Israel Active

Israel’s Sarah Weiss Ma'udi, has been appointed to the Cabinet of Ambassador Csaba Kőrösi of Hungary, who becomes President of the UN General Assembly on Sep 13. Sarah becomes Senior Adviser and Deputy Team Leader for the Legal, Budget and Reform Team.

Surf lifesaving was included in this summer’s Maccabiah Games for the first time - there were even Israeli Arab contestants. It led to the International Life-Saving Federation welcoming Israel as a member and the Royal Moroccan Life-Saving Federation coming to Israel.

Israel’s Overwolf (see previously) surprised its 130 employees by presenting each one with an adoption certificate for an endangered European wolf. To mark International Wolf Day on Aug 13, Overwolf donated to the Born Free Foundation’s preservation program.

Israeli startup Palta operates the world’s first certification program for inclusive clothing for people who have difficulty dressing due to cerebral palsy, arthritis, etc. Palta’s own designs includes Braille tags, smart fabrics, and the official Israeli uniform for the 2020 Paralympics.

The Israeli Air Force has appointed Lt. Col. Revital Barzani to head its 66th Ram Battalion, which operates David’s Sling system against medium-to-long-range rockets and missiles. Barzani, a mother of three, is the first female officer to command a battalion in the IDF’s air defense array.

Israeli oral and maxillofacial surgeons Oded Nahlieli and Michael Abba fix children’s deformities in Equatorial Guinea, including a boy who had been unable to eat solid food for 4 years. They also trained local doctors to use Israel’s ORVizio remote surgical guidance system.  

Israel’s Consul General for the Southeastern United States, via Chabad Kentucky, joined in relief efforts for Kentucky flood victims, providing clothing, shoes, and household goods. Last year Israeli NGOs helped victims of Kentucky’s deadly tornados (see previously).

Israel’s Civil Administration has approved plans to build a 30km pipeline for carrying some 3 million cubic meters of treated wastewater from Ramallah to Palestinian Arab farmers in the Jericho valley. The rare cooperation between the PA and Israel will halt pollution of the Nahal Prat Nature Reserve.

A new education program has been launched in 30 Jerusalem schools where Jewish students will be taught Arabic. The program seeks to reduce language and social barriers between Jerusalem Arabs and the Hebrew-speaking Jewish population of Israel’s capital.

Tel Aviv’s Municipality, with help from the charity La’sova, has inaugurated a NIS 36 million shelter for 144 homeless male residents. From 3pm to 9am it will provide a place to sleep, shower, eat, receive counseling, medical referrals and more. La’sova has 13 temporary shelters in the city.