Can Science Diplomacy Open the Door to Middle East Peace?

Have you ever wondered about the paths that geniuses create for themselves? On PEACE with Penny, we spoke with Zafra Lerman, Founder of The Malta Conferences Foundation.

Packed into her Israeli 5’3” frame, I would describe this powerhouse as a female Einstein, a true Renaissance woman. She is a scientist, educator, and humanitarian. We first spoke to Zafra in February 2023, now her memoir was just published, “Human Rights and Peace, A Personal Odyssey.” Zafra was kind enough to send me an advanced copy and it is a page-turner! Additionally, Zafra informed me that all proceeds from the sale of her book will go to providing funding for the next Malta Conference. These funds pay for transportation, lodging, and meals at the conference for all the invitees, it’s a conference by invitation only and no outsiders are allowed to prevent dilution of the attendees’ experience. You can find her book on Amazon.

Don’t miss her secretly trekking through dark alleyways at midnight in the Soviet Union to teach forbidden scientific seminars. Looking back over her lifetime, she too wonders what she was thinking to have put herself in harm’s way. I couldn’t help but reflect about our recent prisoner trade from Russia—Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva—the US determined all three were detained unjustly. Each had been tried in the Russian courts and thrown into Russian prisons without recourse, and sentenced for years. Her love of science and Peace knows no boundaries.

An Israeli/American scientist, she not only understands what makes chemicals blend, but also people, introducing Middle Eastern young scientists with Nobel Laureates. She has over 40 distinguished international awards and she has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize six times!

She holds a PhD in chemistry from the Weizmann Institute of Science and conducted research on isotope effects at Cornell and Northwestern Universities in the US, and the ETH, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland.

Zafra’s family life is deeply rooted in growing Israel as a nation. Learning about her grandparents’ and parents’ resilience shows her family’s participation in Israel’s history, from a personal perspective.

By now I’m sure that you’ve figured out that Zafra is one sharp cookie! I enjoyed learning about personal stories like the time when she was seven years old and in third grade. Zafra’s teacher had called in sick…

“My class was taken to an eighth-grade classroom and told to sit on the floor and be quiet. The eighth graders were learning algebra. The teacher, who was also the principal of the school, wrote a problem on the blackboard and asked someone to solve it. Nobody moved or raised their hand.

He asked, “Nobody in the class can solve it?”

After a while, still sitting on the floor in the back of the room, I

raised my hand and said, “I can.”

He looked at me like I was out of my mind. “You can solve this

problem?”

I said I could.

“Did somebody teach you algebra?” he asked.

“No,” I replied, “but I know how to solve this problem.”

I walked toward the front of the room, and he handed me a

piece of chalk. I went to the blackboard and solved the problem. He

exclaimed in every language he knew, telling me how excellent my

work was.”

Needless to say, the teacher was blown away. Ultimately, Zafra was able to transfer to an advanced school that she loved, and she was able to grow her natural gifts, especially in science and math.

The Malta Conferences Foundation has completed ten conferences where they invited new scientists and seventeen Nobel Laureates throughout the years who have attended to meet, teach, and collaborate using science as the language of cooperation and Peace. Too bad only invitees are admitted to the conference, I’d love to be a fly on the wall. I’m sure listening to accomplished scientists who are offered opportunities to move their creative projects forward would be very inspiring.

Malta Conference X

The Malta Conferences Foundation is the only platform in the world which brings together scientists from 15 Middle East countries (Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates) with Nobel Laureates to work for 5 days on solving regional problems, establishing cross-border collaborations, and forging relationships that bridge chasms of distrust and intolerance. Many of these Arab scientists have never previously spoken with Israeli scientists nor scientists from other Middle East countries. Zafra has proven science diplomacy as a bridge to Peace works!

Also attending the Malta Conferences are always many dignitaries from His Excellency George Vella, President of the Republic of Malta, to Her Excellency Agnes Von Der Muhill, French Ambassador to Malta, Omar Rifai Special Advisor to His Royal Highness Prince Hassan of Jordan, and Angela K. Wilson, President of the American Chemical Society.

The opportunity for these scientists to have discussions with the Nobel Laureates is a unique opportunity to share their ideas with these important mentors. Above is one of my favorite photos from the X^th conference because it shows this Nobel Laureate enjoying his conversation with the young scientist. I only wish I could read her mind. I know if it were me, I would feel gobsmacked.

There also was room for fun during this last conference when the participants donned Malta Conferences Foundation aprons, learned to make Maltese cuisine, and afterward enjoyed eating the fruits of their labor.

