Dear all:

The Economic Security Intelligence Lab (ESIL) at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST), The University of Tokyo is pleased to host a public seminar featuring a delegation from the Israel based think tank SIGNAL Group titled:

Israel and Japan in an increasingly Multipolar World:
How Middle Powers are Caught in Great Powers Competition

Great Powers competition between the U.S. and China continues to fragilize an already fragmented world. Since the Covid-19 crisis numerous challenges have tested the foundation of the post-Cold War global order, and middle powers are caught in between following traditional allies or sustaining the multilateral order. Israel and Japan make the case for this fragile equilibrium. Both countries are at the forefront of middle power struggle in a century of great power competition.

The delegation from the SIGNAL Group is composed of individuals from diverse backgrounds, including a former minister and parliamentarian, a government official, and think tank experts who are directly confronted with this struggle. As the "only think tank solely dedicated to Israel's engagement with China" in Israel, they bring in-depth insider knowledge of China, the perspective of Israel on issues related to the Indo-Pacific security, and the economic and political competition between the U.S. and China. Together with the Japanese perspective, they discuss the future of multilateralism in an increasingly multipolar world.

The seminar will be conducted in English, and pre-registration is required to participate.

【 Event Details】
Date: December 8, 2025
Time: 13:30-15:00 (Registration opens at 13:00)
Language: English
Venue: 2nd Floor Conference Hall, Building #4, Komaba II Campus, RCAST, The University of Tokyo (4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904 JAPAN)
*Please note: This venue is located on the Komaba II Campus, not the Komaba I Campus.

【Registration Link】
https://forms.gle/rnjzQQ9cSjGrBxPR9

＊Note: For security reasons, participants who do not provide complete and accurate information regarding their identity, affiliation, and position may not be admitted.

【 Speakers】
Carice Witte is the Founder and Executive Director of SIGNAL Group. In 2011, she launched Chinese-Israeli Track II exchanges and a program for training Chinese faculty in Israel to teaching Israel Studies, leading to the establishment of Israel Studies programs across China. Ms. Witte has conducted over 1,500 briefings in China and Israel. She established Israel's annual China policy conference in 2016 and later initiated semi-annual China-Israel policy dialogue and from 2017-2021 held a China-Israel-U.S. Track II policy dialogue. In 2019, she introduced a seminar series for international experts, policymakers, and officials focused on China's evolving global role. As China's influence expanded, Ms. Witte broadened SIGNAL Group's work to the Indo-Pacific and frequently speaks at international security conferences across Asia. A recognized authority on China-Israel affairs, she has published widely on Sino-Israeli relations, China's policy reforms, and their implications for Israel and the Middle East. Her research also examines China's role in global governance, including Beijing's Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative as well as the implications for Israel and the Middle East of Xi Jinping Thought, such as his signature 'community with a shared future'. Ms. Witte serves on the board of the Israel Council on Foreign Affairs. She immigrated to Israel from the U.S. in 1987, is a graduate of Yale University, and is the mother of five and grandmother of four.

Nitzan Horowitz is the Chairperson of the Meretz party and the Democratic Union. He served as Israel's Minister of Health from 2021 to 2022, served two full terms in the Israeli parliament from from 2009 to 2015, and he is the founder of the NGO "Israel for Freedom" which promotes diversity and opposes religious coercion.

Marc Luban is the Director of International Relations at the International Unit of the Chief's Economist's Office at the Ministry of Finance. Since 2005 he has conducted economic and policy reviews on OECD and ASEAN countries, contributing to Israel's foreign policy and business environment, particularly through in-depth analyses of the Chinese economy.

Shirly Raisin Sasson is an expert in immigration and the management of international operations, with over 20 years of experience at the Population and Immigration Authority in Israel. In recent years, she has served as Director of the Bilateral Agreements Division at the Authority, with full responsibility for all stages of agreements related to the recruitment and employment of foreign workers. Her duties ranged from leading intergovernmental negotiations and developing implementation plans to establishing and operating governmental recruitment mechanisms. Ms. Sasson maintains extensive working relationships with government ministries in Israel and around the world, international organizations, and professional associations within the Israeli economy. In this role, she contributes to shaping Israeli regulation in the field of foreign worker recruitment and employment.

Lena Zeiger is an economist and public policy expert, with extensive experience in international trade and related policy areas, such as government procurement, rules of origin and custom procedures, trade in services, investment protection. Working at the Ministry of Economy since 2005, she is currently Deputy Head of Senior Division for Trade Policy and International Agreements at the Foreign Trade Administration. She has been leading bilateral and multilateral negotiations on behalf of Israel on numerous aspects of Free Trade Agreements and represented Israel in international organizations, such as the WTO and the OECD. Lena's daily responsibilities include also working with Israeli Economic Missions to facilitate exports and remove barriers to trade. From 2016 to 2020, she served as Head of the Israeli Economic Mission to the OECD.

【 Moderator】
Akira Igata is a Project Lecturer and heads the Economic Security Intelligence Lab (ESIL) at RCAST, the University of Tokyo. He holds affiliations with several international think tanks and policy institutions, including the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), Pacific Forum (PF), Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), the National Security College at the Australian National University (NSC, ANU), the European Values Center for Security Studies (EVC), and the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC).

As always, we will make sure to leave plenty of time for Q&A with the audience.
We look forward to seeing you all there.

Best Regards,
Akira