Amiram Goldblum

Amiram Goldblum (Hebrew: עמירם גולדבלום‎; born 22 December 1945) is an Israeli chemist and activist in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. He is the Hans J. and Tilly Weil Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem School of Pharmacy. He holds a PhD in organic chemistry from the Hebrew University. He is currently the head of the Molecular Modelling and Drug Design unit at the university's Institute for Drug Research.^[2]

Goldblum was a leader of Peace Now and served as its spokesperson for 20 years as well as constructing the Settlements Watch activities of Peace Now.^[3] He is on the board of the international council of the New Israel Fund.^[4]

Early life and education

Amiram Goldblum was born in Rosh Pinna in 1945. He is the son of Professor Natan Goldblum, an Israel Prize recipient (1988) and a senior officer in the Medical Corps of the IDF until 1956. The family was evacuated to Haifa during the Israeli war of Independence. Goldblum's mother Tamar (née Toren) was a member of the Irgun and previously was in the Beitar youth movement, being instructed by Eliyahu Meridor (father of Israeli politician and Minister Dan Meridor). Goldblum studied chemistry and physics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, as a student of Ernst David Bergmann and of Raphael Mechoulam, and continued postdoc studies in Paris with Bernard Pullman and Alberte Pullman and with Corwin Hansch in Pomona College (California).^[5] During the years 1970-1979 he served as a news announcer in Kol Yisrael and as an anchor of classical and jazz music programs on the Israeli Radio. Goldblum joined the Hebrew University in 1979 and became associate professor of Medicinal Chemistry in 1989 and full professor in 2010.^[6] Goldblum is a member of the Supreme Academic Council of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and of the Nazareth Academic Institute.^[7]

Science

Goldblum invented an algorithm for solving extremely complex combinatorial problems, called Iterative Stochastic Elimination (ISE).^[8]

Goldblum is on the board of two Hebrew University science-related companies that are based on his research, Sensotrade^[9] and Pepticom^[10] He won first prize in the contest of the American Chemical Society Computers in Chemistry Division in the ACS meeting, Washington D.C. 2000 for his new algorithm, which was developed together with PhD student Meir Glick.^[11]

Goldblum's research is focused on the discovery of new drugs against cancer and Alzheimer's disease. He leads a large theoretical research group at Hebrew University Institute for Drug Research. Among many scientific activities, he organized the first meeting to probe the idea of Israel's participation in SESAME^[12] between Professor Joel Sussman from the Weizmann Institute and Professor Herman Winick^[13] from Stanford University, who initiated the construction of the International Centre for Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science Applications in the Middle East, which includes Israel, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Jordan, Bahrain, Egypt, Cyprus and the Palestinian Authority, among others.

Politics

Goldblum was the spokesperson of Peace Now from 1980 to 2000.^[14] He was in the front line of the demonstration when Peace Now protestor Emil Grunzweig was murdered. He later identified the incident as a "catalyst" for greater political activism.^[15] Goldblum initiated the Settlements Watch^[16] activities of Peace Now in 1990.^[17][18] In 1995, Goldblum, referring to the Israeli cabinet decision to expand the settlements, said, "We believe that this decision is going to bring a tremendous clash with the Palestinians."^[19]

In a 2001 interview after the beginning of the second intifada, Goldblum discussed the name of the organization Peace Now, saying "The name is very problematic. Today I would not choose the same name for the movement, but we can't change it now. I find this name extremely difficult and it is even a source of embarrassment for me. I can't even put the movement's sticker on my car."^[20]

Regarding achieving a long term peace agreement, Goldblum suggested "pulling out of the territories unilaterally and begin peace negotiations at a point where occupation no longer exists", though he did concede that he would allow for "annexing 50% of the settlers" including those neighborhoods of Jerusalem over the Green Line such as Gilo and Har Homa. In addition, Goldblum said he was opposed to the right of return.^[20]

In discussing Israel's security, he recommended "an airtight security closure, a creation of a 310-kilometer security fence along the Green Line, an airtight closing of the border between Jordan and the Palestinian territory, between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, and of the Mediterranean. This closure would be so complete that is would allow us to inspect every mouse entering Israel".^[20]

Among other issues, Goldblum said "... What is really important to me is that this should be the state of the Jews, not a mixed state and not a state of all its citizens...."^[21]

In October 2012, Goldblum and his family foundation, the Yisraela Fund^[22] paid for and were involved (along with other Israeli academics) in commissioning a controversial poll regarding Israeli attitudes towards prejudice, along with Mordechai Bar-On, Ilan Baruch, Alon Liel, and Michael Sfard.^[23] In a press release of the commissioning group, sent by Goldblum, it was stated, "a large part of the Jewish population (58%) accepts the application of the term 'apartheid' to the current state of affairs in Israel. It is, however, not clear what these respondents understand by the term as this question did not require clarification." Goldblum also acknowledged there were problems with a question used on the poll. Israeli statistician Camil Fuchs, who supervised the company that conducted the poll, told The Times of Israel that the questions in the poll were fine and did not need changing by the Dialog team.^[24]

In January 2013 Goldblum was #87 on the candidates list of Meretz, for the Knesset elections.^[25]

Goldblum, together with Michael Sfard, Alon Liel, Mordechai Bar-On, Menachem Klein, Ilan Baruch, David Harel, Mossi Raz, Peter Hillman and Ami Weinstein, organized a public meeting (February 20, 2013 at the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem), to discuss "Is Israeli Apartheid possible?" That group founded a new NGO, called 'The Organization for the Prevention of Apartheid in Israel', saying its purpose is to expose and fight against trends of racism and apartheid in Israel.^[26][27][28]

Personal life

Goldblum was married to Israela Weinstein from 1967 till her death in 2006.^[1] Goldblum is married to Idit Amihai, who is the head of Museums and Public Galleries sections at the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Israeli Government.^[29]

Goldblum's son, Dan Goldblum, who served in the Israeli Commando Unit, Sayeret Matkal, was badly wounded in the commando's preparative operation (Operation Bramble Bush) to kill Saddam Hussein, on 5 November 1992.^[30] Goldblum's daughter Maya^[1] served in Sayeret Matkal following her brother.

Goldblum fought in the Yom Kippur war, October, 1973, as part of battalion 86 which was attached to armoured Division 460. Goldblum fought with his unit over the Suez Canal, where his unit was fighting inside the Egyptian city of Suez toward the end of the war.^[31] The story of some of Goldblum's actions during that war was published in 2014.^[32]

References