n Agreement on Industrial, Scientific andTechnological Research and Development

(R&D) Cooperation was signed in Bologna on 13June 2000 by Italian Minister of Industry andForeign Trade, Enrico Letta, and his Israeli counterpart,Minister Ran Cohen.

Once the Agreement is ratified, the two countrieswill be able to rely on a new means of promotingcooperation between companies, research centresand universities in the field of industrial, scientific

and technological R&D. The Agreement specifiesin particular the areas of medicine, public healthand hospital organization; biotechnology; agricultureand food science; new energy sources and naturalresource use; applications of information technologyto education and scientific research; environment;

communication; innovationof production processes;space; data communicationand software.Both countries will providegrants for joint industrialR&D projects. These willfacilitate the developmento f i n n o v a t i v e a n dmarketable sys tems,products, applications andprocesses which will benefitthe economies of both Italyand Israel. Grant support

will be up to 50% of the total R&D cost of a project.Further undertakings envisaged by the Agreementare the exchange of scientific and technical informationand documentation, and the joint organization of

seminars, symposia and workshops on industrial,scientific and technological topics.Italy and Israel will also encourage companies toidentify joint projects which could be eligible forsupport schemes from the European Union (suchas the "RTD" Framework Program), or from otherInternational Organizations. The two countries willalso promote partnership programmes within the"MEDA" Programme Fund of the European Unionfor the Euro-Mediterranean Area.In order to carry out the Agreement, a jointcommission for industrial, scientific and technologicalR&D cooperation will be established and workinggroups will be formed for specific sectors such aselectronics and biotechnology. As mentioned above,the Agreement will come into force after theratification by the Parliaments of the two countries.<>

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AUGUST 2000No. 7

Edited by:The Italian Embassy in Tel Aviv

Embassy of Italy4, Weizman St. Tel AvivTel: 03-6964223/4/5 Fax: 03-6918428E-mail:italemb@netvision.net.ilwww.italian-embassy-israel.org

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ITALY AND ISRAEL SIGN AGREEMENT ON INDUSTRIALR&D COOPERATION

ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE EU-ISRAEL ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT

ITALIAN INSTITUTE FOR FOREIGN TRADE AND ISRAELEXPORT INSTITUTE TO PROMOTE TRADE JOINTLYIN THIRD COUNTRIES

ITALY PROMOTING RESEARCH IN MICROELECTRONICS:THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL'S PROJECT"MADESS II"

ISRAEL COUNTRY PRESENTATION IN TORINO

EUMEDIS: A EURO-MEDITERRANEAN PROJECTFOR E-COMMERCE.

NEW PRESIDENT FOR THE ITALIAN MANUFACTURERS'ASSOCIATION: ANTONIO D'AMATO.

ITALY AS THIRD LARGEST CONTRIBUTOR TO PEACE-KEEPING OPERATIONS:DECORATIONS FOR SOUTHERN LEBANON

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION OF ARCHITECTURE INMEMORY OF BRUNO ZEVI

SUPREME COURT AHARON BARAK HONORED BYBOLOGNA UNIVERSITY

DISCOVER ITALY: THE MOSAICS OF RAVENNA

EVENTS IN ITALY

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ITALY AND ISRAEL SIGN AGREEMENT ONI N D U S T R I A L R & D C O O P E R A T I O N

During the "Israel Country Presentation" eventthat took place in Turin from 13-15 June (seepage 4), an Agreement of Mutual Assistancewas reached between the trade promotioninstitutes of Italy and Israel, ICE (Istituto peril Commercio Estero) and IEI (Israel ExportInstitute). The document was signed by bothPresidents, Fabrizio Onida and Amir Makov.

