The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (hereafter “ICSID” or “the Centre”) received a Request for Arbitration from the Claimant against the Respondent dated February 15, 2004. The Request invoked the ICSID arbitration provisions in the Agreement between the Government of the Czech Republic and the Government of the State of Israel for the Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments, which was signed on September 23, 1997, and entered into force on March 16, 1999 (hereafter “BIT” or “the Treaty”), as a basis for the Tribunal’s jurisdiction.