Argentinian ambassador is a Rabbi

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz welcomed Argentina’s incoming ambassador, Rabbi Shimon “Axel” Wahnish, to Jerusalem. He noted that under the leadership of Argentina’s President Javier Milei, the relationship between the two nations will reach new heights.

Indians stand with Israel

Israelis and other Jews enjoy traveling to India. Hindus and Jews are both ancient civilizations facing the threat of Islamic terrorism. Hear some Indians in Israel talk about common interests.

Taiwan steps up for Israel

Since Oct 7, relations between Israel and Taiwan have been growing fonder and stronger. The Taipei government has donated many thousands of dollars to Israeli causes, condemned Hamas and declared solidarity with Israel. Officials have even picked fruit on Israeli farms.

Expanding gas exports

Israel’s influence in the oil & gas market is set to improve following the preliminary green light from Israel’s Energy Ministry to more than double exports of natural gas from the Leviathan field. Customers in Europe and the Far East prefer to import gas from Israel, rather than from Russia.

A pro-Israel village in Norway

Sokndal, Norway (not to be confused with Sogndal) is possibly the most pro-Israel village in the world. The residents, primarily Christian, express their solidarity with Israel through an array of flags and symbols, reflecting a profound bond rooted in faith and shared values.

5 million lives

Israeli NGO Innovation: Africa, is celebrating a significant milestone. It has just opened the taps in the Nyamphanza Village in Zambia, bringing the number of people whose lives have been transformed with access to clean water, light and electricity since its inception in 2008 to more than 5 million people.

The highest birth rate in the OECD

A new Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development report shows Israel has the highest birth rate among the top 38 industrialized nations. Israel’s 2.9 is followed by Mexico and France at 1.8. South Korea has only 0.7. OECD birth rates have fallen 50% in the last 50 years.

The second-best country to retire to

If you don’t fancy living in Iceland then Israel is the best country to relocate to when you retire.  So says UK’s ConfidenceClub in its “Aging Gracefully Index,” of 39 countries, compiled after Oct 7. Its categories included health care, life expectancy, safety, and life satisfaction.

Creative thinkers

The OECD’s 2022 study into student creative thinking was published recently. Israeli students ranked 11th of the 63 countries. Those at Hebrew-speaking schools achieved even higher levels. The Palestinian Authority school system ranked 59th.

The earliest shipwreck

The oldest ship ever found in the deep sea has been discovered off Israel’s northern coast. The 3,300-year-old ship’s cargo included hundreds of intact ceramic jars (amphorae), used to transport oil, wine and other agricultural products. The finds will be displayed to the public in Jerusalem.