Even though the main goal of both institutionsis the promotion and enhancement of their owncountries' exports, they realise that mutualcooperation is advantageous to both of them.The Agreement states, therefore, that both partiesshall encourage and facilitate not only commercialties between the two Countries, but also jointt rade promotion in other markets .<>

On June 2000, the EU-Israel Association Agreement entered into force, after having been ratifiedby the Parliaments of the 15 Member States. The importance of commercial relations betweenthe EU and Israel will be further enhanced by the full implementation of the Association Agreementand by the creation of an institutional political dialogue through an "Association Council". Theinaugural meeting of the Association Council was held on last June 13 in Brussels, where Israel'sForeign Minister, Mr. David Levy, and his EU counterparts discussed the relations between theParties. In addition to political dialogue and trade relations, the Association Agreement sets outa large number of areas for possible cooperation, in financial services, industry, energy, standards,information infrastructure, telecommunication, tourism and transport. This Agreement completesa series of Agreements between Israel and the EU meant to lay the basis for the creation of an"Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area" by the year 2010.<>

ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE EU-ISRAEL ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT

F O C U S

ITALIAN INSTITUTE FOR FOREIGN TRADE AND ISRAEL EXPORT INSTITUTETO P R O M O T E T R A D E J O I N T LY I N T H I R D C O U N T R I E S

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he June edition of "Notizie Italiane"described developments in

microelectronics in Italy. This editionhighlights a major project undertakenby Italy’s main research institution,CNR (Consiglio Nazionale delleRicerche): MADESS. In view of therecently signed Italian-Israeli Agreementon R&D Cooperation, MADESS canactively involve Israeli companies andresearch centres.

THE ORIGIN OF THEPROJECT: MADESS IA first focused project in microelectronics,MADESS I, was developed by CNRbetween 1987 and 1992. Two hundredoperational groups took part in it, from48 university departments, 24 laboratoriesof public research institutions and 30companies. MADESS I developed aboutfifty demonstrators, many of whichwere then introduced into production.

Some of the most important were:-Design of an EPROM memory cell of4 mbit made by SGS THOMSON(Agrate), CNR-LAMEL (Bologna) andby the universities of Bari, Bologna,

Catania, Modena and Rome, Tor Vergata.- H E M T d e v i c e s f o r o p t i c a lcommunications. Created by Alenia(Rome), CNR-MASPEC (Parma); IEN(Turin) and the universities of Modena

and Rome, Tor Vergata.- Monolithic amplifier at 25 Ghz.Created by Telettra (Milan) and theuniversities of Bologna, Padua, Palermo

and Pavia.- High efficiency spectrum analyser foroptoelectronics in the interval ofhyperfrequencies. Created by Alenia(Rome), CRES (Palermo), CNR-IROE

(Florence) and CNR-IAC (Rome).The mos t impor tan t resu l t o fMADESS I, however, was the creationof a previously lacking close link between

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SP1

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SP3

SP4

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Total

SUB-PROJECTS T O P I C ProposalSubmitted

ProposalApproved

Partners Costs PublicFunding ME

Materials, Technologies for AdvancedDevices

Silicon Integrated Structures

Architectures and VLSI Systems

Hyperfrequencies and Optoelectronics

Diagnostics

Sensors and Microsystems

20

21

34

20

13

44

152

17

11

13

11

9

27

88

67

42

49

43

37

45

283

35.5

46.0

51.5

51.5

30.5

35.5

251.0

8.0

10.0

11.0

11.0

6.5

8.0

54.5

I T A L Y P R O M O T I N G R E S E A R C H I NMICROELECTRONICS: THE NATIONAL RESEARCHCOUNCIL'S PROJECT "MADESS II"

M A D E S S I I : F I N A L A L L O C AT I O N O F R E S O U R C E S ( M E = m i l l i o n e u ro )

MADESS II: Allocation of resources according to recipients

business and the academic world.MADESS I helped to build a widespreadoperative network, resulting from theforging of close links between researchworkers at universities, researchinstitutions, Government and privatecompanies - a first significant steptowards the integrated structure whichwill facilitate the best use of resources.

