Israel Active

Israeli wineries won awards at the 2013 DECANTER competition in Britain. A record 14,362 wines from 52 countries were entered. The Adir Winery in the Galilee and the Yarden Golan Heights Winery both took regional trophies. The Har Bracha boutique winery in Samaria won two medals.

Israel’s Members of the Knesset (parliament) have agreed to a 10% pay cut as part of the 2013-14 budget. The reduction of NIS 3,484 per month per MK will save NIS 5 million a year. It was enacted to show the public that the new economic austerity program affects everyone.

(Thanks to NoCamels) Technology research company Gartner has released its annual “Cool Vendors” list, which includes 13 Israeli companies. It features small companies in the fields of IT, communications and other branches of high-tech, which develop “groundbreaking” technology.

Los Angeles on 30th and 31st May is the venue for Americans wishing to meet and do business with Israeli companies delivering the latest technology. 70 Global companies. You need to be there.

Israel’s Funtactix has just won the digital equivalent of the “Emmy” awards. The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS) chose the on-line developer’s Hunger Games Adventure Game as the winner in the “Social Game” category. Funtactix won the Variety award in December.

(Thanks to Herb) Yoram Ettinger writes that Israeli technologies, shared with the U.S. industry, have enhanced U.S. employment, research & development and exports.

(Thanks to NoCamels) International retail giant eBay is setting up a startup incubator in Israel. The incubator will focus on startups dealing with ecommerce, social networks and big data, and will be located at eBay’s Israeli headquarters in Netanya.

Rona Ramon, widow of Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, laid the cornerstone of the new Ramon International Airport at Timna, 19km north of Eilat. The first new civilian airport since the founding of the state will take four years to construct and cost NIS 1.7 billion.

As Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu visits China, the Chinese Ambassador to Israel says that Israel is a stakeholder in helping China reform, open up and innovate.

Indian conglomerate Tata is contributing $5 million to Tel Aviv University’s Technology Innovation Momentum Fund. It is the largest single investment in Israel by an Indian group. TAU’s relationship with Tata, is via an India-Israel tech and business forum set up ago some years ago.