UK Friends of IDC

The UK Friends of IDC is a British charity set up to raise funds for the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya, a private Israeli college based just north of Tel Aviv that has close links to Israeli intelligence and the high-tech industry.

Related organisations include the American Friends of IDC, founded in 1998, and the International Friends of IDC, established in 2013. IDC literature indicates that there are also ‘Friends of IDC’ branches in Israel, France Germany and Hong Kong.

According to the UK Charity Commission, the UK Friends of IDC was founded by British solicitor and businessman Gordon Hausmann, who is currently listed as a trustee along with his wife Mrs. Ruth Hausmann, Mr. David M. Cohen, president of the United Jewish Israel Appeal, and finally Mrs. Smadar Cohen.[1]

Origins and Activities

The UK Friends of IDC was created by a Deed of Trust, dated 7 October 2002,[2] and registered with the UK Charity Commission on 4 April 2003 under the number 1096858, operating throughout England, Wales and Israel.[3]

The objectives of the charity are as follows: ‘To advance or assist in the advancement of the charitable educational aims, objects and activities of the IDC through or in association with the IDC to promote or assist in promoting such charitable purpose or purposes connected with the advancement of education whether in the United Kingdom, State of Israel, or elsewhere and in such proportion and manner as the trustees shall in their absolute discretion from time to time determine. Notwithstanding the generality of sub clause 4.1 the trustees may pay or apply at the trustees discretion the income or such part or parts of the capital of the trust in promoting or assisting in the promotion of such objects and activities as are exclusively charitable (as defined herein) and primarily to advance education.’[4]

Information on the different activities of the UK Friends of IDC, mostly social events, can occasionally be found in past college newsletters; however, the activities of the American branch of the organisation are regularly featured in more detail.

The most recent mention is in winter 2014. A photograph of Gordon Hausmann with Jonathan Davis, the vice president for External Relations of IDC and head of the graduate programme Raphael Recanati International School, appears under the headline ‘UK Friends of IDC Going Strong’. The newsletter reports that to celebrate the college’s 20th anniversary, ‘IDC Herzliya will be holding events throughout the year, culminating in a global mission that will bring a diverse delegation of International Friends to Israel in May.’

In March 2010, the UK Friends of IDC held an event at the home of Amnon and Malka Lion, who are described in one newsletter as being ‘among the pillars of the pro-Israel publicity efforts in London’.[5] Together they established the Israel Business Club in London. Amnon Lion co-founded the shipping management company Zodiac Maritime Agencies Ltd. along with the late Sammy Ofer, formerly one of the richest men in Israel.[6] Amnon also served as the director of the Jewish National Fund, an organisation that has played a primary role in the acquisition of Palestinian land throughout the last century,[7] and was granted an honorary fellowship of IDC in 2012.[8] Professor Uriel Reichman, who is the president and founder of IDC, gave a speech at the Lion’s home, as well as Asaf Tzachor, an IDC alumnus who is now a graduate student at Oxford University.[9]

Among the people Professor Reichman and VP Jonathan Davis met with in London on this trip included: Baron David Alliance, an Iranian born British millionaire businessman and Liberal Democrat politician;[10] David Lewis, the former Lord Mayor of the City of London; Ron Prosor, Israel’s former ambassador to the UK and current ambassador to the UN; Yariv Cohen, the chairman of Kaenaat, a London-based investment firm; Jacob Agam, founder of the global private equity firm the Vertical Group; Felix Posen, a British-based businessman turned philanthropist who lost a considerable part of his fortune in the Bernard Madoff scandal;[11] Sir Paul Judge, an English businessman and political figure; and Maurice Helfgott, the son of a British Olympian and chairman of Oliver Sweeney, which trades in luxury footwear.[12]

In October 2009, another event for IDC was held in London at the home of ‘avid IDC supporters’ Linda and Stephen Plant, who had attended a gala honouring Israeli President Shimon Peres the previous year.[13] Two of IDC’s Ethiopian students recounted their ‘Zionistic stories’ for the guests and trustee David M. Cohen discussed the UK-Israel link. Certificates were given to the supporters of the Ethiopian Programme at IDC Herzliya.[14]

In February 2008, London welcomed Professor Reichman and Jonathan Davis when they visited with IDC supporters and friends. Ron Prosor hosted an evening in honour of IDC with the assistance of long time supporters Yigal Zilkha, the founder of Queenco Leisure International, a developer, owner and operator of casinos and resorts, and his wife Shirly.

Two other dinner parties were organised during this visit: one by Mimi Perlman, board member of the Open University of Israel Foundation in New York; and the other by Sol and Adi Zakai. Meetings were held between Reichman and Davis with the following: Amnon and Malka Lion; trustee David Cohen; Yossi Hachmi, an Israeli insurance industry millionaire who is now based in London, and his sister Nitza Kanferl; Uri Nachoom, vice chairman of the merchant banking outfit Salamanca Group; and others.[15]

During the summer, Reichman and Davis visited London and met with Uri Nachoom; Henry Sweetbaum, founder and trustee of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence; Martin Paisner CBE, a London-based lawyer who is ‘a cherished benefactor of IDC Herzliya’; trustees David and Smadar Cohen and Gordon Hausmann; Amnon and Malka Lion, Neville Shulman CBE, a British explorer and Hollywood film consultant, and his wife and Emma; Eyal Ofer, the principal of Zodiac Group and son of late businessman Sammy Ofer; Mimi Perlman; Felix Posen, Ariel Kor, the executive director of Sampoerna Capital, the family office of one of Asia's most prominent financial families; Sol and Adi Zakai; and the outgoing Israeli Ambassador to the UK, HE Zvi Heifetz.[16]

In January 2007, the UK Friends of IDC held a cocktail reception at the residence of the former Israeli Ambassador to London, Zvi Heifetz, and his wife Sigalia. Professor Amnon Rubinstein, an Israeli lawyer and former Knesset member, and VP Jonathan Davis reportedly addressed a large crowd of about 100 distinguished guests, who were also entertained by ‘prodigy pianist’ Matan Porat. Attendees included: Eyal Ofer; Amnon and Malka Lion; trustees Smadar Cohen, Ruth and Gordan Hausmann; Bat-Sheva Zisser, an Israeli vocalist and actress; Shmuel Zisser, a British real estate developer; Sir Stanley Burnton, a British lawyer and former Lord Justice of Appeal; and Uri and Gina Nachoom. The evening was organised by Shirly and Yigal Zilkha, ‘long time supporters of IDC Herzliya’.

During this visit, Rubinstein and Davis held a series of meetings with Martin Paisner; Lord Harry Woolf of Barnes, former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales; the late Sir Bernard Shrier, an industrial millionaire entrepreneur and hotelier; trustee David Cohen; Isaac Kaye, a British-based venture capitalist and philanthropist; and Henry Sweetbaum.[17]

In 2003, IDC’s founder Professor Reichman travelled to London and ‘spoke before the Israel Business Club’ and ‘met with IDC supporters and alumni during the trip aimed at establishing a board of directors for the [UK] Friends of IDC.’[18]

Affiliations

Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya

American Friends of the IDC