MADESS II:THE DEVELOPMENTThe MADESS II Focused Project, whichstarted in 1998 and will go onuntil 2003, is aimed at influencing the sector of solid state electronicsand its applications, whichencompasses all the innovativetechnologies with rapidly growingeffect. MADESS II has identifiedthe fol lowing object ives:

- An overall increase in thecompetitiveness of the Italianproductive system in the directionof the spread of microelectronicsthroughout various sectors.- Greater use of natural resourcest h r o u g h t h e p r o c e s s o fminiaturising, introduced bymicroelectronics.- Strengthening high-techproductive activities.- Stimulus and support for basicresearch, which must remaindirected towards the latest issuesto be used by indust r ies .- Better-prepared and moreremunerative participation in theEuropean programmes.- On-the-job formation of severalhundred young people who can bereadily employed in research. They aretrained either at universities or at researchinstitutes and the laboratories of industrialcompanies, operating in the context ofmixed task forces for the creation ofdemonstrators previously chosen onthe basis of productive needs.- Enhancing of awareness and supportof small and medium-sized firms inthe most varied manufacturing sectors,so that they can improve their ownproducts through the introduction ofmicroelectronic devices, by followingthe activities of the "ad hoc" SMILE,SUMIS and MEPI programmes of the

European Community. These have nowbeen developed, facilitating widerparticipation by Italian companies inthe FUSE programme at present incourse, and in the EUREKA programmesin microelectronics which are plannedfor the near future.

The MADESS II Project willdevelop on three levels:Research level:the acquisition of new knowledge andnew technologies;

Demonstrator level:use of research to achieve a prototypedevice, or to perfect new methodology,technology or software;

System level:use of demonstrators to manufacturehigh technology products.

In Italy demand is highest in the fieldsof processing and distributing data;telecommunications; civil electronics;industrial electronics; transport.The final distribution of the allocationsfor MADESS II is shown in the tableon page 2.

The basic strategy of the feasibilitystudy shows some substantial differencesfrom MADESS I: first, the choice ofthe research topics was not determinedsolely by the importance which theresults may have for the purposes ofthe cultural and technical expansion ofthe enterprises (technology push), butwas also strongly influenced by theprospect of those market niches in whichItalian firms operate (market pull). Inthe present state of the Italian economy,it is necessary to choose those outletswhich seem most useful to the Italianelectronics industry. Thus it is important

to concentrate resources in thesectors which have already provento be successful as far as transferof technology is concerned, andin particular those segments whereItalian companies have alreadyfound appropriate market niches,or are likely to find them in thenear future. In this way, theclimate will be created for genuineinvolvement of the enterpriseswhich see MADESS II as aneffective tool for the integrationof their own planning activity,the results of which can be usedin the medium term (5 years).

In MADESS priority has beengiven to proposals from mixedgroups which included anenterprise of proven capacitywhich was interested in perfectinga particular demonstration sampleand academic groups capable ofproviding the basic knowledgeneeded.

FIRST RESULTSThe first results are of great relevanceand are described in detail with regardto each of the 88 coordinated projectsin a report published in April 2000,which can be obtained at the followingaddress:

Universita di Roma-Tor VergataFacolta di IngegneriaVia di Tor Vergata 110,00133 Roma (Italy);tel.: +39-06-2025535fax: +39-06-2025538email: iarossi@madess.cnr.it

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Subjects involved in MADESS II throughout Italy

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ollowing the Italian Technology Weekthat took place in Israel at the beginning

of December 1999, an Israeli business delegationwas the protagonist of a Country Presentationin Italy.The event took place in Turin from 13-15 June2000. 31 Israeli companies from the hi-tech andautomotive sectors were represented. The missionwas organized by the Israel Export Institute andheaded by Israeli Minister of Industry and Trade,Ran Cohen. The Israeli delegates were guestsof the Regional Government of Piedmont, ofthe Italian Institute for Foreign Trade I.C.E., ofthe Turin Chamber of Commerce and of theMayor of the city.On both days individual meetings between Italianand Israeli companies took place.

