Israel repairs Thai’s teeth

Hamas terrorists hit one of the five Thai hostages with a weapon and broke his teeth. On his release from captivity he underwent rehabilitation at the Shamir Medical Center in Be'er Yaakov. Israel will continue to finance his dental treatment in Thailand and pay all five a NIS 9,000 per month stipend.

IDF helps save LA from wildfires

During the US nighttime, a hi-tech unit of IDF’s Home Front Command analyzed California wildfire data and prepared detailed operational assessments for the next day's firefighting. They consolidated all information including detailed mapping of fire zones, key sites, and power infrastructure.

Less corruption here; not so elsewhere

Israel improved in the latest annual Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International. It rose to 30th out of 180 countries surveyed. 47 countries fell to their worst ranking since the index began in 2012, including the USA, France, Germany and Canada.

Vote for Israel

Laura B suggests that readers could boost the winning chances of Israeli destinations, hotels, companies, etc. by voting for them in the Travel & Leisure 2025 World’s Best Awards.

US honors Iron Dome developer

Israel’s Daniel Gold, the original head of Israel’s Iron Dome development project, has been elected to the US National Academy of Engineering, part of the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine - one of the highest professional accolades for an engineer.

Training US security in mass casualty events

ZAKA, the Israeli volunteer emergency response organization, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the US National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) to train US law enforcement agencies in the respectful handling of victims of terrorism and mass casualty events.

A diamond in the rough?

An Israeli delegation, including members of the Israel Diamond Exchange, participated in the inaugural International Diamond and Gem Conference (Jan. 29-31) held in Qatar. The event aimed to develop new ideas, due to changes in the supply chain and consumer preferences.

Grants for released Thai hostages

The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) presented the five released Thai hostages with 4,000 shekel (38,000 baht or $1,120) debit cards that can be used anywhere in the world. Also warm clothing, as most of their personal possessions had been destroyed or stolen by Hamas.

Hispanic Christian leaders visit Israel

A delegation of 30 prominent Hispanic-Evangelical Christian leaders has just completed a 10-day mission to Israel with Eagles’ Wings, aimed at strengthening Christian support for the Jewish state. It was one of the largest faith-based Hispanic delegations to Israel in recent years.

When someone collapses in France

Newsletter subscriber and Israel21c editor Nicky Blackburn saw my news of Israel’s amazing emergency medical service. She sent me a link to this article from 2016 when her husband and an Arab Israeli nurse were the only people who went to the aid of a heart attack victim in Paris.