Israel Active

Sharon took a tour from Jerusalem to the Western Galilee. Her photos show how this season is peacefully and respectfully celebrated in Israel by members of different faiths. And (TY Hazel) the Jerusalem Municipality again distributed free Christmas trees to the city’s Christian residents.

Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics reports that Israel’s Ethiopian community totaled 177,600 people in 2024. Of those, 53% were born in Ethiopia, and 47% are Israeli-born. Netanya has the largest population - 13,300. 57.7% of students went on to study at university, more than the general population.

Nuseir Yassin, better known as NAS Daily (see previously), continues to make thousands of entertaining videos about Israel. In this video he reveals the name of the country with the most billion-dollar startups per capita.  I bet you can guess which country that is!

At the Bethel Church, House of God in Anaheim, Calif., some 100 evangelical Latinos and their pastors gathered to express solidarity with Israel and launched La Iglesia a Favor de Israel - a new Zionist nonprofit targeting Spanish speakers.

Polyphony’s Liturgical Festival Dec (18-20), which had to relocate to Jerusalem last year, returned to its home city, Nazareth. Nazareth’s Polyphony Association has a vision of dissolving barriers between religions and cultures in Israel through musical education and projects.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir lit the 8th Chanukah candle with soldiers from the Hasmonean Brigade, the IDF’s first ultra-Orthodox combat unit. Zamir stated, “You are the Maccabees of our time – defending the people of Israel while maintaining a Haredi way of life”.

Israel will ban mobile phone use by children on elementary school grounds starting on Feb. 2. Phones were banned in classrooms in 2019. Now students cannot use devices during breaks or before lessons. Phones will be allowed only with staff approval for educational purposes.

The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine has established the Robert I. Schattner Center for Oral Health for People with Disabilities.  The center will provide quality dental care for people with physical, cognitive, and complex medical conditions.

The first ever Ambassadors Summit in Jerusalem brought more than 1000 pastors to stand with Israel and combat antisemitism in Jerusalem. The gathering aimed to make what's heard in America's pulpits stronger than today's propaganda. Their main aim is reach global youth.

The new Bolivia’s center-right government of President Rodrigo Paz has restored diplomatic relations with Israel that were severed by the previous socialist government following the Hamas invasion. Travel visa restrictions have also been lifted.