The President of the Israel Export Institute, AmirMakov, spoke about the macroeconomic situationof Israel and the potential for collaborationbetween Israel and Italy. The fascinating storyof the evolution of the Israeli technologicalincubators was illustrated by Rina Pridor. AmiramShore, President of the Israeli Association ofSoftware Houses, highlighted the innovativetechnologies in E-commerce and Internet. Allthe speakers stressed the innovative characterof technology being developed in Israel todaywhich are transforming the country into a worldleader in many hi-tech sectors.Among those representing Italy, renowneddesigner Andrea Pininfarina spoke about thevast investment possibilities in Italy and Tin.ItMarketing Manager Castilletti spoke aboutpotential cooperation in the communication

technologies sector. There were also reports onthe cooperation between Italy and Israel carriedout within the Fifth Programme of the EuropeanUnion for Research and Development. FabrizioOnida, President of the Italian Institute forForeign Trade, and Amir Makov signed anAgreement of Mutual Assistance between thetwo Institutions (see page 1).Paola Carrea, head of International Projects ofFIAT participated in a round-table session onInnovation and Information Technology. Thisenabled Israeli automotive companies to introducethemselves and their technologies to the Italiancar giant. A financial forum featured StefanoPreda, President of the Milan Stock Exchange,Marco Vitale, President of the Italian Associationof Venture Capital Funds, and Mr. Igal Erlich- Vitale's Israeli counterpart. <>

FISRAEL COUNTRY PRESENTATION IN TORINO

onfindustria, theI t a l i a n

M a n u f a c t u r e r s 'Associat ion, hasrecently chosen a new,dynamic President.He is from the Southand represents a newreali ty in I taly’sbusiness community.Antonio D'Amato wasborn in Naples, Italy, on 16 June 1957. After obtaininga degree in Law, he started his entrepreneurial life in1979 taking the lead of Cartoprint of Caronno Pertusella.In 1991 he became President of "Finseda". FinsedaInternational Packaging Group is leader in Europe forthe production of food packaging; its plants are inNaples, Bologna, Milano and, abroad, in Germany,Be lg ium, Un i t ed Kingdom and Por tuga l .The Group has about 2.000 employees; 50% of its salesare produced abroad and 50% in Italy; about 75% ofthe Italian production is exported abroad. Since 1986he is a member of the Board of Directors of Confindustria.From 1986 to 1990 he was President of the YoungIndustrialists Association and Vice President ofConfindustria.From May 1996 to May 1999 he dealt with the problemsof Southern of I ta ly within Confindustr ia .From June 1999 until May 2000 he was President ofthe Industrial Association of the Province of Naples.<>

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A NEW PRESIDENT FOR THEITALIAN MANUFACTURERS’ASSOCIATION: ANTONIO D’AMATO.

he University of Florence, in co-operation with some Italian

business associations, invites Israelicompanies to take part in theEUMEDIS programme.This is an initiative aimed at establishingEuro-Mediterranean cross-border pilotprojects on e-commerce.Its main aim is linking -t h r o u g h I n t e r n e t -distribution business onb o t h s i d e s o f t h eM e d i t e r r a n e a n : t h eEuropean Union withAlgeria, Cyprus, Egypt,Israel, Jordan, Lebanon,Malta, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority,Syria, Tunisia, Turkey.Each pilot project should provide solutionsto favour the creation of joint venturesor economic partnerships betweencompanies in the Mediterranean countries,fostering the development of a Euro-Mediterranean electronic market of bothproducts and services. The deadline forproposals is 7 September 2000.A Telework Agency named "ECKTA-Franchise-Net" will be created in orderto help implement the EUMEDISProgramme. It will be a type of "extendedvirtual enterprise" among the European

and Mediterranean partners, aimed atexploiting franchising opportunities,especially in such sectors as tourismand food distribution. It will provideconsulting services for the formulationof market plans to franchisor/franchiseecompanies willing to develop inter-

Mediterranean e-commerceactivities. It will alsoo r g a n i s e t r a i n i n gprogrammes in electronicsales techniques and try tofacilitate linguistic andcultural customization ofdigi ta l products andservices. Partners in

"ECKTA Franchise-Net" can be suchnon-profit organisations as universities,chambers of commerce, associations orfederations of SME’s. Partners in eachcountry should draft a sub-project withthe help of the national "focal points",in line with the general framework. Thelist of focal points can be found at:www.palazzochigi.it/fsi/ita/EUMEDIS/puntidicontatto.htm"For further information please contact:LRE@blu.chim1.unifi.it"or call +39-055-332549http://europa.eu.int/comm/scr/tender/index.htm.<>

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EUMEDIS: A EURO-MEDITERRANEANPROJECT FOR E-COMMERCE.

