react to the book’s depiction of marriage where there is a sex scene between the two people in the long-standing relationship I told him: ‘It’s obvious to you that anybody who reads this will think that this is us.’ And he said: ‘Maya if the reader doesn’t think at the end of the book that you’ve left me for a woman then you didn’t do your job.’ In other words he totally understood what he was getting into Open gallery viewIsraeli author Zeruya Shalev “Obviously Zeruya and Eshkol [Nevo] sell more than I do and that is wonderful," says Maya Arad.Credit: David Bachar“It isn’t us It’s a little bit like seeing a nude portrait at an exhibition and afterward meeting the model and telling her: ‘Hey I saw you naked!’ You didn’t see her naked What you saw was a representation of something.” You once told me that “All about Abigail” was a time of terrible crisis that you told yourself “if this book fails We’d also worked together a lot on ‘Our Lady of Kazan’ and he said: 'This is a worse situation than "Our Lady of Kazan."’ That was a very difficult moment A book entitled ‘All about Abigail’ will come out Often your central characters are in a mid-life crisis Anyone who’s reached age 50 has already gathered around him or her several people who have not reached age 50 So I remind myself that I am fortunate to reach that milestone but people do ‘flip the record over to side B.’ I do see a decline among authors after age 70.” Does cognitive regression or a decline in sharpness frighten you 2003) – based on the format of Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin,” no less in classics and linguistics at Tel Aviv University and received a doctorate in linguistics (she speaks six languages) from the University of London she was a decade ahead of her protagonists and experienced her mid-life crisis at age 30 when she abandoned academia and became an author Open gallery viewA pro-Palestinian protest by supporters of BDS in Paris "Most of the BDSniks are not saying ‘We want a multistage plan for ending the occupation," says author Arad.Credit: AFPShe is a very diligent writer she is meticulous about keeping to a daily quota of 1,000 words “Now I have a manuscript that I am correcting I began writing it in early February last year I always need something to divert my attention when the book is with the printer.” a community 45 minutes south of San Francisco “Our WiFi network is the only one in the house with this double name Neither of us is crazy about hyphenated names Reviel suggested that if we had girls they'd get my family name and the boys she resembles some of the characters in her works – Israelis searching for themselves in the Diaspora who go into teaching and lead creative writing workshops remembers the frozen bagels reheated on a radiator in his office at MIT.Credit: Majed Jaber/Reuters“The groups are very diverse They all share the desire to be in contact with Hebrew and with people who write in Hebrew both in terms of writing and also in human terms.” Do you look down on your pupils as do your characters – authors with abundant talent who are compelled to earn a living and deal with a ludicrous and unaware bunch of untalented people because she read ‘Short Story Master’ and was afraid I would treat my pupils like its protagonist did I said that I was happy that she’d come; she also came to the follow-up workshop and we remain in contact to this day I had one pupil who said she really loves to write Obviously that provokes a certain response.” The majority of people do not have skills like yours I don't believe you are not aware of this gap “If in a yoga class there are people that can't do an exercise unless they are given two blocks An author typically forfeits his subconscious Writing is essentially an irresponsible act for a person like you I sometimes surf online forums of authors and literature on Facebook and I read about writers who talk about how it all flows from within themselves how it bursts forth from their subconscious They say: ‘I do not want to tamper with that because it would interfere with my true subconscious bursting forth.’ But I work differently I am thinking about what will be on the paper what a person who picks up the book will see.” I have never uploaded a post and I don’t have friends Are you happy the Netanyahus are now less prominent than in the past now we have arrived at the subject of Israeli politics,” she says sharpening her concentration in order to maximize control “I have a long-term relationship with them in order to study and it was obvious that we were returning after a few years and all of a sudden we woke up with Netanyahu Reviel’s academic adviser asked him beforehand if he wanted him to help him to find work [abroad] I am only applying for jobs in Israel.’ And a little while after that anywhere.’ That is how we got to where we are I felt that if six months after [Prime Minister Yitzhak] Rabin was assassinated you could elect Netanyahu "it was a sort of painful reminder that there is something wrong with the world and among the Israeli friends it reawakened the trauma of Netanyahu My daughters cried after Trump was elected ‘Imagine if Barack Obama were assassinated In ‘The Hebrew Teacher’ [a recent work that consists of three novellas] there is a character named Yoad Bergman Harari, An academic with strident left-wing opinions who is an insufferable person. He is a supporter of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement Is a religious person who won't go into a nonkosher place boycotting it Do you support economic sanctions on Israel in order to end the occupation “Before the last election in the United States was saying that if only there would finally be a president who was ‘bad for Israel’ – in the sense that it would put pressure on Israel to withdraw from territories and reach an arrangement.” “In South Africa it was obvious that the pressure was meant to do away with apartheid Most of the BDSniks are not saying ‘We want a multistage plan for ending the occupation let’s boycott Israel.’ And that is useless and illogical.” What's up with you and food in your writing Both of whom love descriptions of clothing ‘She wore the pleated skirt with the lavender sweater.’ With me you have to assume that people aren’t going to leave the house naked My sisters and I always laugh about how my grandmother would ask about every event: What did they give you to eat There is something about food that is sensual and tactile; based on food "Food that isn’t good is a real downer for me if you would come to a meeting with Chomsky in the early afternoon he would take out some frozen bagel he’d brought from home and put it on the radiator to thaw and then fill it with some processed cheese and have some mass-produced kind of cookie for dessert “That was the question I most hated being asked when I’d give book readings there would always be the boomer who would get up and ask: When are you returning to Israel I love my idea of spending increasingly longer periods of time in Israel and most certainly when the children will no longer be in school I don’t know if I will get to the point of what is described in the Sapir Prize as having ‘the center of her life in Israel.’ Right now Inside the north London house of the man who transformed British design I had an idea of London inside my head from English films. Every film made in London was art, but from Hollywood it was junk. I was an arrogant teen!” says a smiling Ron Arad of his decision to leave Tel Aviv and move to London in 1973 Arad, who studied architecture, under pressure from his mother, at the Architectural Association school in London, is sporting his trademark round felt hat. He is sitting on a curvaceous Victoria & Albert crimson sofa, one of his own pieces, created for the Italian furniture brand Moroso in the conservatory of his north London home they have lived here for more than 30 years In the world of art, design and architecture, Ron Arad is a household name and the sale of his 1993 polished stainless steel D-Sofa smashed auction records when it sold for £1.23m in 2021 His home is a testament to his lifelong commitment to creative industry and almost every design and piece of furniture in it is a prototype which Arad designed for the Milan Furniture Fair in 1993 It went on to become one of Kartell’s bestselling pieces globally it is still produced and there is even one on display in the furniture collection at the V&A “It’s the first Bookworm I made; it is created from tempered steel,” says Arad “I looked at this wall when we first moved in and drew the shape with my finger on the wall I thought it would be nice to have a shelf like that I had no idea the industrial version would become my most popular piece.” Earth tones: Arad used a powder-based dye mixed with water in ochre and terracotta to paint the walls Photograph: Monica Spezia/Living InsideTo the left of the shelves hang three posters Arad tore them from a billboard decades ago images and words.” The fraying edges add to their charm and convey the message he is eager to share: “This home is not meant to be for Elle Decoration which is from a series of 40 he designed as an installation for the Cartier Foundation The steel kitchen counter was designed and built by Arad at his studio Arad dyed the walls with a powder-based dye mixed with water in ochre and terracotta And although they “didn’t interfere much” with the building he designed the conservatory on the ground floor creating a home studio and balcony off the kitchen with stairs down to the garden built using Corten steel and a glass block ceiling Inside, a chequered rug designed by Arad for Nani Marquina hugs the floor are fully functional: Arad fixed magnets to the tips to move them among the steel and glass above The garden is a literal retrospective of his work, littered with surreal chairs, tables and designs created for Moroso, Qeeboo and a sign from an exhibition at the Serpentine This is a man who never stops making; a joyful nonconformist He calls his studio the playground and when asked for advice on creativity Arad laughs: “Boredom is the mother of creativity and what happens if I do this… But I don’t think creative people need advice about how to be creative.” For more information, go to ronarad.com This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media bG Gallery is delighted to announce a solo exhibition featuring the evocative sculptures of Joyce Arad scheduled to run from December 4th to December 10 This exclusive event will showcase Arad's latest works which delve deeply into the intricate emotions and experiences of women Joyce Arad is known for her unique ability to capture the nuanced emotions that define women creating a community of women who embody grace Each sculpture is a product of Arad's meticulous study of geometry and personality resulting in pieces that convey subtle yet profound character and emotion The exhibition will feature Arad’s three primary series inspired by global events and personal experiences These pieces were predominantly created during the pandemic allowing Arad to establish a deep connection with the women she brings to life creating powerful narratives of freedom and emotion through line and volume The Lifestyle series focuses on different phases of a woman’s life thus creating a harmonious narrative of time and age bG Gallery is known for showcasing artists who bridge diverse art ideologies The gallery is dedicated to presenting works that challenge traditional boundaries and invite viewers to engage with art on multiple levels Join us for this extraordinary exhibition and experience the profound artistry of Joyce Arad Jesca Hoop, Kate Stables (This Is The Kit) and Lail Arad will perform intimate interpretations of their favourite Joni Mitchell songs, joined by Richard Sears on piano, and Lisa Hannigan and Loah, who will make special guest appearances in London and Dublin. The Songs Of Joni Mitchell, originally conceived and curated by Lail Arad to mark Joni Mitchell’s 80th birthday took place last year at the Roundhouse in London. The event was hosted by Cerys Matthews, and featured performances from Emeli Sandé, Eska, Jesca Hoop, Kate Stables, Lail Arad, Olivia Chaney, Sam Amidon and Vashti Bunyan. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Songs Of Joni Mitchell (@thesongsofjonimitchell) The shows will take place in Glasgow, Manchester, Bristol, Brighton, London, Galway, Limerick, Dublin, and Paris. Hoop and Arad are joining forces to launch Songs Of a rolling concert series celebrating the world’s finest songwriters through the unique voices of those they’ve inspired Tickets for all shows go on sale at 9am on 11 April Get the Best Fit take on the week in music direct to your inbox every Friday Idit Arad calls for better protection for music students as London college admits failing in its duty of care to her It should have been the start of a great career in classical music for Idit Arad Everything was lining up for the talented 18-year-old opera singer She had arrived in London from Israel in 1987 the proud winner of a sought-after scholarship to train at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama But instead of building the foundations of a successful future she was singled out by a tutor 20 years her senior for a long period of obsessive attention and abuse Paul Roberts pursued her from their first lesson inviting her for coffee and then for a dinner to discuss her talent before sending a stream of explicit letters calling her a “witch” and urging her into sexual intimacy knew of their involvement and yet failed to discipline Roberts Arad is speaking of her experience for the first time after making a complaint to the school about its failings “I should have felt safe there and free to develop my talent,” she says who should have had my welfare and the safeguarding of other young students as a priority.” Guildhall finally acknowledged failing in its duty of care to protect Arad from gross misconduct It has since described Roberts’s behaviour as “appalling and completely unacceptable” and has acknowledged its failure to respond adequately had remained a teacher at the school for another 30 years at the outset of an internal inquiry prompted by Arad’s recent allegation Guildhall has now revealed to Arad that it did uphold her complaint finding later in the investigation that his behaviour had constituted “gross misconduct” It would have dismissed him had he not already resigned his post Roberts still teaches students and did not comment when approached “I was completely shocked that Guildhall had kept the outcome back from me,” says Arad Arad believes her experience and the belated response at Guildhall show the need to better protect music students they are vulnerable to those in authority during a period of intense study “This type of behaviour is still endemic in the classical music world – men of power expecting sexual favours of aspiring singers confident woman and to tell such a man to go to hell is possible but as a young student it is very different,” she says “My dearest wish in coming forward is for all music institutions in charge of young people to put in place a short course on safeguarding for teachers where they must commit to not inflicting any form of inappropriate behaviour or abuse students should be told how to recognise such behaviour She adds: “I also hope that anyone who has suffered as I did as a student be it the current school administration or a journalist Arad’s musical potential had been spotted early in her native Israel She sang in her school choir and played the cello her exceptional voice earned her specialist tuition she was noticed by a renowned singing teacher The teenager was invited to study with Rózsa “It was a huge honour to be accepted to study with her as she only taught four singers from the Guildhall at the time and I was the only undergraduate,” Arad recalls But after she met Roberts in her first term my beloved vocationIdit AradIn later life Arad came to view his behaviour differently I was lonely and he damaged my understanding of who I was with an awful combination of love bombing and gaslighting They took part in sexual activity on Guildhall grounds but I was 20 years younger and his student,” she says crying alone for hours once when Roberts left her student room: “I couldn’t cope It took me a long time to get enough strength to get on with my life.” Her student peers remember how upset she seemed “I wish I had properly understood,” one British classical musician and friend says “I knew she was unhappy with him but I did not realise just how much difficulty she was in.” In a letter Arad then sent to Roberts she begs him to leave his teaching job so that she can concentrate on her studies did manage to stop contact with Roberts after she left Guildhall She went on to sing professionally and to record with leading international artists She believes her promising career was hindered by her early encounter with Roberts She decided to complain officially to Guildhall in 2021 after talking over student days with friends and looking once more at the pile of letters from Roberts “I realised I would never feel better about that time unless I confronted Guildhall,” she says After receiving a sympathetic response to her complaint from the school’s current principal A 2022 letter to her concluded that interaction between a staff member and a student was “not unique” at the time admitting that Arad had reason to have felt “unsupported” Arad welcomes the school’s recent acceptance of what she went through but also damaged my personal life,” she says She also still has serious questions about why more wasn’t done Roberts was not officially reprimanded during her time at the school but she was sent to a college psychologist A spokesperson for the Guildhall School of Music and Drama said: “We deeply regret the failings in our duty of care towards Idit Arad and apologise unreservedly The behaviour she experienced during her time at the school in the 1980s was appalling and completely unacceptable We took immediate action when this case came to light in 2021 As soon as a formal complaint was made in December 2021 the staff member was immediately suspended pending an externally led investigation “Following the investigation’s conclusions in June 2022 which was conducted in his absence in October 2022 found that his behaviour constituted gross misconduct which would have led to