By the end of the X^th Malta Conference, having spent all their five days together except when sleeping, they have all bonded with one another and instead of looking like a more formal group of brilliant scientists saying goodbye, it feels more like family, and more than one tear is often shed.

Because the Israel-Hamas war is still on-going, although Malta XI was scheduled to be held this year, discussions are underway as to how they might be able to meet with attendees from prior years online. In a year without a war, visas are hard to come by, now it would be impossible to obtain for some of the participants. Zafra has a long record of making lemonade from lemons, so stay tuned to hear what they decide.

Another admirable part of Zafra’s life was her work on human rights throughout the world. Zafra chaired the American Chemical Society’s Subcommittee on Scientific Freedom and Human Rights. She worked on human rights cases in the former Soviet Union, Russia, China, Guatemala, Cuba, Peru, South Africa, Iran, and many more. Whether meeting with Russian refuseniks or Chinese dissidents, she’s helped to move them to freedom where they can continue their scientific work to help the world.

The third area of Zafra’s expertise and accomplishment is in education. Throughout her career, creativity has been a key to unlocking understanding science with her students. She developed an innovative approach of teaching science throughout the world at all levels using art, music, dance, drama, rap, and cultural backgrounds. Using her creative teaching methods, she has taught not only over 16,000 Chicago public school students and more than 1,000 teachers who participated in her programs, she also taught underprivileged and homeless students across all continents and even prisoners who went on to receive undergraduate and masters degrees.

Given Zafra’s life-long activities as a Peace activist, I asked her what she thought about the protests on so many of the college campuses. Her assessment was that it is disappointing. She was saddened that the students she spoke with, even at Ivy League colleges, had no idea what they were saying. When she asked the students shouting the ditty, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” what river and sea they were talking about, they didn’t know. Let alone it was a call to destroy all of Israel, give all the land to Palestinians, and depending on the persons intentions, just make the land devoid of Israelis, or with too many protesters, murdering all Jews currently living there.

I’m all for free speech, but are people listening to what they are saying and intending? Once again, as Jews we seem to be invisible. Would thousands of KKK followers be allowed to march shouting for the genocide of African Americans? Absolutely not, but it’s happening from our college campuses to any publicized Israeli meetings, and now at the 2024 Democratic Convention. These protesters are not only espousing killing Jews, but they are also against the United States, as they burn both Israeli and American flags because we have supported Israel’s right to defend their country, the only democracy in the Middle East, from continuous attacks.

I support a ceasefire, but I also understand Israel’s imperative to rid the world of Hamas. As I’ve said, I don’t believe in violence of any kind. People have the right to protest, but they don’t have the right to take over buildings, spray paint our most precious monuments, nor attack Jews.

The killing of innocent civilians is anathema to me, but as always, it’s not as straightforward as we would hope. Hamas intentionally embeds where innocent lives would be killed, producing the very effective horrific pictures providing a propaganda boost when the unavoidable death and injuries occur. There’s no way to avoid civilian injury in any war, but it would be impossible to rid the areas of Hamas and destroy the underground tunnels without also endangering those living with Hamas amongst them. The tunnels were built with funding from the entire world sent to help Palestinians only to be redirected by Hamas to build tunnels and for their own benefit or profit. Besides, how do you determine who truly is part of Hamas, or an innocent civilian? Hamas was elected. Was it a fair election? Who knows? We’re told that many Palestinians don’t agree with Hamas, but many do, and we see the proof as Palestinian protesters support the atrocities of October 7^th at times misrepresenting Hamas’ actions as mere resistance. Israel is actually helping the Palestinians eliminate Hamas, who steals supplies and funds meant to help them.

I believe the greatest disservice the media has done is to convince the world that there never will be Peace in the Middle East.

Nightly scenes of dead children and terrorist attacks with no counter balance that at least some in the region want Peace, obliterates hope. Yet there are pockets of PEACE, even today during war. At PEACE with Penny, we have a packed library of interviews of Peace organizations whose members are often both Palestinians and Israelis who work together on Peace, some for decades.

The ways of working on Peace are varied and include science, medicine, interfaith, transportation, sports, art, music, environmental conservation, and many more. Is it more difficult during war? Of course, and many of these Peace organizations believe working together now is even more important than ever!

It would be very helpful if you share this with people you feel would be interested and please post a like. Our prayers continue to go out to the hostages, their families, friends, and everyone impacted by the Israel-Hamas war and the war between Russia and Ukraine. And as always, we conclude with a prayer, that everyone will someday Live in Peace, שלום and سلام.