5

ITALY AS THIRD LARGEST CONTRIBUTOR TOU.N. PEACE-KEEPING OPERATIONS:DECORATIONS FOR SOUTHERN LEBANON

he National Day of Italy was celebratedon 2 June. This commemorates the

Referendum that gave birth to the ItalianRepublic in 1946. Focus this year was onItaly’s growing contribution to peace-keepingoperations in unstable parts of the world -from the Balkans ("The Economist"of 1 July states that in that regionItaly is second only to the UnitedStates as for number of peace-keepers) to East Timor. Italianmilitary in Southern Lebanon weredecorated by the United Nationson 6 June.Commemoration of the ‘Day ofthe Republic’ on 2 June 2000provided the occasion to revive atraditional military parade whichhad not taken place for some years.This military parade was named"the Parade of the Armed Forces for Peace".The media took this opportunity to stressthe involvement of the Italian Armed Forcesin military and police contributions to UnitedNations peace-keeping and humanitarianoperations.UN figures show that Italy is the fifth largestcontributor to the budget of the UnitedNations (5.437% this year) and the thirdlargest contributor in military and policepersonnel for peace-keeping and humanitarianoperations (8,247 men).

The Italian "Helicopter Squadron" in theInterposition Force of the United Nationsin South Lebanon (UNIFIL), which hasoperated for over twenty years, reflectsItaly’s priority for peace in the Middle East.Recently the United Nations decorated all

47 members of "ITALAIR", the Italianhelicopter contingent integrated into "UNIFIL".The medals were presented by UNIFILCommander Maj. Gen. Kofi Obeng duringa ceremony held on 6 June at the "UNIFIL"Headquarters in Naqoura, South Lebanon,a few kilometers from the Israeli border."ITALAIR" was established in July 1979,by the Italian Government in response toan invitation from the United Nations todispatch a helicopter squadron to replacea similar Norwegian helicopter unit at the

end of its mandate. The contingent is composedof men from the Army, Navy and Air Force,with four Augusta-Bell 205 helicopters. TheItalian Unit gives "UNIFIL" air capabilityon a 24-hour basis. Its main tasks are medicalevacuation, search and rescue, transport of

personnel and material, specialmissions (deploying mine clearingteams), and transport of groups ofmonitors."ITALAIR" has also contributedhuman lives to the peace keepingoperation. On the 6 August 1997,Captains Antonino Sgro` andGiuseppe Parisi, Warrant Officer(Maresciallo) Massimo Gatti andSergent Daniele Forner died in anaccident during a flight mission.Over the last 20 years more then1100 military men have served in

ITALAIR, which has performed more then27,000 flight missions over South Lebanon.Of those missions, at least 1,300 were madefor medical evacuation (MEDEVAC). Thetotal amount of flight hours was about 25,000.The former Commander of "ITALAIR",Lieutenant Colonel Donato Stricchiola,designated to become the next UNIFILLiaison Officer in Beirut, was recentlyreplaced by Lieutenant Colonel FrancescoGuarriera. <>

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INTERNATIONALCONVENTION OFARCHITECTUREIN MEMORY OFBRUNO ZEVI

rganized by the Italian Cultural Institute and theMunicipality of Tel Aviv, this convention took place

on 28 May, at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Centre.Frank O. Gehry ( the architect of the prestigious GuggenheimMuseum of Bilbao) and other well known architects fromIsrael and abroad participated in the panel: Hans Holleinfrom Austria, Francesco Dal Co from Italy, Ron Aradfrom England, and Zvi Hecker, Ram Carmi, and YacovRechter from Israel. The discussion was moderated bythe film director Amos Gitai.An exhibition in memory of Bruno Zevi was on displayin the lobby at the Centre and a film documenting hislife and achievements was shown during the event, whichwas attended by about 2000 people.<>

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he ties between Barak and Italy go along way back when in 1946, together

with his family, he escaped the Nazi persecutionand resided in Milan and in Rome. He becamefavorite assistant of Prof. Guido Tedeschi,who was already at that time professor atthe University of Siena and Dean of IsraeliCivil Law.In 1975 he was nominated, in Israel, StateHead Prosecutor. He participated in theCamp David talks together with PrimeMinister Begin. In 1978 he was appointedIsraeli Supreme Court Judge and since 1995he sits as Supreme Court President.