dismissal had he still been in the school’s employment He was also stripped of his fellowship by the school “We take the duty of care of all students extremely seriously Guildhall School has robust safeguarding measures in place which are regularly reviewed to ensure a safe and secure learning environment for our students We are committed to a culture free from bullying Formal complaints procedures are accessible to all students and our dedicated in-house counselling team and head of safeguarding provide direct support.” This article was amended on 9 March 2025 to clarify that Guildhall apologised to Idit Arad in a 2022 letter for the fact she had been unsupported The American giant Greenbrier is closing the Astra Rail wagon factory in Arad The decision is explained by pressures in the industry Greenbrier now states that the closure decision was influenced by several factors rising operational costs compared to other units and logistical constraints related to the age of the factory and the urban environment Greenbrier Romania assures that it will continue to strengthen its production operations at the Caracal and Drobeta Turnu Severin factories The company intends to further invest in these units to support their long-term development The three factories, spanning 357,000 square meters, have a production capacity of 5,000 freight wagons per year, the largest capacity in Europe according to the latest data. The factories were producing for clients in Western Europe as there was no demand in Romania, as reported by ZF. Existing orders will be fulfilled from the other two existing factories and acquisition and logistics strategies will be adjusted according to needs "Greenbrier deeply appreciates the long history of wagon production in Arad and the dedication of the workforce The company is fully engaged in this process and will closely cooperate with unions and the local community to provide support to the affected employees throughout this transition All efforts will be made to assist affected colleagues including professional counseling and honoring the contributions of all those who have been essential over the years," as stated in the company's press release an American manufacturer of railcars and barges recorded revenues of nearly $4 billion in 2023 Astra Rail Industries is the largest player in the Romanian rolling stock market competing with players such as Alstom Transport Astra Vagoane Călători Arad (Valer Blidar) or Softronic Craiova (locomotive production) The anime-style game in Nexon's Dungeon & Fighter universe was shown off in full at The Game Awards Nexon has shown off Arad: Dungeon & Fighter in an extended trailer at The Game Awards The anime-style game features a large cast of characters in a colorful fantasy setting Arad's reveal trailer begs a comparison to HoYoverse's gacha giant Genshin Impact The trailer shows a number of its characters carrying out their daily lives in the city--shopping and playing card games--before they embark on an adventure out in the world on board an airship it does hint at some of the traversal and combat mechanics showing characters using glider-type devices surfing across the top of a lake on skimmers and fighting with weapons including swords While most of the trailer is light and fun darkness sets in at the end as a swirling vortex of malevolent power threatens the formerly idyllic world For anyone who enjoyed the trailer's upbeat backing music Nexon has revealed it as Someone to Love by Atomic Tom Arad is developed by Nexon Games in Unreal Engine 5. The game doesn't currently have a release date, but The Game Awards premiere revealed it will be released for PC, console, and mobile. A post from the game's official X account also suggests it will also have some degree of cross-platform play Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com ESCLog in to comment "data-img-src" : imgSrc } = buylink %> />><%= itemTitle %> and deals sent to your inbox Monday to Friday it seems that people refuse to learn from history' and warned of the immediacy in bringing the hostages home 2024Get email notification for articles from Haaretz FollowJan 11 2024The daughter of missing Israeli air force soldier Ron Arad who was declared missing in action in Lebanon in 1986 compared on Thursday the promises politicians made to her family to those made to families of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza Open gallery viewMissing Israel Air Force navigator Ron Arad.Credit: APWriting from her mother's account Arad called for a deal to release the hostages held in Gaza and drew comparisons between her own family's ordeal and the current hostage crisis and we also flew around the world to meet with international officials to exert pressure And there were yellow ribbons and blue balloons Arad emphasized the need to negotiate a deal at all costs They have to negotiate with a murderous terrorist organization They will hurt us as a people and as a country and they will hurt the ministers of this government politically." served as a navigator and weapons system officer in the Israeli Air Force He is thought to have been captured by Amal in 1986 after he bailed out of his plane during an operation in southern Lebanon Although it is assumed he died many years ago Arad is officially listed as Missing In Action Two months ago, Yuval Arad's mother, Tami Arad, wrote a similar post on social media. In it, she references the photos and letters she received during her husband's first two years of capture I have a hard time looking at them," she wrote "But they served as testimony to the fact that he was still alive She said the pieces of correspondence bore witness to her husband's suffering and the torture he was experiencing and that he was being treated "like a caged animal." Tami Arad's words mirrored her daughter's in terms of the need to learn from what their family went through "The lone success that we can humbly claim is that Ron is a cornerstone of our national consciousness," she wrote "Perhaps we've succeeded in imprinting his fate in the people's hearts.. Maybe we can prevent the mistakes that were made with him from happening again."