A delegation of scientists from Jordan and Israel for the first time crossed the Dead Sea border in a research vessel sponsored by the international Bridge the Rift (BTR) Fund.
The joint research project aims to collect thousands of gallons of briny Dead Sea water in an effort to discover new life forms. During 2006 four sea expeditions will gather water samples, which will then be analyzed in laboratories in Israel, Jordan, and the United States, whose Stanford and Cornell universities are partners in the project. „The BTR project bears witness to the steadfast position of the king of Jordan in the region and his commitment to advance peace, the economy, and science for the benefit of the entire region,” said Michael Strauss, chairman of BTR-Israel. This view was echoed by Mati Kochavi, president of BTR-Israel: „The correct strategy for strengthening peace is not based only on political and security contacts. The BTR Fund’s initiative for cooperation between Jordanian and Israeli scientists proves that the right strategy for investing in peace will yield the desired result.” The Dead Sea project is part of BTR’s Middle East Library, an effort to document all forms of animal and plant life in the region. The principal aim of the research is to attain new understanding of the survival mechanisms of various life forms under extreme conditions. Leading researchers from Stanford and Cornell predict that this research will lead to breakthroughs in the fields of medicine and agriculture, as well as the development of new compounds that will benefit the region and the world. Bridging the Rift is in the process of establishing a research center in Israel’s Arava wilderness region, at a site donated jointly by Jordan and Israel. Other countries in the region – including those that do not maintain relations with Israel – have expressed a desire to join the center. Bridging the Rift is a trilateral project involving Israel, Jordan, and the United States. Launched in 2004, the initiative involves building a joint academic center on the Israeli-Jordanian border in the Arava, and is sponsored by two prestigious American universities, Stanford and Cornell, with the participation of leading research centers in Israel and Jordan, specializing in life sciences. During 2005, the fund undertook 20 scientific projects and field surveys, in which the scientists collected soil, plant, and water samples from both sides of the border. The project today includes hundreds of scientists, faculty and students from universities in Jordan and Israel.
BreuerPress-info
BreuerPress-info