... To some extent, it is not only I who receivethis honorary degree, but the entire Israelijudiciary, who, in very complicated circumstances,preserves the rule of law and protects humanrights... .

The judge is not a politician. He does notrepresent one sector or another. Neither musthe present himself for elections every few yearsor devise a platform for such purposes. Rather,the judge is neutral, one who objectivelyadjudicates the specific conflict before him...

There can, however, be no personal independencefor the individual judge in the absence ofinstitutional independence for the judiciary asa branch. The authority vested in the executivebranch with regards to the judiciary on anadministrative level inevitably threatens theindividual independence of the judge.Although judicial independence is sine qua nonto the judicial role, it constitutes a necessarybut insufficient condition. In effect, the individualjudge and the judicial branch cannot effectivelyfunction without public confidence. The public'sconfidence in the judiciary represents anindispensable precondition to the properfunctioning of the judge's role. As the judgecarries neither sword nor purse, he is dependentexclusively upon the public's trust... .

The judge must therefore be characterized byabsolute neutrality with respect to the partiesand issues before him. Neutrality does not byany means imply apathy to the plight of theparties or the basic values and principles atstake. On the contrary, I am convinced that ina democracy, the judge is in fact required togive expression to the values and principles ofhis legal system. The values and principlesreferred to are not those that may be deemedto be the "mood of the day". They representthe values, principles and social consensuswhich reflect the deeply embedded convictionsof the democratic society; rather than succumbingto the hysteria of recent events, the judge should

reflect his people's history. It is precisely thejudge's very independence which endows himwith the unique capacity to reflect the democraticsystem's basic values, even when those do notcorrespond to the "shifting winds" of publicopinion... .

The judge must be neutral. However, he shouldnot be indifferent with respect to democracy,separation of powers or human rights. Indeed,I view the judge's principal constitutional roleas both the quest and ardent desire to protectand preserve the state's democratic character,while safeguarding separation of powers. . .

Separation of powers in itself constitutes anessential democratic value, its purpose beingnot to ensure efficiency, but to safeguard liberty.Indeed, at the root of our role as judges, liesour duty to uphold the individual's human rights,in relation to his fellow human being and inrelation to the State. As judges, it is our dutyto guarantee the human rights of all people,with particular emphasis on the weak, minorities,and the disenfranchised. In fact, our independenceideally positions us as those who can best giveexpression to our respective systems' basicvalues and to the protection of minority rightsfrom majority tyranny. Affording such protectionin no way offends democracy. Instead, it bringsdemocracy, in its richest meaning, to its highestrealization.

My own experience during the Second WorldWar and the Holocaust - the Holocaust in whichsix million of my people, including most ofmy family, were brutally murdered, I myselfhaving been miraculously saved from beingsent to a concentration camp thanks to thecourage of a Lithuanian farmer - impressedupon me the crucial need to safeguard humandignity for all. Since the Second World War,public awareness has grown significantlyrespecting human rights world-wide. It thereforeappears that the post-war era may be deemedto have comprised a renaissance of humanrights. At the vanguard of this front stand noneother than the judges and the courts, havinggrasped that true democracy can only be achievedby striking the proper balance between majorityrule and minority rights. This balancing processby no means requires the judge to sacrifice theState on the altar of individual rights. AConstitution is no prescription for suicide;human rights do not set the stage for nationalannihilation. Rather, our interest lies in thedelicate and sensitive balance between therespective interests of the community and thoseof the individual; between the needs of thepublic and the rights of the individual... .

