Israel Active

Israeli saxophonist Eli Degibri has taken time off from organizing August’s popular Red Sea International Jazz Festival in Eilat, to play with some of the world's finest musicians at the White House on the United Nations' International Jazz Day on April 30.

The largest water sports festival in Israel took place at the Tel Aviv Marina. Sailors, surfers, kayakers, SUP boarders, swimmers and marine fans participated in the Sail Tel Aviv-Yafo Passover holiday event.

Ilana Kratysh will be the first-ever Israeli woman to compete in the wrestling events at the Olympic Games after winning the World Qualification Tournament in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Israeli race car driver Roy Nissany finished in second place in the Formula One world V8 3.5 Series championship, which took place at Hungaroring in Budapest, Hungary.  Driving a Lotus, Nissany also set the fastest lap time.

For the second year in a row, Israeli judoka Or Sasson won the silver medal at the European Championships in the men’s over 100kg category.  Israel’s Timna Nelson-Levy won bronze in the women’s under 57kg division.

Six years after cancelling his previous Israeli concert, Mexican rock legend Carlos Santana will put on a show in the city’s Yarkon Park, on July 30.

The new National Library of Israel (NLI) broke ground last week, in a cornerstone-laying ceremony led by President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in Jerusalem. The stunningly designed 45,000-square-meter building will be completed in 2020.

Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny will be performing in Herzliya on June 14 and Rishon Lezion on June 15.  Metheny, last visited Israel was in 2011, and is one of the world's important jazz musicians. He has won 20 Grammys and is a member of the Jazz Hall of Fame.

Uri Lotan’s animation music video for the song “Ma’agalim” (Circles) by Israeli folk-rock band Jane Bordeaux has had over 70,000 views in just a few days.  (animation video) (lyrics translation - TY Paul) (2013 live performance)

Hollywood star Morgan Freeman was proud to post a photo of his visit to Israel on his Facebook site.  Please add to the positive comments by thanking him using this link.