Israel Active

US Comedian Jerry Seinfeld kicked off the first of four sold-out performances in Tel Aviv in front of more than 11,000 fans at a packed basketball stadium. One of his lines was that “Israelis have two answers to any question: “no problem” or “that’s impossible”.

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched a new, multi-sensory installation at the Tel Aviv Port. “Open a Door to Israel” comprises nine giant screens, shaped as doors, which visitors open to learn about Israel’s heritage, music scene, family life, education and innovation. See it before the exhibit moves to Rome in January, followed by Germany, France, Russia, South Korea, Japan, China and the US.

Israelis won three medals at the 2015 European Short Course Swimming Championships at the Wingate Institute in Netanya. Yakov Toumarkin came second in both the 200m backstroke and 100m medley. Gal Nevo came 3rd in the 400m medley.

The Pirate Kings mobile game from Israel’s Jelly Button Games has generated more than 50 million downloads since 2012, even though it hasn’t been aggressively marketed on a global basis yet.

Israeli gas stations have had a facelift recently. Many have added restaurants, serving high-quality food. Kosher ones include Nero Express (Gan Hatsafon), Minato (Caesarea), Ella Patisserie (Nahal Alexander) and Just Hummus (Katzrin).

Thanks to Scott Richman of AJC Live for these two interviews. The first is with Seth M Siegel, author of “Let There Be Water - Israel's solution for a water-starved world” and the second is with Dr. Alon Gratch, author of "The Israeli Mind - How the Israeli National Character Shapes Our World."

Spanish pop star Enrique Iglesias’s concert at the Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv on 16 Dec was sold out almost immediately tickets went on sale. So he is to perform a second time on 22 Dec

Israel will be one of four countries to host the FIBA EuroBasket 2017 tournament. It will be the first time that Israel will be hosting a European basketball championship.

23-year-old Dani Kaganovich of Be’er Sheva is the first Israeli to win the Mr. Universe competition - one of the bodybuilding world's biggest titles. He had previously won the Mr. Universe youth category three years in a row.

A tiny version of the world is coming to Times Square in 2017. The exhibition, dubbed "Gulliver's Gate" is owned by Eiran Gazit, an Israeli entrepreneur who commissioned the very popular Mini Israel Park in Israel’s Ayalon Valley.