A judge must be self-critical and lack any tracesof arrogance which risk misleading him intoself-grandeur. He must show proof of intellectualhumility, thereby permitting him to admit hiserrors. An American judge, referring to the U.S.Supreme Court, once said:"We are not final because we are infallible; butwe are infallible only because we are final".In my view, this approach is not acceptable.The strength of our decisions is anchored inour ability to be self-critical and to admit ourerrors in the appropriate instances. In fact,judging requires constant awareness of thepossibility that we, despite our best efforts,might err. Any theory of judging must accountfor this. The judge is part of his People. Attimes, he is to be found sitting in the so called"ivory tower", although from my perspective,that "tower" is clearly situated in the Jerusalemhills - not Mount Olympus. It is of the essencethat a judge be fully conscious of his surroundings,of the events preoccupying his people. It is hisduty to study his country's problems, to readits literature, to listen to its music. He mustfamiliarize himself with its religious, socialand cultural tradition. Yes, the judge is part ofhis epoch, the son or daughter of his times, theproduct of his people's history... .

Any judge, and every generation of judges, isentrusted with writing an additional chapter inthe nation's "Book of Law". In so doing, it isincumbent upon the judge to show bothconsistency and continuity. Between truth andstability, truth is to be preferred; between truthand truth- we must choose stability. Law, alongwith life, is constantly evolving. Legal historyis the quest to reconcile the Law with society'schanging needs. A normative scheme whichdoes not allow for growth will eventuallybecome irrelevant. Nor can stability, certainty,consistency or continuity, be guaranteed withoutproviding for change. The law, like an eaglein the sky, is only stable when it moves.I see my role as a judge - as do my peers, I amcertain - as a mission. Judging is not merelya job - it is a way of life. Every judge mustfulfill his calling with intellectual integrity andhumility, coupled with a social sense andhistorical understanding... .

I thank all those gathered at this most impressiveceremony and leave you with this two thousandyear old Talmudic saying regarding judges:"You would think that I am granting you power?It is in fact slavery that I am imposing uponyou". This is the premise which accompaniesme to the Courtroom daily; as I sit at trial, Istand on trial. It is with this sentiment and withdeep-felt gratitude that I accept this honourtoday. Thank you. <>

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Excerpts from the Address by Professor Aharon Barak upon receiving the Degreeof Doctorate Honoris Causa from the University of Bologna, May 2000.

SUPREME COURT PRESIDENT AHARON BARAKHONORED BY BOLOGNA UNIVERSITY

in the early 1950s by the MosaicsWorkshop of the Academy of Fine Artsin Ravenna, using "tesserae" made ofthe same materials andby the same methods as15 centuries ago, eachone of them cut exactlyas the original.

A s i t w o u l d b eunthinkable to detachthe ancient mosaics from

the walls of thec h u r c h e s o fRavenna, this isthe only way tosee them otherthan by travellingto Italy. It is alsothe best way to have a close-up view of details which wouldnot be visible to the naked eye.The Municipality of Ravennahas 62 of these mosaics, rangingfrom the imposing "Theodora"to fragments measuring just 25by 30 cm. A selection, or in some

n exhibition ofreplicas of the

Ravenna mosaics hasbeen opened on 6 July2000 at the MigdalGallery of the EretzIsrael Museum, TelAviv. This will continueuntil 30 September.

The early Christianmosaics of Ravenna spana period of just over 100years, from the secondquarter of the 5th to themiddle of the 6th century.Apart from those inRavenna, the only others imi la r number ofmosaics from this lateRoman/early Christianperiod can be found insome churches in Rome.

During the Middle Ageswe see a revival ofByzan t ine mosa iccommencing at the end of the 11thcentury. This is connected with theCrusades and with the rise of theVenetian republic and its contacts withConstantinople. Soon after A.D. 1300,with the great development of frescopainting perfected by Giotto and otherTuscan masters, the mosaic waseclipsed.

The mosaics that are being exhibitedin Tel Aviv are perfect replicas made

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T H E M O S A I C S O F R A V E N N A

Discover Italy

c a s e s t h e e n t i r ecollection, has beenexhibited over the lastfifty years in scores ofcountries in Europe andoverseas. The firstexhibition was in Parisin 1951, and the mostrecent was in Londonin February-March2000.The works chosen forthis exhibition aregrouped according tothe period and site theybelong to.We can notice theevolution of mural artfrom the naturalism ofthe late Roman/earlyChristian style of themiddle of the 5thcentury (before the fallof the West RomanE m p i r e ) t o t h eByzantine influenceprevailing in the mid-

6th century (after the Greek victoryover the Goths). The art of this laterperiod tends to be more static and

more symbolic. The imperial portrayalof Theodora, in particular, containstheological and political messageswhich are not easy to decipher,although the interest in nature whichcharacterises the Ravenna schoolis still present in other parts of thechurch of San Vitale.<>

Ravenna, The Rocca di Brisighella (The Brisighella Stronghold)

Ravenna Festival Theatre

8

E v e n t s I n I t a l yViews of RomeMay 2000 - October 2000Palazzo Poli, RomeTel. +39-06-69980301

Drawings and panoramic prints of Rome,including the enormous map of Rome,prepared by the Vatican Apostolic Libraryin collaboration with the National Institutefor Graphic Arts on the occasion of theGreat Jubilee of the Year 2000.

The Braschi MasterpiecesJ u n e 2 0 0 0 - S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 0Palazzo Braschi, RomeTel. +39-06-68802713

On the occasion ofthe restoration andthe reorganisationof the Museum thisexhibition payshomage to theBraschi family,reconstructing itshistory and its rolein poli t ics andcommissioningartwork in the lastdecade of the 18thcentury.

S a r a c i n oTournamentJune 18, 2000 -September 3, 2000Arezzo, PiazzaGrandeTel.+39-057-53770

The tournament, which has been heldsince the 13th century, offers a sumptuouschoreographed spectacle in the streetsof the town centre and the Piazza Grande.

Roman SummerJune 21, 2000 - September 30, 2000RomeTel. +39-06-6872886

Estate Romana, the Roman Summer,first held in the 1970s, opens every yearin the third week of June. Estate Romana

is rich in entertainment and outdoorcultural events, with a music festivalin the piazzas, parks and streets of thecity. Jazz is performed at the VillaCelimontana (near the Colisseum) andtropical music at the Foro Italico. EstateRomana includes all the events whichtake place during the summer in Rome:Roma Europa, and the Opera season.

Palio delle ContradeJuly 2, 2000 - August 16, 2000SienaTel. +39-577-280551

Medieval myths and brilliant pageantryoffer a spectacular twice-yearly display

in Siena. On July 2 and August 16 thetown honours its two patron saints -Santa Maria de Provenzano (July) andOur Lady of the Assumption (August).The highlight of the celebration is a twominute horse race around the city'scrowded main square.Preparations begin three days beforethe Palio, when horses are selected torun the trial races. On July 2 and August16, the competing horses and jockeysare blessed in the late afternoon, and aparade is held with participants intraditional costume. This is followedby a frantic race around the square, to

the cheers of the enthusiastic crowd.After the race, the winner receives thePalio (a silk banner), which is then takento either the Chiesa Santa Maria diProvenzano (July 2) or the Duomo(August 16) for Thanksgiving.

Stresa Musical WeeksJuly 12, 2000 - September 28, 2000Stresa, VerbaniaTel. +39-0323-31095

Founded by the Orchestra of La Scala,this festival has been growing inimportance for over thirty years. In itsearly years, the event was restricted toone theatre. It has now expanded toinclude the Palazzo Borromeo d'IsolaBella and to the Loggia del Cashmereon Isola Madre, where concerts areperformed by lamplight. In 1966, the"Exhibition of Young International

C o m p e t i t i o nWinners" wascreated, in ordert o m a k e n e wgenerations ofm u s i c i a n sdiscovered inEurope's mosti m p o r t a n tcompe t i t i onsknown to thepublic. Famousnames such asSemion Bychkovand VladimirAshkenazy haveappeared there, aswell as The IsraelPhi lharmonicOrchestra underZubin Mehta.

International Venice Film FestivalAugust 30, 2000 - September 9, 2000VeniceTel. +39-041-5218711

Part of the Venice Biennale, the "Mostra"is one of the oldest film festivals in theworld. Traditionally linked to auteur andavant-garde film, it is a point of referencefor all lovers of innovative cinema. Somesay that jury members in Venice are thehardest to please, but they undoubtedlymake the most interesting and fairestselections.

The Palio horse race, one of the world's most famous events, is held every year on 2 July and 16 August.